Another travel back to Egypt. Visit to Cairo and Giza

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After 3 ½ years I was back in Cairo, the visit is completely random as it usually does not ever go back where I already was. The world is so vast that I can not afford to go twice in the same place since I still have many countries to visit. This time I did un'eccezzione, organized the tour I bought to see the Middle East (Sinai, Israel, Jordan and West Bank) includes an excursion to the Egyptian capital. They are accompanied by a friend and together with other Italians from our hotel in Taba (Sinai resort on the border with Israel to which I refer to the route "Egypt Asia") at a time in Cairo. We are in a few hikers that the organization provides us with a minibus, bus fastest but definitely more uncomfortable especially in a way that we walk as full of holes and bumps. Passing through the underpass that crosses the Suez Canal from Asia exiting and entering the African one. Egypt is a transcontinental country even if the party occupies the vast majority of African territory, almost the entire population, the capital and all major cities. For these reasons, it speaks of Egypt as an African country. As we approach the capital of the stony desert gives way to vegetation made possible by the presence of the delta of the Nile, the lifeblood of this country. Cross reaching Cairo suburb of Giza where they are flanked by the same name Pyramids Sphinx, one of the most popular of the World, the sole survivor among the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. Once they were in the desert but have now been almost swallowed up by the capital in the meantime has grown to excess competing with Mexico City as the largest city in the world. On one side the houses are almost close to the archaeological area. Descending from the microbus and continue on foot to see the three great pyramids. The guide, an Egyptologist met on site, we recommend to pay a ticket to enter one of the main pyramid, leads us instead to visit one of the smaller pyramids of queens flanking the main complex. I was in the previous trip to Cairo was in the great pyramid, but actually there's nothing to see. Had I been driving I would recommend a visit to the solar boat that had seen three anne half before judging it interesting. With the microbus reached us go in a little square where you can enjoy a splendid panorama of the three pyramids, then continue to the bottom of the archaeological site where you can find the Sphinx and the remains of the palace of embalming. It 'exciting to review the guardian sphinx centuries the Pyramids of Giza. We go up the microbus and stopped at a state institution for the production of the papyrus where a girl explains the technique of weaving the leaves of this plant to transform it into a kind of paper. Here you can buy scrolls with the stamp of State certifying its authenticity. With our means at the Hard Rock Cafe Cairo is located on the banks of the Nile where a buffet lunch. To set out for the largest Egyptian museum in the world where we visit the most valuable pieces from the guide explained in detail including of course the famous treasures of Tutankhamen. Unfortunately we do not visit the exposition of royal mummies, not bad for me that I have seen in previous trip to Egypt. After visiting the museum we go on the minibus taking the road to the east and crossed the Suez Canal with the subway leave the African continent back in Asia (see itinerary Egypt Asia).
Some notes: the guide does not allow to visit the Solar Boat at Giza and the hall of the royal mummies of the Egyptian Museum with the excuse that you pay in Egyptian pounds and you can not change them on the spot. In fact the museum can not change while at Giza can be changed to black with a disadvantageous exchange rate but with 10 Euro will solve the problem. Better to change some money prior to your arrival in Egypt, is sufficient to twenty euros as everything else you will pay with our money. The State Institute papyri are obviously true as those offered by vendors are made of rice paper, but be careful because the same papyrus authenticated you find a lower price in stores authorized to sell. The trip from Taba to Cairo takes about six hours and made microbus is really tiring. And 'better even if the bus will take a longer time. Too bad that the excursion included lunch at the Hard Rock Cafe, was much better a typical Egyptian restaurant or a boat as there are many moored on the Nile. Instead we found ourselves in a typical american graffiti even though the kitchen was local.