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Al-Ahram Weekly 3 - 9 June 1999 Issue No. 432 
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Published in Cairo by AL-AHRAM established in 1875 |
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Al-Ahram Weekly 3 - 9 June 1999 Issue No. 432
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| Published in Cairo by AL-AHRAM established in 1875 |
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Egypt Region International Economy Opinion Culture Profile Interview Travel Sports People Time Out Chronicles Cartoons Letters A ride to remember
By Paul GarwoodAs most visitors to Cairo find, you have your good days and your bad. There are those days when nothing can go right, no matter how hard you try to avoid trouble. And then there are those moments of unbridled joy, which hit you straight out of the blue.
One such day unfolded at Giza, which I thought would be just another trip to the Pyramids. I had been there only once before and on first sight I was amazed. It is like the first time you reach the top of the Eiffel Tower, or when you try to take in all the beauty of the Himalayas.
From the very outset, my second trip to Giza's three Great Pyramids was going to be different from the first. Instead of trudging through the desert and fighting off touts and flies on foot, this time I was going on horseback.
The trip started out as a work-mission, but quickly turned into one of my most enjoyable days to date in Cairo. A photographer friend of mine wanted to ride out into the desert, due south from the three tiny Queen's Pyramids, and take a series of pictures of the Giza site using the late afternoon light. We were armed with cameras and what we thought was enough money at the time to hire two horses and catch a bus back to Kit Kat Square.
Gallop across the sands at Giza and take in the wonders of the Pyramids
photo: Thomas Hartwell
We met the owner of the A.A. Riding Stables, a rotund sheikh-looking man whose only diversion from the 'sheikh mould' was the blue New York Yankees baseball cap he wore over his head scarf. We started the process of haggling for the right price for a two-hour horse ride, and with our meagre budget in mind, we set our price (LE25 for each horse) and stuck to it. But there was going to be a fight on our hands. The man had dealt with his fair share of foreigners in the past and used every trick in the book to squeeze out a little bit more from us than what we asked for. If we had more money, he might have won. But once he was confident that our wallets were of the lightweight category, he appeared to think that LE50 was better than nothing.
We set off into the dunes, but soon found we had a companion. Ramadan, one of A.A.'s stable-hands, 'volunteered' his services as a guide and led us off in the direction of that perfect spot to take the photos. Without any say in the matter, we trotted off behind Ramadan, leaving the asphalt road through a stone gate and headed towards the distant plateau that would offer us the best vantage for the Pyramids.
I am not a horse rider of any great repute, but I thought I would be able to control the small but healthy beast that I had been given. But upon the first stretch of open desert, the nag broke into a canter and I had visions of being saddle sore for the next few days. Then she shifted up into a gallop and, even though it felt like we were going at breakneck speed, I found myself sticking to the seat more than before.
Galloping through the desert with watery eyes taking in the grandeur of the Pyramids was like a dream. There was not a cloud in the sky, the wind rushing past was cool but refreshing and the idea of steering a horse through gullies and up hills was something I won't forget.
It took a little longer than I first thought, but 20 minutes into the ride Ramadan eventually and politely asked us if we could offer him a little something for his services. Being both in Giza and in the company of a guide, this was expected. We explained that we had barely enough to get home, (which in the end turned out to be not enough at all) which he understood, and with no hard feelings we rode on. If we had had something to give him, we most surely would have because his horsemanship, plus knowledge of the desert around the Pyramids, was second-to-none.
Minutes later something quite startling took place. Any visitor to Giza would be accustomed to the vast amounts of plastic and paper that are swept by the wind across the desert floor at Giza. Once you've seen one scrap of paper, you've seen a million. You'd need a keen eye to spot anything valuable amongst all that fluttering rubbish, and that's just what our friend Ramadan had. As we were walking up a sandy hill, our guide's keen eyes zeroed in on a piece of paper skating over the ground. It turned out to be an LE10 note. With glee, he jumped off his horse and scooped up the cash as quick as a flash. Giving the note a quick kiss and offering thanks to Allah, he slipped it into his pocket and let out a joyous yelp.
We spent another hour riding from one spot to another in order to get the best pictures possible of the three Pyramids of Khufu, Khafre and Menkaure and the collection of smaller ones made for the queens. It was one of those beautiful, clear spring days and the view was gorgeous. To the right of the Pyramids, both Giza and, beyond that, Cairo were clear to be seen, while off into the distance in the southeast, the other pyramids of Saqqara and Dashur were visible. The only objects on the landscape between us and the Giza Pyramids were three camels with their guides and riders, making for a perfect Egyptian setting.
As the afternoon crept on, the setting sun was replaced by the first full moon of March. The Pyramids were spectacular. The blood-red sky set these wonders of the world in a stark silhouette against the horizon.
It was time to get back to the stables. Our two hours were well and truly up. As I was the bearer of our remaining cash, I was shocked to see how little it was. Not even enough to get home by bus. Ramadan picked up on our financial difficulties and said: "Here, take this money", and offered the lucky ten pound note he found in the desert. This act of generosity didn't take me by surprise. This is the way in Cairo. When you are at your lowest, there is always someone to help you along the way. And it also meant that I had to return to Giza for another horse ride so I could give Ramadan his money back.
