Day 32, 5 August 2012, The Pyramids of Giza, The Sphinx and The Pyramids of Saqquara and on to Aswan by overnight sleeper train - Our guide, like 80% of the male population in Egypt is called Mohammed. To avoid stampedes at tourist sites if one of us calls out for assistance, he goes by Momo - and our group is his family for the next week. Just like every family, there are probably one or two from the shallow end of the gene pool - but that remains to be seen. On the first morning of our Egyptian adventure every one seemed pretty darn normal. Despite having already seen the pyramids last night, it was inspiring driving towards them. The heat of the sun grilled us from the top down to bottom up as it scorched down from the sky and reflected off the sands surrounding the great pyramid of Cheops - the world's first true pyramid (constructed around 2530 BC). There is speculation that the very tip of the pyramid was once a golden capstone - or mini pyramid which would have caught and reflected the sun's rays for miles around such that the only thing the Egyptians would see from dawn to dusk is the great tomb of their King. The pyramids in Egypt are all to the north of the country and we will see all the main examples today. As part of the visit we were able to enter the smaller of the three pyramids on the Giza Plateau, that of Menkaure. Bent almost double at the waist we ventured down a stone shaft for 10m or so and after a brief breath of air and a stretch in the middle section, continued down to the main burial chamber. The walls fairly hummed with history. Not paintings or hieroglyphics or anything so mundane, but rather the sheer weight of thousands of years of human existence, thought, science and the engineering marvel that stood above us. Depending on the stripe of your spirituality, many people believe the pyramids and temples of Egypt were built on areas of high earth energy or meridian points and they come and meditate while touching the stones. Taking it all in, we returned to the surface and felt reborn - the air outside was no cooler - but it was certainly fresher. Having seen, touched and "felt" the monuments close up, we drove a distance away and took in the majesty from afar. Some opted for a camel ride and we had a group photo - which 2 or 3 people somehow missed. Family - what can I say. Whilst the most iconic and well known of Egypt's pyramid family, the three pyramids of Giza (Cheops/Khufu, his son Kefren and that of Menkaure which we entered), they are by no means the first. We ventured next to King Djoser's pyramid at the Saqquara site. This is the famous step pyramid or prototype for all to come, built in 2630 BC odd by the leader of the 3rd Dymasty - Djoser/Zozer. The step pyramid is currently being restored and the scaffolding provided an odd contrast to the ancient stones. The highly polished sandstone entrance to the funerary area looked in some places like it was born yesterday. It was clear however that the guards weren't and the opportunity became available with a little financial encouragement to visit two tombs normally locked away to the public. The hieroglyphs in the tombs of the sons of Unas showed scenes of gods, goddesses, offerings and everyday life - it was incomprehensible that we were viewing them via the gentle sunlight filtered through the perspex roofs protecting the area. It seemed like the history of the day came in small earth shattering moments and then monumental moments. We made our way back to the bus past the gentleman in robes offering rides on his Egyptian cadillac (looked suspiciously like a donkey to us...) and returned to Giza to stand before the mighty Sphinx, guarding the Great Pyramid for eternity. Whilst the building of the pyramids was a marvellous feat and we understand how the multi-tonne blocks were laid, we are bamboozled by how they contructed the sphinx. Easier than first thought as it turns out. It is the world's largest sculpture as it was in fact carved in situ from a single block of stone. The spot in front of it's paws is the source of great energy for the meditative types and there was a palpable feeling of serenity in the scorching air that was surprising given the number of tourists that roamed the area. We ventured back to the hotel after visiting the Sphinx and freshened up for the evening's entertainment. A trip to Giza railway station. Which sounds a bit ho-hum until you know we've never been on a sleeper train before! Yippee! James and I and all our luggages were soon ensconced in a sleeper compartment and tucking into a hot dinner, preparing to be rocked to sleep. We weren't disappointed - the first we saw of the new day was when we pulled into Luxor station and the sudden lack of movement woke us up.... just long enough to check the time and fall soundly asleep again until the conductor rapped on the door at 7 am with a wake up call and breakfast. 700+ km accomplished while horizontal and dead to the world. This train caper has a lot going for it. We pulled into Aswan station at 9 am and immediately felt 700km closer to the equator as well - easily in the high 30 degrees. Take us to the nearest swimming pool we cried! And off the chariot went...