Pyramids

How Many Wonders Have We Wandered?

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New Seven Wonders of the World

Our recent two-week journey was through Cairo, Aswan and Luxor in Egypt as well as Amman, the Red Sea and Petra in Jordan. We realized that we saw two of the New Seven Wonders of the World on this trip, the Great Pyramids of Giza and Petra.

So far, we have seen five of the New7Wonders and six of the eight on the list total. The Great Pyramids have additional, honorary status on the list because they are an original (ancient) world wonder. Highlighted below are the Taj Mahal, Petra, the Great Wall of China, the Great Pyramids of Giza, the Colosseum and Chichen Itza.

The two wonders left on our list are Machu Picchu in Peru and Christ the Redeemer statue in Brazil. South America, here we come!

I admit I didn’t know much about the list of world wonders or really what or where they were. Most of these we stumbled upon in our journeys. In 2000, there was a worldwide voting of what the new seven wonders should be. These seven destinations emerged. There was a total of 20 finalists from all over the world. I’ll link the other finalists we’ve visited at the end of this article.

Do I think the six that we have seen so far should have made the cut? YES! It’s easy to think, ‘There’s a lot of hype. Will this place really be that great?’ All of the destinations are breathtaking, remarkable and worth the crowds and entrance fees and airfare.

Taj Mahal
Agra, India—February 2015

We visited the Taj Mahal in Agra, India on our six-week trip through India, Nepal and Thailand. It’s undoubtedly MY favorite world wonder. The first glimpse of the Taj made my heart drop. Taj day was the best day in India. Although we were surrounded by many Indian and some foreign travelers, we didn’t feel rushed or crowded.

We took our time wandering the grounds and watching the sun set on one of the benches. We even met another couple from Portland, Oregon on the bench next to us! As the sun set, the site was near empty and we were one of the last to leave that evening.

Petra
Petra, Jordan—January 2017

We added Jordan to our itinerary for Robert’s visit to Egypt. I was also interested in Istanbul, Turkey or Marrakesh, Morocco, but I think we made the right choice and those are still on my list! Petra is an incredible complex of tombs and temples carved from rose-colored sandstone. The town where Petra is located is named Wadi Musa, or the Valley of Moses.

The Treasury is the famous image from Petra and was featured in “Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade.” We climbed a facing mountain for a fantastic view of the Treasury from above. There was a small cave where we stopped to rest and drink a Coke. The day’s step count was more than 26,000! We had very sore feet the next day, but it was worth it.

Great Wall of China
Jinshanling, China—August 2015

We saw the Great Wall on a six-week trip to Taiwan, China, Hong Kong and Vietnam. Similar to the Taj Mahal, the day at the Great Wall was my favorite day in China. Though Robert might argue that the Terra Cotta soldiers day was the best.

To me, the experience at the Great Wall was similar to Petra, because it was physically taxing. We walked up, down and around crumbling parts of the wall with little shelter from direct sun or humidity. And climbing without any supports or handholds also challenged my fear of heights. But, again (are you sensing a theme here?) it was worth it. The Tsingtao beer I had afterward was one of the most memorable beers I’ve ever had.

Great Pyramids of Giza
Giza, Egypt—December 2016

Although I’d been living in Cairo since August and had caught glimpses of the Pyramids from my school and the highway, I was glad I waited to enter the actual pyramid complex and see them close up until Robert’s visit. It was such a special experience that we can now share (see Robert’s blog post). Independent travel definitely has its merits, but I learned from my solo time in Egypt that travel is best with the one you love. We saw the Pyramids early in the morning with few crowds.

It’s unfortunate that the political landscape has affected tourism in Egypt and surrounding countries. Another Oregonian couple we met during our trip to Aswan and Luxor told us that their itinerary consisted of Morocco, Egypt and Paris. Of those three, their family was most concerned with Paris! Although we laughed about it, we totally agree! The atmosphere when we were in Paris in 2016 and surrounding areas like Brussels weeks before its airport bombing was more tense than any other travel we’ve done. But that doesn’t stop people from going to Europe and it shouldn’t deter people from traveling throughout Morocco, Egypt, Jordan, etc.

