Many times, when our Palestine became dangerous or uncomfortable, the Jews found refuge in Egypt, and then proceeded from there. So our forefather Abraham, fleeing from famine, he went with his family, cattle and other bebehami in Egypt (Bytie. 12:9-20), then the great-grandson of Abraham Yosef, after many adventures was a great vizier of the Egyptian pharaoh and drag to live in Egypt, the whole family his father, Yaakov, Israel, and our ancestors lived in Egypt about 300 years, first as a free people, and subsequently - in slavery, and escaped with a big scandal out under the leadership of Moses, as told in Genesis and Exodus. I also remember that according to the evangelical devotion to one Joseph, a carpenter, and his wife Miriam and Baby took refuge in Egypt from the persecution of King Herod ...?

However, our trip to Egypt was planned long ago, after a trip to Sinai, we decided to go to the "real" Egypt, in Africa - look at the pyramids, in whose construction has been enclosed slave labor of our ancestors . Go to Egypt to the winter - in summer there utter the heat, in addition, it is unclear where in the near future will lead the Israeli-Egyptian relations, which are so good-neighborly not call Orwellian "peace process" ...?

And we bought a tour to the Russian firm Metroklab. Together with our friends we went to Mila and Grisha. This trip, incidentally, is relatively inexpensive, a cross between Eilat and Paris, and it has its own organizational and household specificity. First of all, unlike in Europe, need a visa, which, subject to charges at the boundaries of up to 350 NIS. () With the nose. Second, that we are frightened of Egyptian food and water, so we took a three two-liter bottle, as it turned out, could be less, because to buy good quality mineral water in Egypt is not a problem, but it costs even less. Water is tap water in your mouth it is better not to take, even for brushing teeth. Later, on the road, the guide advised all to take before eating 30-50 grams of something good for disinfection, but it was too late, we Grisha, two idiots, do not take with him, even though my house was a bottle of brandy, and even on the road in Israel, we had time to buy, and Egypt - a Muslim country, where these goods in the shops do not keep, well ordered in the restaurant - a terribly expensive. Third, it was unclear how to dress. Weather forecast for the day of departure - 27 January - was terrible: in Israel - storms and snow in Egypt - heavy rains. Incidentally, when, in early January, we began to prepare for the trip, Grisha doubt, not whether we would get in Egypt under the rain, but still laughed at what he panics - in Lower Egypt in general there is no rain! But he was obviously, a self-fulfilling!?

short, at half past seven in the morning we drove from Jerusalem to the minibus towards the Egyptian border, where the north-west of the Sinai Peninsula is a transition of Rafah. On the road zaezhali in Ashkelon, where they took a few more people, in addition, a large part of our group rode the bus from Tel Aviv. Those half that we reached the border, it was pretty cool, partly cloudy with no rain and we were dressed relatively easily, so you do not suffer in the African heat of Egypt.?

After border formalities, particularly tedious on the Egyptian side because of the lack of computerization and plenty of police, sometime early in the third we sat in one of two Egyptian buses arrived for our group from Cairo to which the border more than 500 kilometers. We were met by a driver Mohammed, with whom we spent all five days. It was a representative handsome man, dressed in a chic suit, and having a look, rather than the driver, a successful businessman. very colorful personality!?

And we just got on the bus as it started to rain, a few minutes later, turned into a downpour, and accompanied us nearly to the Cairo (Well, Grisha !!!). Typically, the road to Cairo takes 5-6 hours, but we drove all 8. And the drivers here are not adapted to ride in the rain and the police escort of two jeeps escorting a convoy of three buses - our two and a some that we have waited a long time, did not allow to go faster than 60-70 mph. As I wrote back after a trip to the Sinai in Egypt, an incredible amount of military and police, and all come up with occupation, for example, a foreign group has the right to navigate the "real" Egypt without "protection." Someone from whom guarded, it is not clear: whether we are against possible Islamic terrorists (in fact, an incident), or Egypt from Israel, but we in the bus were two, to put it on our way, tihushnika, and, moreover, a column led convoys that every 50-100 km were replaced, and the change took place slowly ... Well, fighters and police officers in government service - at the very least, and they have rather than to feed their children. Egypt - a very poor country: the average per capita income - 00 per annum, which is more than an order of magnitude lower than in Israel, the prices also generally lower, but not much. However, as our guide explained, in Egypt, more socialism, for example, education at all levels is free, or, say, the municipality of Cairo once a year are satisfied Komsomolskaya weddings for the poor in the biggest stadium of Cairo: the couple huddle on the field, which produces a wedding ceremony and relatives sitting in the stands, treat of sweet pastries and "Coke" at the expense of the city ...?

