The Great Pyramids of Giza are more remarkable in person than in any history book. As a child, I remember creating models out of cardboard and clay of these only remaining examples of the “Seven Wonders of the Ancient World.”

To be able to stand before them and the grand Sphinx

is an experience of a lifetime.

The first glimpse I ever had of the Great Pyramids was an aerial view as we flew over the continent of Africa years ago en-route to the Seychelles Islands (another remarkable experience). The pilot had made an announcement and tipped his wings for a clear view. Their height and grandeur were great then but standing before them I was in awe.

One can explore the Pyramids in a myriad of ways. Of course, our little group decided to take the daring route.

Heck, if you’re going to have a “once in a lifetime experience,” make it count! We opted for a long camel ride around the massive site. The Pyramids sit in a “sandbox” in the center if Cairo in the suburb of Giza, on the Giza Plateau,  and it’s as arid as any desert. Temps this time of year range from 98 - 120-degrees Farenheit. It was truly a nomadic experience.

I’m a control freak and riding horses intimidates me. I have the feeling that the animal is in control and has the last word and I don’t. Getting on a huge camel freaked me out. To say I was petrified was an understatement. Getting on a camel, even when it’s lounging on all fours, takes help. These are huge beasts. Once aboard, you grab the tiny wood knob on the carpeted “saddle” and hang on for dear life.

You have to hang on because the camel lurches forward as he stands upright. When upright you realize how tall these animals are.  They also have an unusual gait. Instead of alternating hooves when walking, they use a front leg followed by a back leg on the same side of the body. The effect is a rolling motion as they amble on. It’s a bit disconcerting at first. You have to adjust yourself in your seat to stay stable. The rolling motion is actually the same undulation we dancers use in the “camel walk,” rather appropriate. When they walk on the sand the movement is more pronounced. It takes getting used to. Also, I encountered a new scent, “Eu de Camel.”

I did  get a bit more comfortable as we trod up and down the sand dunes approaching the pyramids from the back, the area where there are few tourists. This area gives one the feel of the early explorers before there were tour buses and hoards of vacationers.  The quiet is what I found astounding.

What a wonderful introduction to these massive structures.

The tranquility belies their original purpose as tombs for Khafre, Menkaure and Khufu (also known as the Great Pyramid, the largest).

We disembarked from the camels and walked around these massive structures. The perfection of their engineering and construction is confounding, considering the ancients had only rudimentary tools at their disposal. The building blocks are perfectly shaped and the fit so precise that a sheet of paper could not be slipped in between them. Their size is extraordinary.

The Sphinx stands as a sentinel in front of the pyramids like a guard dog on the watch. Actually in Arabic it is known as

“Abu al-Hol, “the father of terror.” If you’re wondering why he’s missing his nose, it was lost from deterioration before the 15th Century and not shot off by Napoleon as often written.

Unfortunately, especially as you travel to the front of the structures where most tourists gather and where the famous Sphinx is perched, beggars and hawkers abound. Everyone from camel drivers to people posing for pictures seek handouts. So many people are so desperately poor they rely on tourist money for survival. 

Tipping, even for doing nothing, “baksheesh,” abounds throughout the country. It’s an annoyance but something you learn to deal with. The tips are so low they don’t hurt the pocketbook. Our exchange rate was five Egyptian Pounds for every one U.S. Dollar. Considering the average Egyptian earns the equivalent of two-dollars a day, go figure. Nonetheless,  the one Arabic word I learned was, “laa shokran” (“no, thank you”) or “laa” for short.  It helped to keep the persistent hawkers, selling things I absolutely didn’t want or need, at bay.

I've been told that the beggars are now banned from the historic site. Though an annoyance, I wonder how these people are faring without their only source of income. As Americans, we are wealthier that 75% of the world's population and it's a fact that we should note. 

My latest adventure was my seventh year as a Middle Eastern belly dance instructor at the esteemed Chautauqua Institution in New York State. The theme for the first week was Egypt and it conjured up memories of my visit there.

In the following posts, I will offer some insight and observations from this most ambitious trip.

I have dreamed of exploring Egypt since I was a child. With shelves of books on this ancient country, clothing with hieroglyphs and art objects of the sphinx and pyramids and a love of Middle Eastern dance, a trip to Egypt was inevitable. Three weeks in Egypt was to be a fantasy come true.

I was not disappointed.

A little over four hours air travel from cosmopolitan London, Cairo is a step back in time. Though a modern city in many ways, remnants of the past linger and are as much a part of the Egyptian lifestyle as the great pyramids at Giza that loom over the city.

The first thing that strikes you about Cairo is the density. Over 25 million people are crammed into the city.

Multiply the residents by the number of automobiles and you have traffic chaos. Rush hour in the States is nothing compared to the everyday havoc on Cairo’s roads. Cairo is notorious for being the most dangerous place to drive in the world. The videos on You Tube don’t come close to capturing the reality.

