Egypt was a unique place and a country we won’t soon forget. We had a great time doing a Nile cruise and visiting the main sites of Egypt. however, during our final days in Cairo we decided to hire a taxi and visit three pyramids that were not nearly as crowded as the ones at Giza. We made arrangements through our hotel and were picked up by the driver.

The drive from Cairo to the small town of Dashur covered 40km and took about an hour to reach, including getting through Cairo traffic when leaving the city. The roads were generally in good condition until we reached the town, when it became a dirt road full of potholes.

About 10 minutes after we got through the town we were in an open desert near the three pyramids.

The first pyramid we visited was the Red Pyramid. It is the third largest pyramid in Egypt and considered to be the first successful smooth-sided pyramid. it was built by the Pharaoh Sneferu almost 5,000 years ago. It gets its name from the red granite used in its construction.

There were only about a dozen people around when we arrived, compared with the huge numbers of tourists who visit the pyramids at Giza. There are also no city skyline or encroaching houses, not are there any touts and people trying to sell things. But it should be noted that the fellows at the entrance of each pyramid expected something just for helping you exit after you’ve gone through.

Once inside, we went down a 61 metre passage to the bottom. It was also a tight space as the passage was less than a metre high so we had to bend to go down. It was also very hot inside the passage.

Once we were at the bottom we were in a tall open chamber. There was a wooden stairway that allowed us to climb up to the top of the interior of the pyramid.

Back we went until we made it out to fresh air again. Locals call the Red Pyramid el-heram el-watwaat, meaning the Bat Pyramid. We didn’t see any bats here, but in the next pryamid…

Link to Part 2