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We opted for an early start and met with Mena at 9.00am. Our driver, Mustafa, drove us to Saqqara, about 30km south of Cairo. Saqqara is both a village and a region--well known for it's many palm trees and carpet schools, which were originally set up to try and boost both employment and the skills of the poor people living in that area.
Our first stop was the Djoser complex, beginning with the mastaba of Meraruka, the largest known tomb of the Old Kingdom. Inside a rather unimpressive entrance were 32 chambers--each with the remains of beautiful reliefs decorating the walls. Many of these still bore evidence of painting and coloration. These bas-reliefs afford a valuable insight into the way the ancient Egyptians lived, what they hunted with, what animals surrounded them and which crops they grew. It was fascinating. We were not allowed to take cameras in with us unfortunately. Next we visited the pyramid of Teti, which we were able to enter. It was far less claustrophobic , and we were able to see the original sarcophagus and the decorated walls of the chambers. From there, we drove to the step pyramid, otherwise known as the pyramid of Djoser, which was originally 60m high. It is a pyramid that was extended several times and that is how it got its stepped appearance.
Following this, we drove a little way to Memphis, the old capital of Egypt. Here we went to the museum, housing the colossal fallen statue of Ramses II. There were many other antiquities there too. From there we returned to Cairo, stopping at a perfumerie, where they had their own glass blower, making pretty glass perfume bottles, and essential oils they claimed to have harvested themselves. From there we returned to our hotel, lunched and spent the rest of the afternoon at the fabulous pool. Our evening meal was at the hotel's Mexican resturaunt.
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