When we drove away from the border, but it was still light, was struck by the difference in the landscapes on both sides of the border. On our side for many miles were groomed gardens and orchards of Gush Katif, which supplies tomatoes, not only Israel, but a third of Europe, and the Egyptian - naked desert, though the sand on both sides of the same. In Egypt, 65 million people, of whom 94% live in the Nile Valley is 5% of its territory. The rest - of undeveloped desert. But the Arabs for some reason there is never enough land ...?

quietly, and drove us to the Suez Canal, and near El Cantara (name, new to 1956), the ferry carried us from Asia to Africa. Somewhere in the 11 th hour of the night (the rain has stopped), we drove into Cairo. Cairo - the biggest city, where we had to be still - it lived 16 million. Size of the city - no less than in Moscow. We drove it among the privileged areas of the north-east of Cairo, a few kilometers stretched past the City of the Dead, where the cemetery in the tombstone mazar live 800 000 homeless people every year, admitting to splepy arriving at the funeral of relatives of the deceased. We drove through the wide avenues among the skyscrapers and streets of Old Cairo, among the houses of low buildings.?

Finally, after passing almost the whole city on the diagonal, we arrived at the four-star hotel "Pyramids" Pyramids on the avenue in the southern district of Cairo, Giza. Eating a late dinner at midnight, terribly tired from a long trip, went to bed. The hotel room was pulling on Israeli standards, a maximum of three stars, but it was quite decent, with bathroom, air conditioning, refrigerator, TV, cable allowed us to see 2-Channel Israeli TV and mostly weather miracles that were happening at this time at home.?

And now, coming out in the morning on the balcony, we've seen in the perspective of the streets of Great Pyramid!?

Immediately after breakfast, some not so hot on Israeli standards, but it is a wholesome, we began our first excursion, naturally, to the pyramids of Giza. Three days that we were on the excursions, they were led by an Egyptian named Sharif, he is well spoken in Russian, although with an emphasis - his speech was correct and well-developed. In appearance it was a typical Egyptian, they differ in appearance from our usual Palestinian Arabs. A very characteristic face Egyptian President Sadat had - an oval, almost rectangular, large, protruding ears, nose and manly chin, a very dark skin. This type dominates in the ancient paintings and statues. Our Arabs face more European and sugary. The Egyptians consider themselves superior race among the Arabs, and their dialect of Arabic as a model. In addition, the Egyptians apparently calm, good-natured and friendly, unlike our Arabs, who are constantly aggressive facial expression and demeanor. Our Sharif studied at the History Faculty of Belarusian State University in Minsk, traveled to St. Petersburg to Moscow. He impressed me very educated, intelligent person.?

He began a tour of the pyramids of Cheops, built in 27-28 centuries BC and was the highest among the one hundred and fifty Egyptian pyramids. Plateau of the pyramids, where are the pyramids of Cheops, Khafre and Menkaure - father, son and grandson, as well as the famous Sphinx, located not far from our hotel, probably on foot, then half an hour. These pyramids are of interest because of Cheops - the tallest, Chephren - has kept the upper part of the cladding, and Menkaure - the fact that we went into it.?

Describe the kind of meaningless plateau of the pyramids, on the one hand - this landscape replicated many times, I remember, he was with us even on the cover of a history textbook of the ancient world, on the other - I do not have such a gift, the best there is to visit and see for themselves the scale of these structures. Around the pyramid full of tourists from around the world and local people, trying one way or another to fuck his lyre or two. Some sell any tourist rubbish, others - just climb back to your lens, and then demand to pay for what you have them removed.?

This and all subsequent excursions and activities in Egypt, we were in a very hard time trouble - unfortunately it was not possible to stop, focus, something to enjoy it slowly. Already been very busy these last three days ... We drive to the Great Pyramid - a story to go on the bus, then 15-20 minutes near the pyramids - a look, take pictures, we move to the Chephren Pyramid - the same as a pyramid Menkaure more time, because you can descend into it.?

buy tickets, including tickets to individual cameras, and get down. First - about 50 meters up the ladder with a slope degree 40. The passage is so low that my average growth had to bend almost 90 degrees. Then - the horizontal section of 15 meters and again inclined ladder, but a shorter and flatter.?

Wherever I've been before in similar places, for example, in the caves of the Kiev-Pechersk Lavra caves Megiddo, was organized by one-way traffic, but here even before this had not, and we are very pleased to were on the ground in front of the pyramid. The last climb I was singing, or rather, shouting: "How hard to be the pharaoh, I do not want to be a pharaoh, I do not want to be a pharaoh when Barak and Mubarak will survive!"?

Then we went to the temple of Chephren, which is near the Sphinx, ie, the Statue of Pharaoh Khafre with his face, primastyrennym to the lion figure. Descended into the temple, where Sharif gave us another piece of ancient Egyptian history. And then I learned from him that I see of what the dream - the pyramids built by the hands of our ancestors, referred to in the book of Exodus. Those far from the pyramids of Cairo, eight hundred kilometers to the south, they built one and a half thousand years after the great pyramids of Giza and the much smaller and inconspicuous them. It's a shame, but what can you do??

from the plateau of the pyramids took us to a nearby store fragrant oils belonging to the empire of Mohammed Al-Faed father died along with Princess Diana, her lover.?

