“Forward! Remember that from these monuments yonder forty centuries look down upon you,” Napoleon Bonaparte declared to his troops as they geared up for the Battle of the Pyramids in July 1798. Indeed, the history of the great pyramids dated back to one of Earth's ancient civilizations. This fact made my experience feel all the more surreal. I recalled staring at the pyramids with wide eyes while standing immobile, engrossed in a spectacular, fleeting moment. There was no better way to cap our Holy Land trip than with a chance to see the Great Pyramid of Giza up close.
A Surreal Moment at the Great Pyramid of Giza
Childhood Fascination Streak
To find when my fascination with the Pyramids of Giza in Egypt began, I had to look back to my youth. It was probably our geography class's display of images of landmarks throughout the world that captivated me and turned my wanderlust switch on. It was also during this time that I learned about Angkor Wat in Cambodia, the Great Wall of China, the Taj Mahal in India, and Petra in Jordan.
The pyramids stood out from the rest because they were built by some of the oldest civilizations known to man. Even as a child, I was fascinated by how ancient builders constructed the pyramids, leaving the door wide open for countless alternative theories.
There was no better way to bookend the best travel writing assignment I had experienced so far than a trip to Cairo to see the pyramids up close. We were still inside our bus when I caught sight of the three pyramids. The hairs on my arms stood up instantly, and a rush of excitement surged through my body. I could not believe I was finally getting closer to seeing these incredible landmarks on the planet.
As soon as we stepped out of our bus and bought our tickets, I separated from our group and made a mad dash to the pyramids. As they appeared bigger the closer I came, my eyes were drawn to the large slabs of stone stacked on top of each other. Glistening in the sun's rays, I saw a sparkle from every direction. A dreamlike moment had just become real.
The Pyramids of Giza
Also known as the Giza Necropolis, the Giza pyramid complex was where the Great Pyramid of Giza stood along with two other smaller structures: the Pyramid of Khafre and the Pyramid of Menkaure. The Great Pyramid, aside from being the biggest, was also the oldest, having been constructed between 2580 and 2560 BC. It remained the only surviving member of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World.
As if sensing my jubilation, our guide asked me to do a jump shot in front of the pyramids. Not wanting to take up much of his time, I jumped four or five times, and, to his credit, he captured me in fine form mid-air.
That photo—which garnered over eight hundred likes on my Facebook page—remained framed and displayed inside my room. It served as a lasting reminder of that great moment when I accomplished a lifelong dream of seeing the Giza Pyramids.
We spent at least an hour walking around the complex. While some from my group ventured out to find shade to rest, I marveled at the sweltering heat of the sun by remaining close to the pyramids. I figured I had spent almost a lifetime waiting for this chance, so I might as well savor every second of it by being as near as possible to these monuments that “looked down upon me.”
As I saw our guide from afar motioning for us to board our bus, I ran back to the outer walls. I rubbed my hands on some of the stones as if trying to imprint some of the history of the Pyramids of Giza on myself. It felt like a fitting conclusion, bridging the moment I first touched the glossy pages of travel magazines to finally seeing and even feeling the pyramids with my bare hands.
