Pyramids to piles of rubble

This post is dedicated to the sad sight of a rock heap that once was one of the first Ancient Egyptian pyramids. Rest in peace.
Yesterday I ventured to Saqqara, which is an Ancient Egyptian necropolis from the Old Kingdom (about 2500 B.C.E). The step pyramid at Saqqara was, in a way, a rough draft for the pyramids at Giza. Yet it is spectacular in its own right, and the overall experience of being there was more enjoyable than Giza, because it was less crowded, and the vendors were not as annoying. There will be pictures soon, but my internet is being temperamental. Check facebook for my album in the meantime.

Surrounding the pyramid are nobles' tombs, which stole the show. These tombs are hidden gems filled with intact carvings of daily life scenes including fishing, court dancing, and farming. Some carvings still had their color, but unfortunately the guards forbade me from taking pictures of them.
The best part of my tour (and also the scariest) was the tomb of King Titi (laugh now to get it out of your system . . . there you go). This tomb was not for the faint of heart, and about three people in my group couldn't go in because of their claustrophobia. Imagine trying to climb down a steep ramp into a four foot by four foot shaft going about thirty feet into the ground. Now imagine doing it in in a skirt. :D Then when you get to the very bottom of the shaft, the walkway is like a crawlspace that you have to bend over for about one hundred feet to get to a tomb. The whole experience creeped me out, and I kept thinking of those trapped Chilean miners, and how I didn't want to die in the tomb of a ridiculous king named Titi. In the end, the experience was worth the anxiety, because inside there were magnificent hieroglyphs carved all over the walls. Standing forebodingly in the midst of these carvings was the black granite sarcophogus of the king. Amazing.
I can laugh about it now, but on the way out of the tomb, I hit my head quite hard on the low ceiling of the walkway. I was fine, but as I said on facebook, it would have been the coolest concussion ever, and it would have made a great story. It already has.

Later in the day, I went to dinner at the home of a lovely Egyptian woman named Mrs. Keshk with whom I was put in contact by a cousin of mine (thanks Naomi!)
I arrived in style in the car that she ordered to pick me up (she, like many upper class Egyptians has a driver). Her two-story apartment was beautifully decorated with French antique furniture in the living room, and a Chinese table inlaid with irradescent mosaic pieces in the shape of fish in the dining room. Did I mention the apartment has a view of the Nile? The place was exquisite, which reflected the character of the woman herself. She was so sweet to me, and like a grandmother, urged me to eat more food than I could possibly eat in two or three days. After dinner, I was treated to chocolates from Saudi Arabic, tea, and cookies. Then she, her maid, and I watched Turkish soap operas dubbed in Arabic for the rest of the evening. We were all shocked when an unfortunate bride-to-be found her fiancee in bed with another woman on their wedding day. It was among the most fun visits I've had in Egypt, and I will definitely be going back.