Dr. Peters reviewed the itinerary with everyone at the beginning of the flight. “Once through customs, a bus will take the tour group to the University where everyone will stay in a dorm for two days. The University has arranged several tours during the time Dr. Peters attends the seminar. Then off to Luxor by air where the group will board a Nile Cruiser for six days. A flight back to Cairo from Aswan with two days of leisure at the Hilton Hotel completes the tour.”
With jet engines humming in the background, I fantasized about all the wonderful things waiting to be seen.
Hours later, I told Ricky, “We need to set up our priorities again like we did for San Francisco.”
“I agree.”
Much of the flight was spent organizing then reorganizing our personal thoughts and ideas.
We landed in Cairo tired from long flights and once through customs, a bus took us through early morning darkness to the campus dormitory. Grabbing a sandwich I went to bed.
Birds chirping outside the second story window woke me up. Looking out I saw Egyptian grass and trees. The air came in hot as I raised the window. Josi was still asleep so I took a quick shower anxious to get downstairs and look around. My digital watch said 0834. Dressing I felt jet lag set in with a slight headache. As instructed I drank water and laid down.
Stretching out of the bed covers and yawning, Josi saw me and laughed at how I was dressed but still lying on my bed with pained anxiety on my face.
Climbing out, “We’re here in Egypt and you want to get out there and see everything. You didn’t have to wait for me.”
“I know, but I’m feeling off kilter from the time change. Take your time getting ready.”
Later, ready and anxious, Josi said, “Let’s go look around, we have time.”
With slight headaches and some Tylenol on board, we took off complying with the dress code of walking shorts and a conservative top. We had sunglasses, hats on our heads, water, and tons of sunscreen as directed in our tour kit.
The University was in downtown Cairo near the museum. Walking the perimeter of the campus we watched the city come alive. Cars and buses roared by as delivery trucks and bicycles moved along the busy streets. Cairo was a huge bustling metropolis. The morning city smells of engine exhaust, spices, and unusual cooking aromas were noticed due to the strange combination. People passing on the street were dressed conservative with women mostly wearing head coverings, as was the Muslim tradition. The chatter of a foreign language surrounded us adding to the excitement and adventure. Much too soon it was time to head back to the campus cafeteria.
During breakfast Dr. Peters reviewed the day’s program. “I must say goodbye and leave you in the capable hands of Ahem, your tour guide.”
Ahem directed everyone to a waiting bus where our tour group of 14 boarded. Several were from Dr. Peter’s night class.
Heading toward Giza, the Pyramids could be seen off in the distance. Stepping out of the bus everyone stared at their enormity. I had to stop a moment to absorb it all. As in San Francisco, reading about the Pyramids was one thing, but to actually view the three wonders was a bit overwhelming. All the reading I had done was inundating my mind.
Ricky was having the same reaction. “Come on, let’s climb one of them,” he said pushing forward.
We started running toward the Great Pyramid of Khufu. The closer we got the more massive it became. Out of breath, we found Ahem gathering everyone around him reviewing the history of Khufu. When finished, Ricky and I began climbing up the very large stones. Several others, along with Ahem, started climbing as well. Looking up, it seemed too steep a climb.
Ricky yelled down, “Come on Layla, it’s not so bad. Come on, don’t be chicken!” He and the others kept climbing toward the sky.
Regrettably I climbed down then walked to the Great Sphinx. Facing east he was positioned in front of the Great Pyramid of Khafre. The word sphinx in Greek meant “the Strangler” yet in early Egyptian language a similar word meant “living image” which made more sense. How could a Sphinx be associated with the word strangle?
A protective wall was built on the west and south side of the Sphinx and there was a walking barrier on the north side next to the road. Walking around to the front of the big cat I became aware of the recently renovated ancient temple in front of him. I found a large stone and sat looking at the view of the causeway that led to the Pyramid of Khafre. If you looked east in the early morning 10,500 years ago on the spring equinox, the causeway would have been lined up with the constellation of Leo rising low near the horizon. Turning south at that same moment, it would have lined up with the constellation of Orion rising. Orion’s belt matched the three Pyramids on earth. What a monumental experience. Today those constellations were much higher in the sky. Scientists have speculated about ancient markers under the Pyramids, if it were true, they could be much older than originally thought. Could these markers have been built on over and over through the ages? Were they maintained with guidelines to keep them positioned as a message to future ages, and if so what was their message? It was also believed by some that megaton stones were under the Pyramids, which were super ancient in years. Could these stones be the markers?