There decently speaking in Russian store employees read us a lecture informative and promotional nature of Egyptian spices, then the people fell upon the oil, of which there were more than forty varieties. Wife bought a 4 bottles of different oils for (Cube 20). It was interesting to watch as vendors poured the oil from the flask, where it is stored, in the flasks. No voronochkami they are not used, and a sizeable amount flowed out, a precious product, in a word ...?

After the papyrus museum took us to the pyramids and temples of Pharaoh Djoser, is 30 km south of Cairo, where begins the Sahara desert, a place so called in Arabic - Sakkara. Pyramid of Djoser - the oldest of the pyramids, it was built more than 5000 years ago. This is the most ancient structure, which I have ever seen: The Western Wall of the Temple in Jerusalem nearly half its present age. Pyramid of Djoser's step, each step implies a certain stratum of the hierarchy of the then Egyptian society, the apex represents the pharaoh. Temple at the foot of the pyramid of Djoser quite well preserved, there were funeral service and testing of the pharaoh.?

for tests and served adjacent to the temple of the amphitheater. Most of the pharaohs ruled for a long time, decades, and they were required to periodically demonstrate their competence, which in the temple or near the Pharaoh under the supervision of the priests had to fight with wild beasts, and perform other feats. If the priests had seen. that the Pharaoh lost his strength, he was killed.?

Pharaoh Djoser, known under the name Imhotep was also a priest, doctor and architect. The Greeks even deified it under the name Asclepius - the god of medicine. He also invented the architecture of the pyramid. (However, I later read that Djoser and Imhotep - different personalities: Pharaoh Djoser was simple, and Imhotep - his courtiers egghead, who all came up with!). Before him, arranged graves of notable people in the cemeteries, now called in Arabic "mastaba," ie, the bench. This is a low building, a horizontal plate with beveled sides. Djoser built the world's first pyramid of six giant mastaba, hoisted one another. And now around the pyramid survived dozens of mastaba: the whole complex stretches for 8 km. On plates mastaba smashed pictures and texts describing the life and religious beliefs of ancient Egyptians.?

climb over the ruins of Dzhoserova complex, where there were remnants of the fortress and temple walls, and the deepest wells, were buried separately in whom the interior of Pharaoh, we went to dinner at a restaurant halfway to Cairo. Institution was a terrace in a very tidy, green yard. We do all the time riding in the Nile valley, and around were nice looking cultivated land - fields and gardens.?

The restaurant fed us assorted kebabs: pieces of lamb, chicken and kebabs of ground beef. The peculiarity of the Egyptian food service is that there for lunch and dinner is not served any drinks, even plain water. Drink to buy, and quite expensive. But "we have had with them - even the Israeli bottle of mineral water, and lunch was good, because the food was delicious. After the restaurant we were taken to the shop of leather goods and jewelry factory, but we decided that "we do not have to go," and, being close to the hotel, returned to the room to relax and take a nap, because evening we were walking along the Nile on a ship, with dinner and a folk ensemble, the performance of the famous belly dance.?

Nile flows through Cairo, the two arms. Coast wide sleeves, over which we swam in the night are considered more prestigious, housing prices in the homes on its quays - at the level of central Jerusalem. As soon as we set sail, and sat in the ship's restaurant, the music began: violin, accordion, some percussion, singer, something else ... As I noted, Egyptian music, despite his apparent babayskost or if you want, Orientalism, he - mizrahizm, quite unobtrusively, at least to my ears, it is in any case, does not irritate me with many hours by bus. ..?

Initially, there were two boys in dark suits and began to dance to this music, executing synchronous movements with his hands and feet. A few minutes later they were joined by dancer belly. It was a young woman Cute, plump but shapely, her clothing, as it seemed from afar, consisted of only a bra and tiny skirt made of individual strips of material, all of this was covered with sequins. When considering the melee in the dress was still and transparent corset, connecting the bra with a skirt, and side seams it was pointed out rude to demonstrate its presence. We were told that this is the traditional uniform of belly dancers.?

girl initially manufacture the same parameters as the two guys, then they slowly faded, and began the actual belly dancing. This dance is called so because the main actor in it is a belly dancer and his entourage. Hands, feet, head, too, dance, but as an accompaniment. Stomach, geometrically located in the center of the body, it is - a natural singer. Despite his fatness and "tummy," the dancer was very flexible, and her belly moved very quickly, as in the horizontal plane and vertical. In general, the exotic spectacle, but, in truth, those fragments of dances some celebrities that have seen on television, showed without a doubt, more skill than we saw in the restaurant shirpotrebnom performance, but it was live and direct. ..?????????????Third day.??????????BC?