Colosseum
Rome, Italy—February 2016

Speaking of our trip through Europe, I could wax poetic about Rome, Italy all day. We started the weeks long trip in Rome and we came back to Rome at the end of it as well. Our first day, we made sure our explorations on foot included the Colosseum. It was dark by the time we got there, but it added to the sense of wonder. What I love most about Rome is that, while it is now a very modern city, it is very easy to imagine how it could have appeared during ancient days (see Day 4 Ancient Rome). All of the wonders, including this amphitheater, have incredible stories locked forever in their foundations.

Chichen Itza
Yucatan, Mexico—July 2008

Chichen Itza was our first world wonder and one of our first trips abroad together after we married in 2007. Mexico is our first travel love; we’ve traveled thrice together and once solo. One of the trips, we flew into Cancun and stayed in Puerto Morelos, a small town. We are not Cancun people! We took the bus to Chichen Itza and wandered the grounds on a hot, humid Mexican day. I think I would like to go back and take a more detailed tour with a guide.

The Best of the Rest

Here are some of the other finalists for the title of best wonder of the world. Have you been to any of them?

The Last Wonder: Great Pyramid of Giza

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A camel poses in front of the Great Pyramid.

To see something in person that you’ve only seen in photos can be a surreal experience, especially something as iconic as the Great Pyramid of Giza. The last remaining Wonder of the Ancient World rises like a mountain from the flat desert west of the Nile River. The glimpses caught through the tall apartment buildings that clutter the modern skyline are just a tease of the main attraction.

Our first up-close glimpse of the Pyramids came from a gas station... pretty good view while filling up the tank.
Our first up-close glimpse of the Pyramids came from a gas station… pretty good view while filling up the tank.

As we drove from Cairo toward Giza, it struck me how much the city encroaches on the plateau. The pyramids are typically photographed toward the west with the desert in the background. But just across the highway, the city has a front row seat to Ancient Egypt. So perhaps it’s fitting the roof of the On The Run gas station obstructed my first up-close view of the Pyramids.

The Great Pyramid of King Khufu. From a distance, the pyramids seem smooth, but up close you can see the jagged exposed limestone of the pyramid's core.
The Great Pyramid of King Khufu. From a distance, the pyramids seem smooth, but up close you can see the jagged exposed limestone of the pyramid’s core.

Only a moment later, we left modern-day Egypt behind. From a distance, the pyramids are smooth, three-dimensional triangles, but up-close, you get a sense of how they were born. More than 2 million stone blocks, each weighing more than two tons create a craggy surface. Once covered in white sandstone—some of which can still be seen atop the middle pyramid—the exposed core tells a story of the construction.

Thought to have been built by slaves, it’s now known that the pyramids were built by skilled laborers, revered and honored for their work in the form of statues found during excavations. Construction techniques still used today were applied here in 2500 B.C. Stones sit flush with perfectly-flat surfaces. Corner joints allow for heat expansion and movement during earthquakes.

Khafre's Pyramid and Menkaure's Pyramid. In the distance, a smaller pyramid belonging to one of Khufu's wives can be seen.
Khafre’s Pyramid and Menkaure’s Pyramid. In the distance, a smaller pyramid belonging to one of Khufu’s wives can be seen.

Pharaoh Khufu commissioned the three main pyramids of the Giza Pyramid Complex in the 26th century B.C. The Great Pyramid, the largest structure on Earth until the 1300s, is built in his honor. The middle pyramid—which appears largest because of its higher perch—is named for Khufu’s son and successor Khafre. The third and smallest pyramid belongs to Khafre’s son and successor, Menkaura.

The Great Sphinx and Khafre's Pyramid at the Giza Pyramid Complex.
The Great Sphinx and Khafre’s Pyramid at the Giza Pyramid Complex.

