We finally got some sleep and even though Day 3 started with an early wake-up call, everyone was feeling much better. We started the day with a short drive to Memphis, home of the king. No, not the King of Rock-n-Roll. We're talking about the king of Egypt - Ramses II. Ramses wasn't Egypt's first pharaoh but he was one of the most famous. His reign lasted 67 years and after his death he became the model for future pharaohs. He was a courageous warrior and a great builder, who expanded Egypt's borders and constructed pagan temples throughout the country. Evidently, he was also quite fertile as he fathered more than 100 children. It seemed like every ancient site we visited had some kind of connection to Ramses and you'll see his name again as we recap our trip.
Thousands of years ago, the Egypt that we know today was divided into two kingdoms. Around 3100 B.C., these kingdoms were unified by King Narmer and Memphis became the capitol of this new land. Seeing Memphis today, it's difficult to imagine that anything of any significance ever happened here. Many of the better artifacts have been looted over the centuries and much of what remains has been severely damaged by Nile floodwaters. Some of the remaining items on display are pretty impressive though, especially the Alabaster Sphinx and the "colossal statue" of Ramses II. The sphinx, with the strength of a lion and the wisdom of a man, was a common figure in ancient Egypt. Ramses (43 feet tall and weighing 50 tons) has been moved into a modern structure to protect him from further damage from the elements.
Memphis was also our first introduction to the Tourism and Antiquities Police. The police have to be the biggest employer in Egypt because these guys are everywhere. Ibrahim, our guide, and warned us that no one at the tourist sites would befriend us without expecting to be 
compensated. We didn't realize, however, that this included the police. After offering to pose for a picture, two police officers demanded their baksheesh, or tip. I have to admit, it's a little intimidating when two guys carrying weapons start demanding money. We gave them something like 5 Egyptian pounds (approx. $1), chalked it up as a learning experience, and quickly moved on.
compensated. We didn't realize, however, that this included the police. After offering to pose for a picture, two police officers demanded their baksheesh, or tip. I have to admit, it's a little intimidating when two guys carrying weapons start demanding money. We gave them something like 5 Egyptian pounds (approx. $1), chalked it up as a learning experience, and quickly moved on. While tipping is common in the US, this whole baksheesh thing takes it to a different level. When Mark Twain visited the pyramids in the 1860s, he complained about being constantly harassed by people asking for baksheesh. Everybody in Egypt has their hands out and expects to be paid for everything, regardless of how small or simple. If someone opens a door for you, he expects to be paid. At the hotels, you have to fight to keep someone from grabbing your bags and then they want to be paid for not carrying them. The most common baksheesh demanded is in the bathroom. Every bathroom (hotels, restaurants, museums) has some guy standing there to point you to the urinal, as if you couldn't find it yourself. For this service, he expects to be paid one pound, or 20 cents. From what I understand, this custom doesn't only apply to tourists but locals are also expected to give baksheesh.
After leaving Memphis, we drove to Sakkara. Sakarra is significant because it is the necropolis, or burial place, for several pharaohs. The complex is huge, measuring over four miles long, and is dominated by the Step Pyramid. This is the oldest of Egypt's known pyramids. Built by King Djoser, the pyramid consists of six concentric layers. It was one of the early efforts at pyramid-building and an improvement on the old method of piling up sand in the crude shape of a pyramid. This is still an active archaeological site as more tombs are being excavated every year. One being explored now has yielded dozens of mummies and every time the team thinks they have found them all, a new chamber is discovered. To get to the Step Pyramid, we had to walk thru a colonnade that included 42 chambers, representing the 42 provinces of Egypt. When a new king assumed the throne, he would be crowned once in every one of these chambers to show that he was the ruler of all of Egypt. This was a real time saver compared to how long it would take to travel to all the provinces but is was also a necessity. Life spans were short and many of the pharaohs reigned for only a couple of years so it was very possible that he could die before he could be crowned in every province.
Pictures can be found here http://picasaweb.google.com/baamick/EgyptDay3.
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