It's impossible to visit Cairo and not feel the presence of the pyramids outside the city in Giza.
They are synonymous with everything we learned in school about ancient Egypt. They dance into sight with a glimpse from the high floor of a building. Drive up a small hill anywhere in the city: There they are. They've defined the landscape, and what humanity is capable of, for thousands of years.
Seeing the pyramids in person is an unforgettable experience. Unfortunately it's an experience that fewer people are enjoying today as Egypt slips into lawlessness under the new regime.
Tourists are already avoiding the country and unless things take a turn for the better soon, it might be a long while until tourists can once again safely experience the necropolis at Giza without a proper guide.
If you're not put off by the current unrest in Egypt, you must make sure to find a trustworthy and reliable tour guide. Luckily for us, we found our guide, Walid Ibraheem, through the Cairo Downtown Hotel.
Walid followed us into places he didn't want to go, let us know what was safe, and made sure we never got ripped off. We trusted him with gear that is near priceless in Egypt as well as our safety, and he came through in both regards.
From nearly 20 miles away, this Cairo plateau is just one spot in the city to catch a glimpse of the 4,500-year-old Pyramids at Giza.
The Pyramids are this close.
The view may be one reason the Muslim Brotherhood built their Cairo headquarters here (red circle), and the police station guarding them (blue circle) has a direct view.
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