The Pyramids of Giza and the Sphynx

A few last words about Israel.  First, there was almost no military (or police, for that matter) presence that we could see, which we both found a bit surprising.  Second, the emphasis on the Temple.  I am not a studied Jew by any manner of means, but it seems to me that the Jews were able to survive (and, oh, say, the Hittites were not) because they became the People of the Book rather than the People of the Temple.  Should we have a country?  Sure, but I am not sure it behooves us to get too attached to a particular spot....

Now, the Pyramids.  They were built around 4000 years ago, and are the last remaining wonder of the ancient world.  (Driving around Egypt today, you can still see the spot where the 2,000,000 sotnes were quarried).  There are three larger pyramids for the Pharohs, and six smaller ones for the queens.  Today, they more or less look like rubble (although still hugely impressive), but imagine them faced with smooth white limestone, gleaming in the sun in the middle of the desert. They were huge mausoleums each devoted to a single Pharoh or queen.  Wooden boats werre buried outside to transport more supplies to the afterlife.

"Mister Ted", as everyone calls our host, has government plates on his vehicle, so he was able to bring it on to the site.  Otherwise, I am afraid I couldn't have made it - it is a huge area;  as it was, the driver waited for us every few hundred yards.  (Have I said I could get used to this?)

I had my camel ride, Hank decided to have his.  (At least he had stirrups, which is more than I did, and he had ridden a horse on the ranch when he was a kid, although it is hard for me to believe it now...)

.

The infamous lion-bodied Sphynx is here as well,  standing guard...

The story goes that one of Napoleon's artilliary troops shot off the nose of the Sphynx,  Mister Ted assures us that this is a myth.  Rather, the Muslims, who as we know are offended by human images - even one that is half lion -  defaced it!

And to close on yet another Lawrencve of Arabia moment...

More anon...