This is my travel diary of my trip to Egypt. It contains in detail my memories of what I did and saw.

Monday October 26, 2015

Egypt: Day 5, Part 3 – Mystery of the Sphinx

I don’t recall why we had to wait, but as we did I snapped a photo of a pyramid through the first trees I had seen since arriving.

We then started the walk through the souvenir sellers towards the mortuary temple in front of the Sphinx.

Mikel acted as translator for any sellers that came up to us. He later said its easier for him to just tell us the price and then tell the seller no one is interested, than it is for him to shoo away or be rude to the seller.

Soon we had reached the temple, there isn’t much to see here, but this is where some famous statues of the Pharaohs that build the pyramids were found.

After Mikel explained some of the history of the area, we went up through this passageway to see the Sphinx.

While I hadn’t felt overwhelmed at the site of the pyramids, the Sphinx fascinated me. I strained to look at the different coloration and weathering patterns on the monument, which some people say show the Sphinx is much older than the pyramids because that is the only way such weathering patterns could have happened. I also looked closely at the paws, and for the tail.

I also marveled that most of this was covered in sand (over his heck at one point) and that its been carefully removed to show us the ground level.

I must have just stayed for a long time, snapping photos.

At one point I saw no one else in our group except for Thomas, he also was fascinated with the Sphinx and pointed out the back of the head was likely supported by concrete. He also later showed me some fossils in a stair near the Sphinx! I realized then he was going to be great fun. He likes facts and ancient history even more than I do!

I also tried my hand at the “Kissing Sphinx” photo, but it didn’t turn out like I wanted, the perspective was wrong.

360 View:

A pit at the back of the Sphinx enclosure.

As I was looking at the Sphinx, the noon call to prayer sounded, and voices from a the dozen of minaret sang out. It was beautiful and erie at the same time. I realized I was running out of time, so I walked out of the enclosure to find a bathroom. If you are looking for a bathroom, it is actually in the area outside the enclosure, where you can look directly on the front of the Sphinx.

Photo by Elizabeth.

I went in and encountered a problem. There was a woman sitting at the door, asking for change before you went in. I had tried as hard as I could to get small change, but no one would give me any! I tried to hand her a 5 EGP (as the cost was 2 EGP) but she said no. She would only accept exact change. As I stood confused, a local woman just went on in, and I followed her. The door woman said something to the effect about paying on the way out. I went in, and thankfully had brought my own toilet paper. I then stood at the mirror for a little while as I tried to think of my situation. I only had 1 EGP coin or a 5 EGP Bill. I knew she wouldn’t make change for me, as she’d hope I’d just get frustrated and leave my 5 EGP with her. Instead I walked out confidently, placed the 1 EGP coin and sprinted up the stairs. Yelling followed me, “Madam! Madam, this is too little! ITS TOO LITTLE”. I feel a little bad about this, but she had refused to make change when I could see she easily had dozens of coins to do so. But no one chased me down. I then went back to the bus to avoid the locals as I felt bad about peeing-and-half-dashing.

While waiting on the bus, I was mad at myself for spending so much time on just one side of the Sphinx, I didn’t even think to walk all the way around to it. And then everyone realized why we weren’t leaving yet…Elizabeth was missing! Mikel asked me where she had gone. I hadn’t seen her since the mortuary temple an hour before! I then remembered…Elizabeth didn’t have a watch with her that day. We waited and waited, and still no Elizabeth. Some people left to go to the bathroom, and then Mikel went out in search for Elizabeth. Turns out she had walked around the Sphinx and saw some beautiful temples. (I’m jealous!) Here are some of her photos:

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