So we walk right around the pyramid with countless offers of rides, postcards, souvenirs and everything else. While sitting, I actually had a nice chat with Mustapha, a young 28 year old guy who ends up giving me a free postcard at the end. Amongst all the hassle, a glimmer of humanity that gives me a little hope that was soon to be squashed...
We continue walking around the second pyramid(Khafre son of Khufu) and then the smallest one which is Menkaure, son of Khafre. I guess you could say pyramids ran in the family.
Anyway this old bedouin guy comes around on a camel and I'm still feeling relaxed from Mustapha's encounter so instead of ignoring him as usual, I answer the usual questions and he starts throwing me little souvenir beads for free(yeah right!). He then asks me to take a picture and I reluctantly agreed. Caught in the web of the deadly spider, it's not so easy to get away... He's like an octopus, he must have several more hands than I do. He's trying to wrap a turban around my head, shoves the camel stick and reigns in my hand, grabs the camera and starts snapping while I am protesting. I am starting to be impatient and try to leave. Of course the free of charge offer has now been amended so I get a pound coin to give him. He's obviously not happy about my stinginess and then he goes on a different tangent and asks me to give him 50 Pounds for 10 US(normally worth 55 or so) because he doesn't want to go to the bank. I honestly don't know what I was thinking, this guy has been around the block more times than I'll ever be and there's no way he's going to do a deal that will be to his disadvantage. Yet I take out my wallet(stupid alert! stupid alert! You'd think I would know better after all that traveling) Anyway, within seconds he has some money in his pocket but he knew that wasn't going to work from the tone of my voice so he starts laughing and then starts swapping money back and forth at warp speed. Think of the little bean in the three cups trick where you have to guess in which cup the bean lands... So now, I have to say I've had enough and it's time to end this comedy, I take back what I think is mine and he knows it's time to cut and run. I am still not 100% sure who was the winner of that exchange and I guess I'll never know...I'd like to think I came out ahead but I have to admit that's unlikely. In any case, it was good entertainment for a couple of US dollars. After a couple of minutes of decompressing, I had a good chuckle and had to admire the guy's prowess at swindling people. A master at his craft...
We continue to walk around the pyramids and there are very few people around because it's a hard slog under the sun and in the desert sand, you get a tiny feel of what it might be like to have lived in that environment and I have to say I am not too envious. I'll take the winter snow of Canada...
After taking pictures from just about every angles, it's time to head out and get some food and drink. Nice little fresh orange juice stand on the way out with a huge mug for less than 50 cents US. A bit more than the sugar cane juice which is also yummy.
Time for a treat and we head for the Intercontinental for one of the fanciest lebanese restaurant and Cairo and of course I'm dressed the part so I get a nice look from the Maitre D' but money talks so we get our table and order the degustation plate which is around 10 courses. They are much larger than I expected so we can't quite finish it and have to pack some back to the hotel. Very expensive by Egyptian standard at over 400 Pounds for 2(close to 80US) but one thing I don't like to skimp on is food. We'll even it out tomorrow
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