Day 4

I have no idea how to write up today - it has just been fantastic. For someone like me who has been fervently interested in ancient Egypt since goodness knows when (but never understanding it), this was quite superb.

We started by driving south to Saqqara and visiting some of the ancient mastaba tombs. Again, we had Sonja has our guide and she was quite incredible - difficult to say how many of the wall paintings and carvings she interpreted for us, but she really brought them alive. Whether it was the goose being force fed, the hippo with a crocodile's head in its mouth, lambs gambolling etc etc, just fantastic.

Then on to the Step pyramid, where some of the architecture appears so modern, and some looked more ancient Greek than Egyptian - I for one had never seen this before. Then it was on south to Dahshur to visit the Bent and Red pyramids.

Then back to Giza for, of course, "the" pyramids and into the burial chamber of the Great pyramid itself - quite an experience. The others were so enthused by my babbling on about the boat, so we went there as well (my second visit in four days). And finally to the Sphinx - not much more I can say about it.

We ended the day by visiting the Sound and Light - "hammy / cheesy" or whatever, but still very impressive with all the stirring music, colours against the night sky etc, voices booming out of the darkness etc.

I am not sure how many pyramids we have seen today, certainly well into double figures, and been in to 3?4?, but I was in seventh heaven, even if some of it is decidedly back breaking as you are climbing / descending, bent almost double for seemingly endless steps. My age is definitely showing me up.

I have always found the whole concept of ancient Egypt just mind blowing - to give just very small example, in one tomb we entered (5th dynasty?- old kingdom?), the sarcophagus at the centre was from a 56ton block of special hard stone that had been brought from the Sudan some 2000 miles away. And this was still the bronze age, some 4000 years ago.

I have tried not to include too many photos but was told I had to have one of me (rather blocking out the view).

Tomorrow we see our last of Cairo and leave for Alexandria, which I suppose is the real start of my "Africa from top to bottom".

Wifi here has been a bit sporadic - we shall see what it is like from now on