7 november 2008, Gizeh restday

Got up at 06.30. We had breakfast at 07.30, which was excellent. We left at 08.00 for our visit to the Egyptian Museum. Terence was picked up by a friend from Cairo at 10.00 from the hotel. We drove in a mini-van through the almost empty roads of Gizeh/Cairo, because it was friday, which is more or less a day off for the Egyptians. When we arrived at the museum we were not exactly on our own. Lots of school children, Russians and Japanese. It was an amazing museum which had on the first floor all kind of things throughout the history of Egypt. On the 2nd floor there was mainly an exposition of Tootanchamon. His grave must have been big to store all these artifacts or everything was piled up. Everything was so beautiful and detailed, you can not imagine. There were lots of golden artifacts, from which the mask of Tootanchamon is the most famous. Also 5 of his racing charriots to make war were there, of course golden ones. And lots of mummified animals and pets. His body was in 2 gold sarcophages, 3 stone ones and 4 wooden ones. Looked like tupperware. We also visited the mummies of several pharao's.

After the visit to the museum we Atske, Heert-Jan, maria, Victor and myself; Luis and Veronique visited the city on their own. walked to a restaurant on a boat in the river Nile: The Blue Nile. It had several different restaurants, amongstwhich was a Libanese. We took that one. It was delicious. We took different courses and chaired all the food. After our lunch we went to the old city a 15.00. We chartered 2 cabs for us and were brought to the Al Mu'eez street. That was right in the hart of the old city. We walked through the busy streets of that area. Lots of small streets with all kind of merchants. We bought some little boxes, which were decorated with the inner layer of a shell. Lot af negociating. Victor was busy negociating too. That went very well. We walked further accompanied by a man, who showed us all the interesting parts ans stores.We also bought some spices: saffrane and hibiscus. There were lots of spices in that store I knew from my study. At 17.00 we chartered again a cab, who brought us back to our hotel. That took a long drive. When we arrived here our rooms were indeed changed to the ones with pyramid view. And our luggage was there too! At 20.00 we had dinner in our hotel.