When we arrived back in Virginia this summer The Gents’ first nanny, Lesly, helped me out. The first day she came over she brought them gifts, including LeapPads. C quickly discovered a game called “Stretchy Monkey Stretches Through Time”. There is a period of time that focuses on ancient Egypt! How apropos. This gave me the opportunity to reinforce where we were moving and them some historical importance/context of their soon to be home. Before I knew it C was and R we’re talking about papyrus, as well using a hammer and thistle!
So you can imagine how excited JR and I were to get these guys to the Giza pyramids soon after we arrived. We knew it would be way too tough to get them into the pyramids, but we were happy to get the Gents out there and actually see what they’ve been learning about. They were in awe as soon as we saw them in the car from miles away. They look like mountains in the distance. It’s places like these that reinforce my personal feeling of insignificance in the grand scheme of this universe. My existence is just a blip on the timeline of these nearly 5,000 year-old pyramids.
I learned a lot on the drive out to Giza. The area between Maadi and Giza actually used to be farmland. It wasn’t until the 2011 revolution that the land starting being converted to more afordable housing for those who need to live closer the the city. Most of the farmers are now out in the desert, making the produce more expensive because of the cost to transport it and less nutrient rich because the land isn’t as good. And with the vegetation being replaced with mid-rise buildings, I can only imagine the impact it’s had on the air quality.
And for the Giza pyramids being one of the wonders of the world (to me they seem sacred), it’s boggling to see all of the businesses, buzzing activity, and residential community so close to the pyramids. There is a lush golf course right next door!
We only spent a couple hours here, but it was the perfect amount of time for our first trip. The kiddos did fantastic. The Gents climbed a bit of the great pyramid and happily followed us around without a single complaint, all while trekking in the baking sun. Josephine even didn’t mind being in her carrier for an extended period of time. Why not? There is so much to see! Although they liked looking at horses and camels from afar, all these guys were very apprehensive of Mickey the Camel. He was so sweet though and clearly a pro at performing, given his posing and kissing for the camera. Hoping by the time we leave Cairo that these kids will be a lot more comfortable with him to take a ride. Am looking forward to getting back here soon to get inside the pyramids and learn a ton more. We’re lucky to live so close to this historical site.