Funkengroovin - Scenes From Giza 1

We had guests here in Cairo, for spring break.  Anyone who visits Cairo wants and should see the Pyramids.  Most famous of all are the Giza Pyramids.  The photos in this first set are our drive from Sakkara to Giza, late morning early afternoon.  Most photos were taken through the window of our car, so the colors / shots are somewhat murky.

Below:  Farmers on a donkey pulled cart pull over to allow a huge tour bus to pass.  The road around Sakkara is dirt, and wide enough for two cars.

Below: A red Bus in Giza.  Most Giza VW Buses are white.  So this is unusual.

Below:  On The Road.

Below:  As usual, a VW Bus (people mover) drives through Giza town with it's side door open, making it easy for passengers to hop on and off.

Below 3 photos:  "White Chickens" (the nickname for VW Buses in Giza) in action.

Below:  Took several photos of this Bus to no avail.  He has a horse on the front of his roof (click on the photo to enlarge it.)

Below:  Finally, the road to the Pyramids.  Another form of transportation.  These buggies are a common site in the part of town near the Pyramids, and at the site, as well.

Dimai - Part 2

From Deir Abu-Lifa, we drove up farther into the hills.  You can detect the road markers along our route.

Below: Two road signs.  One for the Petrified Forest and the other which went to our left, directed visitors to Widan Elfaras an old stone quarry.  We are headed to the Petrified Forest.

Below:  As we sat on the edge of this small valley, VB told the driver that we had no wishes to re-enact Thelma and Louise.  We drove down, and yes, between those rocks there is enough space for an SUV.  On return, a good pace is needed to clip over the edge at the top of the hill. 

Below:  In the valley, looking back.

Below:  This was as far as we could get due to the blowing sand the week before. You can see where the trail becomes too deep for travel. 

Below:  We left the valley, and a kilometer or so away we arrived at the Petrified forest.  These remains are scattered throughout this area.

160 meters (524 feet) above sea level.  Before descending we stop to enjoy the view.

Below:  Another road sign, indicating the way down the mountain.

Finally, Dimai.

Below: The rooms of the castle.

Below: The walls of Dimai.

We lunched at Dimai, outside the walls, and decided to make a last minute stop to visit Lake Qarun.   Both Qasr el-Sagha and Dimai are guarded by boabs.  There is no entry fee, and not many visitors at all, but it is customary to tip the boab.  We were completely alone to explore both sites - it doesn't get any better than that.   It would have been nice to spend a bit more time at Dimai, but we had had a long day.  Several cars of visitors arrived just as we were departing Dimai. 

These are huge rock formations along the way to Lake Qarun.  (The photos of Lake Qarun weren't very good.)  Lake Qarun is 43 meters (49 feet) below sea level.

 

Below: Just outside of the cemetery, the drivers decide to race.

Below:  Back to the City of the Dead (cemetery), and then home.

 

Qasr el Sagha and Dimai are great for day trips.  The air is clean, and the skies are blue, something we don't get in Cairo.  There's no gas stations once you get to the desert people, so make sure you have a full tank of gas, food and drinks.  We took two cars, just in case of unexpected problems, like getting stuck in the sand.  And a GPS also helps, which one of the drivers had.  We had a great time and plan on doing it again when we have visitors.  It's not far from Cairo, it's not crowded, and it's a bit of an adventure, as well.

Dimai - Part 1

A bit over two weeks ago, we took a trip to Dimai, with a few short stops beforehand.  Originally our first stop was to be the "castle" at Dimai.  But, due to blowing sand the week before, and the route being muddled, we steered off to an alternate site.  Our destination was still Dimai, but now it would be our last stop.  The route we drove is similar to this map.

We left around 8:00AM and drove south along Dead Donkey Canal Road, through Giza on a road where a new water tower is being built. 

When approached a newer City of The Dead (cemetery) along the same road, and turned into it, driving through.

The cemetery borders the desert, and we continued our drive in the desert until we came to a one lane road a few kilometers away. 

Below: Here, we had been driving for awhile, and stopped to shoot photos of the scenery.  It was foggy, and chilly.  This one lane road is said to have been built for Mrs. Mubarak so she could take her friends to Dimai, Qasr el-Sagha, and Fayoum, President Mubarak's hometown.  VB decided to call this road, "The Susan Mubarak Highway."  VB's not sure what the road is called on maps, but it's in the middle of the desert, and seems to have just been plopped down, without any other road intersects at all (at least not on the parts we drove.)  VB's not sure where the road ends either, as we strayed away.  If memory serves, we were told The First Lady is flown in, and there did appear to be a small flat area nearby, and a watchtower which would be perfect for a helipad.  (Sorry, no pics of it all.)

Yes, there is dew in the desert - see below.

After stopping, we get to some cement blocks lined up in a row, indicating a pipeline, and we turn, and drive along them, off road, for some distance.  Turning, and winding through the desert, we arrive at Qasr el-Sagha, aka the Golden Temple. 

As you can see from the photo above, there are two doors.  The smaller door to the right was a lure for thieves wanting to raid the temple.  It lead nowhere, as you can see below.

Rooms to the right were designated for specific gods.  The room at the far end, leads to another room, with a hidden jail room, behind it.  According to the guard, visitors would be greeted at the main door.  They would present their problems to the greeter, and he would determine which god they needed to address their woes.

As usual, everyone likes to leave his / her mark after a visit to the temple.

Found items at the site.

After visiting Qasr el-Sagha we drove into the hills and arrived at Deir Abu Lifa, which at one time contained a monastery.  We did not go caving, but did view these small cave-like areas on the hill.  We were told they're all interconnected, but did not explore them.  We took in the views, and us ladies found a couple of private spots to relieve ourselves.

Below:  A close up of the formations.  The stone looks like shale, is fragile and flakes easily. 

Next Post, Part 2 (The Petrified Forest, and The Castle at Dimeh / Dimai.)

Funkengroovin To Dimai

Before VB details her trip to Dimai, she figured she'd better get the Funkengroovin part out of the way.  We drove to Dimai/Dimeh just over two weeks ago.  We started out at 8:00 AM and returned home after 4:00 PM.  The majority of our time we spent out in the desert, but on the way, we passed through Giza, the home of the "white chickens."

(Below): A Bus on Dead Donkey Canal Road (no dead donkeys seen this day.)

(Below 3 photos):  Around Giza, as we make our way through.  We hit Giza during morning rush hour.

And it was overcast and foggy.  Some areas foggier than others.

(Below 2 photos):  Bus stops in Giza.

(Below):  Most white chickens have an open door policy.

(Below):  Just before we drive into the desert.

(Below):  On our return.  When we left in the morning, it was foggy, and the Pyramids were hidden.  The sun came out, the sky turned blue, and on our return we could see the Pyramids for several miles.  We were so amazed even though we've visited them, and in trying to get passing shots, VB almost missed this broke down bus.

(Below 5 photos):  Shots of buses and scenes from Giza.

(Below):  Leaving Giza, and spotting a nice blue van.

(Below):  VB turned to get a frontal photo of the blue van, but the combination of a sand covered window and a brilliant sun, totally obstructed her view.