A ride from the airport is an indication of things to come. First, there are no traffic lights or stop signs in Cairo and rarely do you see a traffic cop directing traffic. Second, there seem to be no rules, as one-way streets and marked lanes are ignored. Automobiles and trucks also travel at speeds inappropriate for the conditions. Bumper-to-bumper driving is the norm with inches between cars. It’s no wonder that so many side view mirrors are cracked or missing. Most of the automobiles are what we consider “beaters.” Dents and scrapes are just accepted. Automobiles are, after all, just a mode of transportation. In Egypt, just having one is a luxury unlike the status-conscious American mindset,

Automobiles share the roads with donkey carts, an occasional camel rider or horseman. Pedestrians weave in and out of traffic in a suicidal ballet of “dodge the cars.”

Horns honk constantly. Traffic circles are a nightmare game of “Dodge-em.” Yet, for some insane reason it all works. Accidents are few and far between considering the traffic. American drivers would never be able to cope. Thus, renting an automobile would be out of the question. In Egypt, I’ve learned, there is trust. People trust other people. Trust is a form of courtesy. Trust is a way of life.

There are valuable life lessons to be learned from Egypt. I will share them with you as I relive my journey.

As I continue to reflect upon my recent journey to Egypt, I am reminded of how short life really is and how human beings have not changed much through the centuries. It seems we keep “reinventing the wheel” and never really learn from our mistakes or from history.

History comes to life at museums. The famous Egyptian Museum in Cairo is one of the most fascinating. One of the oldest in the world, opened in 1863, it features two floors crammed with ancient artifacts. The current museum building, a new one is slated to open in Giza in 2011, complements the displays with its aura of intellectually old-fashioned, non-air-conditioned, stuffy ambiance.

One can easily spend weeks in the galleries. I had only a few hours and maximized every moment. The amount of statuary is overwhelming and the condition of objects, especially wood statues, furniture and such, were astounding. The jewelry would make any Middle Eastern dancer drool.

Statuary of limestone, granite and quartzite, heiroglyphics painted on papyrus, and furniture tell the story of Egypt from

the Old Kingdom (3100 -2180 BC through the tomb discoveries of the 1900’s. The treasures are astounding. The Tutankhamun Galleries are the most famous. Though the pharaoh died before his prime, the discovery of an intact tomb, the wealth within and the legend made him famous in death. His gold throne, innermost shrine, and ornate funerary mask are more shimmering and ornate in person than in photographs.

Sarcophagus, coffin covers, coffins  are set on shelves and line walls. Sentinels of death. Actually, most of the Egyptian artifacts pay homage to death. The number of objects, everything necessary for life, were placed in tombs. The belief in the afterlife was important. Pharaohs lived life actually planning for death; building tombs and amassing wealth. When they died they thought they could “take it with them.” I guess many people today share that belief as well.

For the pharaohs, a peaceful slumber in an ornate tomb among their favorite objects was not to be. This is more than evident in the creepy yet fascinating Royal Mummy Room.

It’s rather morbid that the greatest rulers of the world during their lifetimes are relegated to having their mummified bodies on display under glass in temperature-controlled boxes for curious tourists to ogle. The Ramses dynasty lie in repose like a Ripley’s Believe it or Not freak show. No wonder some people believe in mummy curses. Could you blame the mummy?

Speaking of mummies, a room is dedicated to mummified, birds, cats, dogs, crocodiles and other animals held sacred.

Even they were entitled to an afterlife.

It is fascinating to note that the belief in an afterlife of some kind has existed and still exists. The common held belief seems to negate the “Is this all there is?” mentality. Gives us a little hope, doesn’t it?

Thoughts of Egypt stir up memories of my special travels in Egypt.

Egypt. To the Islamic world, there is Mecca. In the Jewish religion, there is Israel. To Catholics, there is Rome.

For a belly dancer, there is Egypt.

The cradle of civilization is the center of the belly dance world, where the world’s oldest dance originated. To this day, Egypt is the dream destination of every belly dancer.

I lived my dream. For nineteen days, I was privileged to experience the wonders of the ancient world. The great pyramids at Giza and the tombs of the Pharaohs were my exploration. The Cairo Museum with its mummies, a desert oasis, famed Alexandria and the Nile River with the temple of Karnak were sites to behold.

Most of all, I experienced the largest gathering of belly dancers in the world, the Alhlan Wa Sahlan Dance Festival

at the base of the pyramids. Every summer, the historic Mena House hosts a week of dance lessons and performances by the world’s greatest and best dancers. To study with the masters of this ancient art form is an honor. To expand my knowledge of belly dance, as with any art form, one must be the consummate student. This afforded the world’s best education and I returned with a refreshed outlook on dance and material to share with students, not to mention some new costumes.

When the opportunity arose to join an intimate tour, I couldn’t pass it up. The inner voice in my head, the one we should take the time to listen to, urged me on. There is never the “right time” to take three weeks away from house and home, from business and family to jet off to the far reaches of the world.

If one waited for the ideal moment, it would never come and all one would experience is one’s own backyard.

Life is a journey. Travel is an adventure. Getting out of your comfort zone broadens your horizons, creates lifelong memories and affords amazing experiences. I urge everyone to take the leap ... obtain a passport ... budget some money ... buy a ticket to a destination outside of the United States to experience another culture. Whether it’s Egypt or Paris or even The Chautauqua Institution, go!

The right moment is NOW!