It was getting a little tiring – several long road trips, loads of eating and walking, and even more passive smoking. In addition, some incredible history – stories, paintings, sculptures, and monuments just blow your mind. They take you back a few thousand years and put you in awe of how it all could have been built and then how it all survived. There was a day more to go but Egypt had saved some of the best for last.

While the Pyramids at Giza are the most famous ones, there are about 120 pyramids across the country and the ones at Giza are the largest but not the oldest. The title of the oldest rests with the pyramids at Saqqara and they tell a slightly different story. While the Pyramids at Giza tell the story of a dynasty of very develped civilazation under some very well to do pharoahs, the Pyramids at Saqqara tell the story of development of the technology to build the pyramids.

Mistakes were made and lessons learned before the Egyptians built the masterpieces at Giza and there are some crooked and smaller pyramids to tell the tale. The inside chambers are much deeper inside and the treks inside are much harder and steeper. The symmetry is not as perfect and at times they built steps instead of the smooth sides. They are not as tall or as famous, but they still are an architectural marvel. The trek inside is far more treacherous and longer. The walk inside the Giza pyramid was an adventure, but enough people adviced against the one inside the Saqqara ones. I took the advice.

The first pyramid you come across is the famous step pyramid which is what Saqqara is known for – the pyramid of Djoser. Brilliantly symmetrical and as perfect as the Giza pyramids from several centuries later. There is a whole series of temples and structures around it. Recent excavations have revealed part of huge cities and other tombs, The area around has been in the news in recent times due to new discoveries or well-preserved tombs and mummies. A walk around is well worth the effort. So is a walk inside (probably), but based on my guide’s advice, I didn’t go.

There are two other pyramids in the area that are worth a visit, each being just a short drive away. There is the first large pyramid ever attempted – they started at a very steep angle and realized that it would be too tall when it finished. So they changed the angle mid-way and it is visible. The pyramid is a little asymmetrical and a little ugly. But they learn from their mistakes – the next pyramid is perfectly symmetrical and well constructed – just quite damaged. Time is not equally kind to all pyramids.

On the way back our guide offered to take us to an authentic Egyptian lunch, where she said the locals ate. It turned out to be another one of the typical tourist-focused places, though the food was excellent and since our guide ate with us, we got some insights into the food. It actually costed exactly the amount we had saved by taking the tour without the lunch – I am willing to bet, this was the place the lunch tour would have included.

It was our last evening in the country, we booked ourselves on a 5-star dinner cruise. We were picked up at the hotel and taken to a pier on the Nile, not very far away. When the boat arrived, it didn’t look very 5-star. Later I realized that 5-star meant they could freely serve unlimited liquor. We finished a bottle of wine, ate a hearty but overcrowded buffet, and watched dance performances which were quite fun. There was the usual belly dancer and also a guy who kept the audiences well enthralled with a whirling deverishes kind of show. It was nearly midnight when we got back and crashed. On the last day there was going to be just enough time to visit the Egyptian Museum, which happened to be right outside out hotel.

After a brilliant hotel breakfast, we walked out looking to just walk into the Museum. We were separated by a very busy main road. It took us a while to cross it and then we just found ourselves at the end of a very long queue to get in. After about a 30-minute wait, we found ourselves in the middle of a lot of history… Exhibits that would be centerpieces of most museums in the world would find places in the rear of galleries in this one. The highlight of the museum was the Tutankhamun Gallery, one that hosted the sarcophagus of the young pharaoh. Good marketing had created such hype around this one that the gallery was the easiest to find – we just followed the crowds. Photography was not allowed in the gallery but the 100+kg of pure gold sacrophagus did leave an image in the mind. The museum has a lot more to offer, a few real mummies, and other pieces of Egypt’s glorious history.

We walked back to the hotel and got ready for the drive to the airport – a relatively smooth flight back.