All White People Look the Same

And am I ever glad. Although I'm worried the "Ancient Wonders Ruling Body" will strike me down for managing to get into the Pyramids using a fake, expired ISIC card.

Yes, I broke my consecutive months streak and went to the Pyramids. I was going for Megan's record of 7+ months, but mine ended at 5 months and 1 week. It's too bad, really. I can no longer bewilder people when I tell them the Pyramids were last on my list of things to do in Cairo.

Alas, my friend Kate is in town, so I promised to escort her via the most primitive form of automated transport Cairo has to offer: the CTA bus. We arrived at El Haram (the Pyramids) in due time, while Kate marveled at the size of the manmade wonders.

At the gate, the ticket guy bought my fake card, but at the security check the lady wasn't about to allow such tomfoolery. Luckily, or perhaps unluckily, the card I was using has no expiry date explicitly written on it. It was passed around to a few people, after a bit of cajoling on my part, and I was finally allowed to pass...with the customary "Just for you, sir."

The Pyramids are pretty cool. You have to be impressed by the completely lack of westernization in and around the site...no signs in English, no directions, no explanations. Must be because all tourists seem to show up in tour buses wearing mini-skirts and transparent white pants. Put some clothes on, people.

There is one misconception, though, and that is the size of the sphinx. It's a fallacy that has been propagated by fancy camera angles. Then again, how else could Napoleon have blown its nose off with early 1800s weaponry unless it was on the small end.