The Great Sphinx is part of Khafre’s pyramid complex. With the body of a lion and a head believed to depict Khafre, workers carved the famous statue out of the limestone from the quarry used to build the pyramids.

By all accounts, the Great Sphinx is a great kisser!
By all accounts, the Great Sphinx is a great kisser!

On the south side of the Sphinx, tourists gathered above the temple to pose for a variety of photos. The statue’s slightly puckered lips beg for a kissing photo. Not unlike Italy’s Leaning Tower of Pisa, part of the fun is watching visitors contort for the perfect picture.

Coming around a corner near the entrance of the Sphinx Temple, the Great Sphinx and Khafre's Pyramid peeked through the ruins.
Coming around a corner near the entrance of the Sphinx Temple, the Great Sphinx and Khafre’s Pyramid peeked through the ruins.

Mohammed from Emo Tours served as our guide and site historian. He led us into the one of the sparsely populated temples where we caught a view of the Great Sphinx from below. With no other tourists around, it was a moment of solitude to really take in the experience.

View of the three main pyramids from a northwest viewpoint.
View of the three main pyramids from a northwest viewpoint.

We ended our visit at a northwestern viewpoint, looking back toward the pyramids with Cairo in the background. The blend of the ancient and modern worlds made me wonder what the pharaohs would think of all this? Did they ever imagine visitors from far away lands making a pilgrimage to this place? Or that their legacy would outlive nearly everything else from their time, to tell their story for generations to come?

If You Go

Emo Tours
Guided tours of Egypt’s top sightseeing locations and highly-rated on TripAdvisor.

Horseback Riding at the Giza Pyramids

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View of Giza’s Great Pyramids.

I was very fortunate to be invited by my friend, co-worker and fellow Cascadian Becky to join a desert horseback ride to see the Giza Pyramids. She has been taking lessons at Cairo Horse Riding School, which has beautiful facilities in Giza.

Goat traffic on the way to the riding school on a small, country road in Giza. This is not typical of Cairo traffic at all!
Goat traffic on the way to the riding school on a small, country road in Giza. This is not typical of Cairo traffic at all!

Although the last time I rode a horse was during a childhood summer camp, I couldn’t pass up an opportunity to experience a different perspective of the pyramids. The owners of the school, Tamer and Jenny, were very friendly and patient with this beginner. Tamer stayed near me and led my horse, Sumayah, a white Arabian.

The first glimpse of the Pyramid Complex!
The first glimpse of the Pyramid Complex!
I like this picture because of the contrast of the desert on the left and the green farmland of Giza on the right.
I like this picture because of the contrast of the desert on the left and the green farmland of Giza on the right.

Especially because I’m not too keen on riding a camel due to ethical reasons, I definitely recommend the experience as an alternative way to see the villages and stables in Giza and the neighboring Great Pyramids.

Jenny, me and Becky on our Arabians with the Giza Pyramids in the background.
Jenny, me and Becky on our Arabians with the Giza Pyramids in the background.

It was a very quiet and peaceful experience. Parts of the desert felt like we were in another world or the set of “Star Wars,” which was filmed in Tunisia, not too far from here, I guess!

View of desert riders and the city of Cairo in the distance.
View of desert riders and the city of Cairo in the distance.

We saw Egyptian riders at full gallop enjoying the wide, open space of the desert. Because it is December, it wasn’t too hot, but the sun is still pretty powerful. And there was a desert wind, as the sound on my short video reminded me.

The desert "café" is a great place for riders to stop and take a rest.
The desert “café” is a great place for riders to stop and take a rest.
Tamer leading the horses to a resting spot.
Tamer leading the horses to a resting spot.

When we reached the viewpoint of the Giza Pyramids, we stopped at a tent, where a man came out to take our order for tea and cold beverages. I could get used to this view and service! And now I have seen the pyramids from the north, east and south (desert).

