October 2025, a new tour and a new group of people; three from South Africa, two from the UK and one from Australia, and me, of course. Our decision to meet up the day before the tour started proved to be a wise one as international arrivals happen throughout the day and it would have been impossible to structure anything while waiting for people to arrive. The hotel we had selected to meet up at has one of the best views in the world, looking straight at the Giza Plateau. I had travelled with the two ladies of the group from South Africa, via Dubai, arriving around midday. Our other South African had arrived early that morning but we only saw him later in the afternoon. Our Australian guest had already been travelling and was in a hotel just around the corner. We would pick him up first thing tomorrow. Our UK arrivals arrived during the evening. Despite a day of travel, visa issues, flight delays and the vagaries of meet and greet services, we were all set for the next day.
Day one of the tour started fairly brutally as we had decided to do the Bent Pyramid, or the Faulty Pyramid as it became known in our group. I am very happy and proud to say we all attempted and succeeded in this Dashur challenge. A wooden staircase takes you a fair way up the outside of this magnificent structure, from there it is a 23-metre-long descent down a sloping corridor. With the seemingly forever passage being only a metre high there were plenty of bumped heads. Once at the bottom a steep flight of steps takes you up to a central position where there is a wooden staircase that takes you up to the roof of the inner chamber. Of course, going in means you have to come out, and that descending passage seemed even longer on the way out. Bumped heads but proud hearts, as this is possibly the most demanding of the pyramids that are open to the public. Well done everyone!
After that gentle intro, with heaving lungs and aching legs, we set off for Saqqara, home to the Step Pyramid. We began with the Imhotep Museum, another well laid out museum with a good collection of artefacts from the area. Saqqara is still probably the richest archaeological area in Egypt with ongoing excavations. A short drive from the museum took us to the pyramid of Teti and our first look at tomb decoration. Along with the pyramid of Unas, these are the earliest of what are called the Pyramid Texts. Right next door are the mastaba tombs of two of Teti’s officials, Kagemni and Mereruka. Both these tombs are filled with fascinating scenes from the lives of these two important viziers, both sons-in-law of the king.
The Serapeum is always a shock to first time visitors. The sheer impossibility of the massive stone sarcophagi defy understanding, and our team were no different. Questions to our guide kept him talking all the time we were in the mysterious underground passages, and I’m sure I heard the word “alien” now and again.
Finally, the Step Pyramid and my first opportunity to go inside and look down to the burial place. Amazing, and a first for me. An incredible feat of engineering.
We left Saqqara with sore muscles but joyful hearts. The Faulty (Bent) Pyramid experience is always a great team building exercise and you could already sense a feeling of camaraderie amongst us all.
After a very late lunch or early supper, we headed for the airport and our next port of call, Luxor.