I turned and looked at the Sphinx remembering he was made from bedrock of the Giza plateau and had been carved from one huge piece, much of which remained below ground. The head was a harder stone than the body, yet the base, according to my book reading, was made of petrified hard shoal and coral reef. Because of this, Archeologists were unable to account for the age of the cat.
As with the need to maintain the Pyramids, so it was with the Sphinx. Erosion caused by winds and rain possibly altered its original look. Could the head size be entirely different today from the original of yesteryear? Possibly harsh desert weather slowly reduced the size of the megalith over thousands of years.
Studying the Sphinx’s erosion, I was reminded of the Book of Revelations in the Bible. Four beasts gathered around the throne of God in the final days. There was the calf, the lion, the eagle, and man. They corresponded to the four zodiacal signs of Taurus, Leo, Scorpio (the eagle) and Aquarius (the human water-bearer). It was suggested that the Sphinx was carved with this in mind. He was possibly the head of a man, the body of a bull, the claws of a lion, and had at one time wings of an eagle. If that were true, who created him with this in mind and what were they trying to convey? What was the Sphinx trying to tell us as he faced the rising of Leo each morning? He wasn’t merely pointing us to the horizon; there must be more to his watching the eastern sky. There was speculation that he survived the Great Flood. How many sun cycles had he seen: one, two, three, or all four?
The Mayan Civilization believed the earth went through a cycle every 4320 years (approximately) called Sun Cycles. The last cycle started after the Great Flood of Noah’s time as reviewed in the Bible. Substantial evidence has been found by Archeologists of ancient flooding throughout the world during this time period. Mayan’s believed the 5th cycle started August 11, 3114 BC with the cycle ending on December 21, 2012 AD. The Mayan calendars ended on this day. The Great Flood ended the 4th sun cycle and we are currently in the 5th cycle. The Inca and Peruvian Shamans believed the 5th cycle would end with fire. I shuddered slightly then returned my attention to the Sphinx.
Moving directly in front of the cat, his face was distinguishable, even with the nose missing. His features could have been anyone, though the Egyptians believed he was Khafre. King Tuthmosis IV must have needed something to pattern the face after due to the terrible erosion, so chose Khafre because the Sphinx was in front of Khafre’s Pyramid.
A Granite Stele in front of the Sphinx commemorated the restoration. Prince Tuthmosis had fallen asleep next to the Sphinx and in a dream, God said, “If you restore the Sphinx, you will be made king.” He did and became king, but who was going to restore him during this age? He appeared to be crumbling before my eyes, though he had been reinforced with stone bricks on occasion over the past thousand years.
I remembered a name given to him during the New Kingdom, it started with what? Going through the alphabet it came to me, “Horemakhet (Horus in the Horizon)” appropriate though questionable.
Feeling slightly dizzy, I stood up and went to the front of Horemakhet then raising my arms upward my hands appeared to embrace him.
“Oh Ancient Sphinx of the early primeval age, I know what you see as you gaze toward the east each morning. I have great knowledge of such things. Leo is your sign in the eastern sky and you look upon it’s rising with secrets you cannot share. Is the answer in the Zodiac sky? Are there signs we do not see? From your desert place, you now see the dawning of Aquarius. Open our human eyes to your knowledge of why earth monuments reflect the star constellations above us. Tell us your secret, so we can be prepared for the future.”
My eyes closed, a cool breeze embraced my body then something scurried across my sandaled foot breaking my meditation. Looking down a scorpion disappeared under a rock next to my foot.
Walking around the existing barrier at the base of the great beast, I touched his paw while looking up at him. The tour group had been told not to touch anything, yet I did it without thought. My hand left a perfect imprint in the stone and seeing this, I tried to smooth it out. Why must I always touch things? Stepping back around the barrier, the earth seemed to sway slightly. Am I getting dizzy again? Sitting on the closest rock, I was thankful it was in the shadow of Horemakhet.
Horus, why associate this statue with him though he was known as The God of the Sky. The Sphinx staring at the eastern sky would be a reason to associate them together.
Still feeling light headed I removed my hat then rubbed my forehead wishing for a cool drink. Tourists were coming up to look at the megalith.
A lady commented, “Look, his eyes have a shadow across them. They appear to be looking down instead of straight ahead.”
That’s odd. Looking up at him, he was looking down. Standing to check this out the dizziness came back. Reeling in my head, a man walked over.
“You look hot. Here… . . take this bottle of water, it will help.”
“Thank you.” I sat down again and opened it, then turning to say something he was gone. Well, thank you sir. I’m sure this will help.
There was a hidden chamber deep in the center of the Sphinx, Why? Archeologists had seen it using some kind of ultrasound.
