Cairo: Day 2

What a difference a day makes... Today, I woke up early and went to the Pyramids in Giza. Much like Rome, where ancient ruins are just another part of the city, the pyramids have a similar feel. I arrived at the Sphinx, and began walking around the desert area, until I came upon a nice tour-guide named Amal, who showed me around. Needless to say, the sites were truly breathtaking, and speak for themselves, so here they are:
















After the morning at the Pyramids, walking through tombs and exploring the surrounding desert, I decided to take a breather back at the hotel. It was easily the hottest day i've been out in yet, and my t-shirt was soaked through. I decided to wash my clothes by hand and hang them to dry in the bathroom. A little while later, I ventured out again, this time with the intention of going to the infamous Khan El Khalili markets. I jumped in a cab and began the journey there, when all of a sudden a random Muslim guy jumped into the backseat of the cab (male cab passengers sit in the front, next to the driver), since he was going to roughly the same spot. We began chatting about politics and his strong opposition to the Bush administration (shocking, of course). When we arrived by the markets, the passenger suggested I check out the El Azhar Mosque prior. When I walked into the Mosque, I realized that I had stepped into a very important place. The mosque was built in 971 AD, and also doubled as a university (first in the world, supposedly). I met a student there named Fahd, who I subsequently discussed Islam and its difference with Judaism. The conversation was fairly open, respectable and interesting (nearly 2 hours, with him bringing in sources from the study room). At the end, he offered to walk me around the area, seeing some of the other key sites. I took him up on the offer, checking out the Wikala al-Bazara, Bab an-Nasr, the northern wall and gates. Here's some photos:

After climbing and walking for most of the day, I took a quiet supper at a local Tamia restaurant and headed for the hotel, exhausted. I will wake up in the morning and check out the local markets at Khan El Khalili...

BTW, that movie "Fun with Dick and Jane" is on, and I must say its pretty entertaining...