The Great Pyramid at Giza is amazing. Of the Seven Wonder's of the ancient world, the Great Pyramid is the only one left standing. This Pyramid is the largest ever to be built with three burial chambers in total. At 450 feet tall, the Great Pyramid was the first sight I saw upon my arrival to Egypt—we were able to see it from the airplane. Because of its sheer magnitude, taking pictures of this structure was also difficult. Each stone weighs about 5 to 15 tons.

Khufu is still buried inside the pyramid, and tourists can enter the pyramid for an extra entrance fee. You descend to the tomb by way of a long staircase and tunnel.

Khafre's pyramid is smaller than his father, however, he was clever and the pyramid was built on higher elevation, making it look larger than it really is. The Sphinx lies in front of the Pyramid of Khafre. The Sphinx is a depiction of the Pharaoh Khafre, on the body of a lion.

So what happened to the nose of the Sphinx? Napoleon has been blamed for shooting off the nose, however an Arab historian from the 15th century, way before Napoleon stepped foot in Egypt, recounted the missing nose.

Giza is a suburb of Cairo, and can be reached by taxi or private driver. I suggest hiring a driver and private guide for the tour.

I don’t think anything really prepares you for that first glimpse of the Pyramids at Giza. Mine was through an airplane window as we banked towards Cairo. I’m surprised that the plane didn’t tilt off its axis with everyone rushing to one side to see them. On our second visit we stayed at the Mena House Hotel where not only are you close to them physically but you also seem to feel their proximity emotionally. Particularly so at night when, though unlit, you are aware of their immutable presence out in the dark. To say that the three Pyramids of Cheops, Chephren and Mycerinus are impressive is rather an understatement. They are awe-inspiring. Not only because of their size and of how and why they were built (and all the different theories attendant on those two points) but also because of their age. They have stood as mute witness to thousands of years of changing history and they represent a bond, a connection through those years linking us with the past. Perhaps it’s also their age that makes them so mysterious, they look like they should hold secrets. Maybe that’s one reason why they hold such a fascination for people and have led to so many near, far and furthest fetched ideas as to how and who built them. The Great Pyramid now stands 137.5m high with a triangle of metal at the top to represent the final 9m of height which have been lost over the years from its original height of 146.5m. The second pyramid, built by Chephren, is 136.4m high but, because it stands on slightly higher ground, can give the impression of being taller than the Great Pyramid. The top of Chephren’s pyramid retains some of the original white limestone cladding that once covered all three. With the sunlight flashing off the limestone the three pyramids must have looked extraordinary, like lazar cut diamonds. The last and smallest of the pyramids is that of Mycerinus which stands 62m (originally 66.4m). The stones from which the Great Pyramid are built are huge, the size of small trucks, weighing an average of 2.5 tones each. The feat of engineering it took to move, lift and place such blocks is astounding. As is the resolve to build such a structure and the manpower it took to do so. The pyramids are not only monuments to the Pharaoh’s who envisaged them but also the architects, masons and laborers who built them. Take your time (if you can) when looking at the pyramids, view them from far away and close up, walk round them, touch them and feel their attraction. Also you can, depending on which is open, go inside them although if you are in anyway claustrophobic, don’t! There are problems with visiting the Giza plateau which I have written about in another entry "Pyramids of Giza: Be Prepared", however, don’t let anything dissuade you from going. They really are Wonders of the World.

You can’t go to Cairo without going to the Giza Pyramids and the Sphinx. I could hardly wait to get there when I arrived at the airport. And I wasn’t disappointed. Obviously, the pyramids are massive. How they were built so many years ago is utterly amazing. Each of the limestone stones is as tall as a person and weighs several tons. Supposedly, there is enough stone to encircle France with a 1-by-3-meter fence.

The three pyramids are all impressive. The largest one (built for Cheopes) is 137 meters high. The most recognizable one (built for Chepren) has the distinctive limestone top. And the smallest one (built for Mekrinus) is the only one you can go inside.

I wish it were possible to go in the bigger pyramids, but it was still neat to go into the small one. The corridor is very small and you have to lean down to avoid bumping your head. The walk down is about 100 yards, until you come to an opening where you find the burial chamber. It isn’t overly impressive except for the fact that you are under tons and tons of rocks that don’t collapse on top of you. It is surprisingly cool, temperature-wise, and a guide will tell you all about the specifics of the pyramids.

