Around the World in 180 Days with D and N: The Egyptian Museum, the Pyramids and the Sphinx

Monday morning (Dec 1), we met our guide, George (a Coptic Christian named for St George), and started out at the huge Egyptian Museum. We spent the morning there. To do it justice you'd need a month or more of visits. No photos allowed within the museum, but an incredible set of galleries of Tutankamun treasures, along with other wonderful collections of ancient artifacts. We'd visited two King Tut exhibits at the Field Museum and the more recent St Paul Science Museum exhibit, but the Cairo galleries are really incredible.

On leaving the museum, we noticed a large burned-out building adjacent. Turns out it was the Mubarek Party Headquarters, torched in the 2011 revolution. It burned for two days (our guide says some theories have it torched by the National Democratic Party themselves to destroy evidence of their misrule) while activists surrounded the Egyptian Museum to protect it and its treasures.

We then headed west to Giza to visit the three great pyramids of Cheops, Chephren and Mycerinus ( Grandfather, Son and Grandson in order). And the inscrutable Spinx. Headed back to the hotel for a rest and then back to Giza for the Sound and Light Production, touristy but worthwhile.

With Our Guide, George, Outside the Egyptian Museum

The Burned-Out National Democratic Party Headquarters

Interview with Two Journalism Students at the Pyramids. "What Did I Find Most Interesting in Egypt?" Since I'd Been There Less than 24 Hours, I Punted.