Ricky walked up breaking my thoughts, “I climbed to the very top with Ahem and gave him a big tip because the climb was so great. It was glorious up there. What a view! Standing at the top I tried to find you then noticed a reflective light in front of the Sphinx. Ahem thought the sun was bouncing off a mirror or something reflective on the ground. I wanted to investigate so climbed down and walked directly here. I thought I saw the light about here (he pointed to the ground in front of me). Looking for you, I see you talking to a tourist. Are you ok? You look pale again.”
“Actually, I was having a dizzy spell. It could be heatstroke, but I don’t feel overly hot.” I put my hat back on.
“I think you’re hypoglycemic again, let’s go back to the bus and get something to eat.” He started looking around at the ground, kicking things up. “There’s nothing around here that looks shiny enough to reflect the sun like I saw it.”
I smiled patiently, “Let’s go to the bus and get a lunch pack and water.” Glancing up at Horemakhet once more, he was looking forward again. The sun had moved.
The Egyptian caretakers only allowed one Pyramid tour daily to decrease the possibility of added deterioration caused by tourists. After eating our lunch, we toured the Pyramid of Khufu. Inside it was cool and the extreme darkness apparent. It felt eerie walking through the ancient tunnels. The cubed stones held stories of wonder never to be told.
Stepping back in time, the number 72 came to mind. A pyramid was built with the division and multiplication of that precise number. Where were the original plans for building this structure? No one had found plans, though they were mentioned in the Books of Thoth.
Thoth of Egyptian folklore was God of the Crescent Moon, Magic, and Writing. His name meant thought and time. He wrote 42 major scrolls and had a library of scrolls kept in the Inventory Building at Heliopolis. What a find that would be.
We were on the 30th parallel, 1/3rd of the total distance below the North Pole. This structure had definitely been planned by someone who knew what he was doing. The builders were only off by 3/16th of an inch of being perfectly aligned with true north.
In Ancient times the Pyramids were also known as Roseau, an Egyptian name meaning the Gateway to the Otherworld. Well, there was never a king or pharaoh buried in this particular Pyramid; at least that’s what many scientists believed. Could it have been built to represent the gateway to the afterlife for all Egyptians and not just King Khufu? This, of course, was debatable. I had argued with Ricky many times on this subject. Scientists had wrestled for hundreds of years trying to find the final truths regarding Egypt and its placement of the Pyramids in correlation to the constellation of stars overhead. What really was the Netherworld or Otherworld anyway? Ancient Egypt thought it was where the spirit went to be tested for eternal life. That sounds ominous.
Our group was very contemplative climbing back on the bus.
Josi and J.J. were late and once seated, Josi explained where they had gone. “We paid a local guide to show us around Giza then went on a camel ride. It was really great.”
Back on campus we went to the pool for a swim.
Soaking up the sun J.J. continued telling about their morning. “We got on these very tall camels with the guide taking us around the area. He had us loping along and I thought my back was going to break. It’s really a hard ride.”
Josi followed up, “I thought I was going to fall off the whole time. The saddle was propped up so high on the camel’s hump that every turn or jerk caused me to sway.” Laughing, she continued, “Using a step ladder to climb down, J.J.’s camel turned his head around and spit on him. The guide said it was a sign of affection. Can you believe that?”
Better him than me!
Ahem came back as arranged and walked our tour group to the Cairo Museum. This exhibit was many times better than the De Young Museum exhibit. There were no masks to match the ones I’d seen in San Francisco, I was thankful for that. We toured for about five hours, which was a drop in the bucket compared to what we could have spent. It would take days to see all the beautiful relics exhibited. I felt a sense of tranquility surrounded by the Ancient Egyptian artifacts and for the first time since coming to Egypt I smelled Lotus blossoms.
Dinner was slated for a local downtown restaurant that served authentic early Egyptian food and music included dancers in Egyptian garb.
Feeling slightly tipsy from the wine, I got up when the dancers asked people to join in. Moving with the music I felt free and uninhibited.
Ricky clapped along calling out from the sidelines, “You’re a natural, let’s see more hip movement!”
Laughing, I pulled him out of his seat. “You’re not going to get out of dancing after that comment.”
Josi and J.J. joined in then Dr. Peters called out, “Let’s all dance!”
The dance floor filled with people enjoying the freedom of the dance.
Back at the dorm I fell asleep as soon as my head hit the pillow. There was so much being thrust at me in such a short time, my brain was in overload. Still feeling jet lag, sleep was good. Dreams were filled with Lotus blossoms, cold pyramids and the Sphinx looking down at me telling all he knew.