Outside the pyramids, you can go on camel and horse rides. And I think the camel ride was one of my favorite activities during my trip to Egypt. Some very aggressive camel guys will approach you. Under the guise of getting your picture taken on a camel, you end up being up-sold to a ride. It cost about $60, but I had a great time. When the camel stands up, it is actually a little scary, given how high I was. And galloping was very jerky and makes you feel a bit like a little kid.

Once you’ve gotten your fill of the pyramids, head down to the Sphinx. You get the classic photo of the Sphinx with the pyramids in the distance. The Sphinx is 66 feet high and 240 feet long – a lot smaller than I expected. It was swamped with tourists, and you can take it all in with about a 30-minute walk around. Once again, a guide was very helpful.

As for the surprises, I didn’t realize that the pyramids and Sphinx were so close to Cairo. They are literally on the outskirts. In fact, you can take the subway to Giza and avoid the expense of a cab or car if you like. Also, I didn’t like all of the trash swirling around. This is a common complaint for much of Cairo, but I didn’t expect it at one of the world’s great attractions. Finally, I was shocked at the sheer number of tourists. There were people everywhere. But none of this made the pyramids any less of a thrill.

Words cannot describe seeing the pyramids for the first time with your own eyes rather than on a television screen or in a book. They are magnificent. On our first day in Egypt, we visited the pyramids that housed the remains on Cheops, Chefren, and Mycerinus, kings in the 4th dynasty of the Old Kingdom (over 4000 years ago). The first and tallest of the three belonged to Cheops, king of the unified Egypt. It was buil in 3050 B.C. and stood 146 meters tall. The second pyramid was built by Cheops' son Chefren, who also built the Sphinx with his face and a lion's body to protect his and his father's burial grounds and as a symbol of power. Cheop's grandson Mycerinus built the third pyramid. We went into Mycerinus' pyramid and saw the Great room and the king's room (where he was buried). The walls are unadorned and there is nothing to see inside, but it was an experience to enter one of the greatest wonders of the world.

On our first day in Cairo, like probably all people who come to Egypt, we decided to visit the only surviving Wonder of the Ancient World. Unfortunately, taxi drivers demanded incredible sums of money, so we decided not to get ripped off and took a bus. The mini bus cost us only 75 piastres each. And in a little more than a half an hour of crazy driving without any rules, we reached the pyramids.

Even before we could see the pyramids, we were hustled all over the place. Touts tried to sell us camel, donkey or horse rides. It was quite annoying. Maybe because it was early morning and it was a bit foggy, the pyramids were hard to see. But fortunately, after a while, it cleared and we could admire those miraculous monuments. One tout offered us to take picture on his camel and small ride. He repeatedly assured us that he would take the agreed price of 1 USD per person and won’t try to ask for more. But of course, he did… My husband was still sitting high on a camel when I heard: 50 dollars to come down. Knowing my husband very well, I did realize that the tout just made a big mistake. My husband is not the sort of the person who quietly will pay for nothing. So, after long and strong arguments, my darling said that he would call the tourist police if needed. Those were the magical words in all of Egypt. After hearing the tout pleading "please, no police", my husband threw two one-dollar bills on the ground and walked away. So if anyone has any problem, we advise simply to say these magical words.

After wondering around the Great Pyramid for about an hour, we admired the hard work of ancient people.

It is forbidden to climb any of the pyramids. So naturally my darling tried to do just that. Near the smallest pyramid we met a security guard who was responsible for not letting anybody to climb. We were shocked when he asked (of course, for bakshish) if we maybe would like to climb one of the small pyramids near the pyramid of Menkaure. We said "no, thank you". And when he left, my husband went for the Menkaure pyramid. Naturally, after about 10 minutes, other security guards saw what he was doing and politely asked to come down. Well, it was worth a try. After we saw the pyramid of Khafre and as much as we were impressed by all the pyramids and the Sphinx, we couldn’t stop wondering how ancient Egyptians worshipped the magnitude of their dead pharaoh. In polished white limestone and with gold-covered pyramidions (pyramid-shaped capstones) which caught the first rays of the sun, even we probably would believe that it is a work of God and a pharaoh is God…