White Beach Resort, was perfect; all-inclusive with six pools,
three restaurants, plenty of bars and lots of sun beds around
the pools and beach. Snorkeling on the Red Sea was fabulous!
The water was amazingly clear and teeming with different
types, sizes and colors of fishes and corals! It deserves its
reputation as one of the premiere diving areas in the world!
Saturday, we flew to Cairo and checked into the Semiramis
Intercontinental Hotel. Cairo has a population of eight million
and is astonishing for its contrasts of ancient antiquities along-
side modern commercial areas. On the downside, Cairo is a
smoggy city, but the brilliant orange sunset over the Nile, with
the Giza pyramids in the distance, made it all worthwhile.
For those last-minute treasures, we went to the famous Khan-
El-Khalili Market, one of the oldest bazaars in the world, and
honed our bargaining skills, with Magda’s practiced assistance.
Afterwards we had a delicious, authentic Egyptian meal at
delightful Nageeb Mahfouz Restaurant.
Finally, the real “bucket list” adventure; it was time to see
The Pyramids of Giza, the last remaining Seven Wonders of the
Ancient World and the iconic image of Egypt. We visited The
Great Pyramid, built for King Khufu of the 4 th dynasty, and a
slightly smaller pyramid from around 2500 BC, plus several
smaller pyramids where members of the kings’ families are
entombed. The Sphinx, with the body of a lion and head of a
human, guards the causeway to the pyramids. Unearthed near
the great pyramid were all the pieces of a funeral boat used
to transport the mummy to the pyramid. It was reassembled
100
GILROY • MORGAN HILL • SAN MARTIN
APRIL/MAY 2018
gmhtoday.com