Visiting the Pyramids at Giza has been a dream of mine since I was a little boy. I dreamed of visiting the Pyramids, going inside and walking the secret passages where thousands of years ago only a few people ever roamed.

The country of Egypt has changed hands many times over the centuries. Inhabited since at least 10,000 BC Egypt has been under the control of the Persians, Greeks, Romans, Ottoman Turks, French, Brittish, and a partial occupation by the Isrealis. Through all the turmoil it is amazing that any trace of it's most famous civilization exist at all. Although Egypt's government is, for the most part, secular, the muslim religon plays a central role in the lives of most of Egypt's inhabitants today.

Egypt is one of the most densly populated countries in Africa, with the majority of it's 78 million citizens living on the banks of the Nile River, and the majority of those packed into Cairo. Cairo is one of the worlds most densly populated cities.

Living conditions in Cairo are some of the worst I've ever seen in my life. Crime and governmental corruption are a part of life, and saftey should be any traveler's main concern if visiting Egypt.

During our breif stay we were harrased, intimidated by machine gun toating police, grabed and shaken by con artists, and had to pay quite a bit of 'baksheesh'.

Today's arab inhabitants of Egypt seem to care little about the rich history of Egypt, and it's past. The monuments, tombs, and museums all close early so officials can take bribes to tour them unrestricted. For example the Giza plateau officially closes at 3pm. During it's hours of operation you are not permitted to take cameras inside the tombs, nor move beyond the barriers set up. After closing time however, 50$ US will get you an official police tour guide who will let you do whatever you want, even climb to the top of the Great Pyramid. Inside the tight confines of the tombs there is nothing to prevent you from touching the 3000+ year old paintings on the walls.

If you do decide to go to Egypt, be prepared for a filthy trip. Garbage is piled 2 stories high in the irrigation canals which form the center of most main streets in Cairo, large dead animals such as camels and donkeys liter the streets, and children swim, and resedents drink the poluted waters of the canals as you can see in some of my photos. Get your shots before you go... especially Typhoid.