Me with my mint tea enjoying the view. As I get older, I’m less shy about doing new things!
Me with my mint tea enjoying the view. As I get older, I’m less shy about doing new things!
The three largest Pyramids of Giza and the three smaller ones on the left are the Pyramids of the Queens.
The three largest Pyramids of Giza and the three smaller ones on the left are the Pyramids of the Queens.

Thank you for the unforgettable experience.

Video: Horseback Riding at the Giza Pyramids

If You Go…

Cairo Horse Riding School Desert Rides

  • Giza, Egypt
  • About 2-3 hours for saddling up, riding and rest break
  • Very safety-minded, using helmets and precautions
  • Horses are very well taken care of
  • About $20 USD

Great Pyramids Sound and Light Show

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Great Pyramids Sound and Light Show

I definitely felt like a tourist when I decided to go and see the Giza Pyramids sound and light show, but I didn’t care. I am part tourist and part temporary teacher transplant. I read online that the show was a little cheesy and that is exactly what convinced me to go. With a free weekend night, I set off.

My entrance ticket outside the gate. The English show runs every night.
My entrance ticket outside the gate. The English show runs every night.

Although there are a multitude of tour companies offering to pick you up, deposit you onsite and take you back home, there is no need to book a “tour” to do this. Just arrange a taxi, driver or Uber to take you and wait out the hour-long show. Even as a foreign woman alone on a Friday night, it was fine.

I paid 135 Egyptian Pounds (about $8 USD) for a “front row” seat, but as most tourist things in Cairo, even on a weekend, it was not busy nor did I have to fight the crowds. As soon as I walked in, I saw the Sphinx in front of the outlines of the three largest pyramids. I think that was worth the ticket price alone. Although I had seen the pyramids from afar, this was my first up close and personal. And with the lack of crowds, you really do feel like you have a private audience with the pyramids.

The illuminated Sphinx, with the body of a lion and the head of a person, is quite smaller than the pyramids but still impressive.
The illuminated Sphinx, with the body of a lion and the head of a person, is quite smaller than the pyramids but still impressive.
From smallest to largest: Pyramid of Menkaure, Pyramid of Khafre and Pyramid of Khufu.
From smallest to largest: Pyramid of Menkaure, Pyramid of Khafre and Pyramid of Khufu.

Somebody corralled me and told me where the best seat was (the far right, front). I sat down and waited for the show to start. With a booming narration and moving lights, the show tells the story of how the pyramids were built and how they survived the ages. There are images projected onto stone walls as well as the Great Sphinx of Giza himself.

The Great Pyramid Complex illuminated by colored lights. If you have a tripod for your camera, bring it with you.
The Great Pyramid Complex illuminated by colored lights. If you have a tripod for your camera, bring it with you.
The Great Sphinx. Can you spot his lion paws? The Sphinx is thought to represent the Pharaoh Khafre, whose pyramid is behind the Sphinx from this view.
The Great Sphinx. Can you spot his lion paws? The Sphinx is thought to represent the Pharaoh Khafre, whose pyramid is behind the Sphinx from this view.
In this view, the Sphinx is superimposed with a mask, a nose and a false chin/beard.
In this view, the Sphinx is superimposed with a mask, a nose and a false chin/beard.

If You Go…

Great Pyramids Sound and Light Show

  • 100 EGP for regular or 135 EGP for “VIP”
  • English show every night
  • From May 1 to September 30: 7:30 p.m.
  • From October 1 to April 30: 7:00 p.m.
  • Make sure to specify the east entrance of light and sound show near the Sphinx, not the regular pyramids entrance, which is more to the north
  • Bring a jacket, it gets cool and windy at night, especially after October
  • Don’t have high expectations, it’s just for fun and snapping pictures!

