Today I also went back to Saqqara, one of my favorite sites in Egypt, because it is home to my favorite pyramid, the Step Pyramid of King Djoser. The drive from Giza took about half an hour and I was driven up to the Pyramid. I explored the site and as usual chastised myself for accidentally standing on things I shouldn't. Last time I had unknowingly stood on the enclosure wall, this time it was the South Tomb! (Nothing is roped off in Egypt and you can climb all over everything!)

I explored the site, this time knowing what most of the buildings in the complex were, having done a big presentation on it at Uni not too long ago. I've studied this pyramid so much I could probably lead the tours here, no I know I could lead the tours here.

This time I also decided to get a horse out…yes I braved getting on a horse. I rode around the pyramid and around in the desert for a while, it was fun, but the horse got a bit skittish towards the end.I watched a couple of Arabs bolt over the dunes on their horses and into the distant desert and wished I could ride like that.

I went back down to the platform and met my driver and then went over to the other side of the site to visit the tomb of Mereruka, the Vizir. His mastaba was spectacular. His Ka statue was still standing in its niche just as it had done for over 5000 years. The carvings and paintings of daily life in ancient Egypt, which were on the walls were as vivid as ever. Some of the rooms did not contain tourists, thank god and I climbed into some dark chambers with only the light on my phone as a guide.

I also went into the Pyramid of Teti, which I was unaware was open. I got to see the pyramid texts, something I never thought I would see, as the pyramid of Unas is always closed. I had some sneaky Arab offer to take pictures of me in the pyramid, but of course he wanted bakseesh again. He even told me to climb into the kings sarcophagus like a mummy. Now I know I've come a long way, but some things are just sacred, putting things in perspective it's still someone's coffin and it's disrespectful. I can't even imagine how many stupid tourists had climbed in there.