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Egypt: Giza plateau

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We reached Giza in the morning by an overnight train from Luxor. The train was very comfortable. It was comparable almost to a standard hotel with a well made bed , private toilet and shower cubicle. Dinner was also included in the price.  We were staying in a Luxury hotel for two days . After check-in we immediately left for Pyramid complex. I took some random street cab for 1 USD to take me to the entrance. On the way few locals just climbed the running cab and wanted to offer their service for a guided tour which I

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declined and but they were very aggressive , somehow my cab driver got rid of them and offered his service which I also declined. He finally dropped me at the main entrance and left. The place is totally chaotic, touts, camels , street vendors everyone wants to sell something and wants bakshees . I almost ignored all of them and started walking towards Khufu’s pyramid. Tourists can enter the great pyramid though I did not buy tickets to go inside the great pyramid. With a height of 481 ft , it was the tallest man made structure for a very long time.

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Khafre Pyramid

Once people were allowed to climb pyramid but this is stopped now. After spending sometime near great pyramid we walked towards 2nd largest pyramid, Khafre. It sits on a bedrock of 10m, which makes it appear taller.

We went inside Khafre pyramid . It was super hot and humid inside and it made me little claustrophobic. From here we rook a camel who took us to the third pyramid, Menkaure which is only 61 m. We also went to surrounding deserts and finally he dropped us near sphinx.

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Sphinx is a mythical creature with the body of a lion and head of human. No one  really knows exact time it was built and purpose of it. The nose and beard was destroyed by Arab invaders in 15th century.

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Later we came out of the complex had our long delayed launch and watched sunset from a cafe opposite to the main gate. In the evening we went to watch light and sound show. It was a surreal experience to listen the history of life of Nile valley for last 5000 years in the voice of Sphinx .  The pyramids and Sphinx were lit up beautifully and the base was used as a giant projector. It was a very long but a beautiful day to spend the day at one of the seven wonders of the world, the mystery of which is still not unraveled.