horseback riding by the Pyramids

yesterday I paid 50EGP ($10) to do something amazing!! I have to admit it took some convincing. I haven't been on a horse since Tante took me bareback riding on Sizzle I think. Forever ago! I was somewhat afraid of horses, or how one company would have 100+ horses for all the students going, or that seeing the pyramids at night wouldn't be cool. I guess I underestimated Egypt!!

It started out with all the kids signed up for this waiting. We waiting for probably, not even lying, 45 minutes before we were allowed to walk out of the campus gate and onto these two buses. One a coach bus, and the other... a wimpy bus.

I took a picture because we ended up filling the bus completely! They have these little fold out seats in the isle. I was in the back row (aka: the bounciest) where there are no fold out seats! We didn't get to the place with the horses until 10pm. And when we did, we had to wait for the coach bus kids to all sit on their horses, and the people from the Zamalek dorms to sit on theirs. I met a new friend on the bus though! Hooray!! She and I found our horses together and actually had a man (Abu or Abdu) walk our horses all the way there!! We were such bad drivers I guess. But what nobody told us was when you have someone lead your horse, you're supposed to tip them! Not a problem though, he was a nice guy.

So I was glancing to my right. There were some interesting buildings. I couldn't tell if they were tombs or houses or what! But just beyond those structures was a huge hill made of sand. And as I looked out, at that horizon of sand, I noticed this peak. OH MY GOODNESS!! It was a pyramid! I had totally forgotten that that was what I was doing there! It wasn't just to ride horses with fun people! It was to marvel at these amazing pyramids!!! And were they amazing! I couldn't believe it. I really had a hard time with it. I started crying saying "WOW!" 4000 years ago (or more) and here they were. I kept thinking about the book Peter gave me for christmas about the Great Pyramid. I was looking at it! In real life! It was almost a sense of pride. Ughh! I can't explain it well enough. It was moving! Now that I think about that it sounds lame but it really was the most amazing thing I could have ever seen. Thanks to a waxing gibbous moon, it was bright enough and the pollution made thick clouds that helped illuminate everything! The pollutiony clouds reflected this light behind the pyramids, it almost looked like sunrise or something. It was a dark red color. Absolutely beautiful. AHHHH!!! I'm glad I got to see them. But it's not the last time! Friday is a trip to the pyramids with lunch so pictures will come with that.

Tonight there's a Nile Cruise Dinner. I saw the Nile last night, actually, it was right outside of mcdonald's. But tonight I'll be on it and dinner is included!!! Thank you all for reading. I miss you!! Muuuuuaaaah!