Sakkara Pyramids

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The step Pyramid of Djoser

In the first of what I hope will be many pyramid trips, I recently joined a trip to the Sakkara (Saqqara) Pyramid complex. Although it’s not the most well-known group of pyramids, like the Great Pyramids of Giza, it has very impressive hieroglyphics inside the tombs. The trip was led by Community Services Organization, a nonprofit in Cairo designed to provide services for expats (like me!).

We first arrived at the Pyramid of Djoser. The pyramid has six limestone “steps” and is thought to be among the earliest known stone structures in the world—according to our guide Ahmed—built around 2667–2648 BC. The credit for the step design is given to Imhotep, the architect who was the right hand of the king.

It was a slow day for tourist camel rides at the Pyramid of Djoser.
It was a slow day for tourist camel rides at the Pyramid of Djoser.

The steps were thought to symbolize a stairway to heaven. The ancient Egyptians built the pyramids not only to be tombs for kings and nobles, but also to house the spirits and facilitate a happy afterlife. This included physical offerings of food and worldly possessions as well as hieroglyphics (symbols for the alphabet) and pictures telling the story of the person’s life on the walls.

A line of Uraei (cobra) with the Pyramid of Djoser behind it.
A line of Uraei (cobra) with the Pyramid of Djoser behind it.

Next, we moved through the complex of crumbling pyramids and headed underground to the tomb of the Pharaoh Unas. Although we had to climb down a very narrow tunnel, the passageway was well-lit, which helped discourage claustrophobia.

Following Ahmed down the passageway through the Pyramid of Unas.
Following Ahmed down the passageway through the Pyramid of Unas.

At the end, when it was safe to stand up straight, there was a white limestone room completely filled with hieroglyphics. A few of us gasped!

The walls and ceiling of one of the chambers of the Pyramid of Unas.
The walls and ceiling of one of the chambers of the Pyramid of Unas.
Columns of hieroglyphics in Pharaoh Unas’s funerary chamber at the Pyramid of Unas.
Columns of hieroglyphics in Pharaoh Unas’s funerary chamber at the Pyramid of Unas.

The adjoining room was the chamber for Unas’s body, which included a black sarcophagus and stars on the roof to symbolize the heavens. It’s a good thing these spirits had all these signs to tell them if they were in the right place; these pyramids are a maze! The body/mummy itself is not in the sarcophagus, it was probably looted along with the other offerings and riches in the tombs.

Click any photo in the gallery to see a larger version and start a slideshow view

After we came above ground, we went to the tomb of one of Unas’s daughters, Idut. While Unas had numerous hieroglyphics/symbols in his pyramid, Idut’s tomb had the most impressive “Pyramid Texts,” realistic pictures and murals, some still with red and black color. Different chambers of her pyramid had pictures of the Nile, offerings of food and drink and pictures of scribes.

Pyramid Texts in the tomb of Idut describe a fishing scene on the Nile. Can you spot the hippopotamus, crocodile, fish and the cow being separated from her calf?
Pyramid Texts in the tomb of Idut describe a fishing scene on the Nile. Can you spot the hippopotamus, crocodile, fish and the cow being separated from her calf?

Workers used metals and minerals like copper to make paint. Did you know that slaves were not utilized to build the pyramids? Only paid workers. The National Museum has a papyrus record with names of all the workers who were employed and their payment.

Click any photo in the gallery to see a larger version and start a slideshow view

Last, we went to Ka-Gmni’s tomb, where we couldn’t take pictures, but it had massive murals similar to Idut’s tomb, and underground to Titi’s Pyramid. We also made a stop at the Imhotep (King Djoser’s architect) Museum, which housed a mummy. It was a little too realistic!

Our guide Ahmed at the entrance to Ka-Gmni’s tomb, which also had very well preserved and ornate drawings.
Our guide Ahmed at the entrance to Ka-Gmni’s tomb, which also had very well preserved and ornate drawings.

I learned today that Egypt has anywhere from 50 to more than 100 pyramids, depending on how one defines a pyramid, still standing or fallen. I’m sure I’ll be back to learn more!