A Surreal Moment at the Great Pyramid of Giza

"Forward! Remember that from these monuments yonder 40 centuries look down upon you", Napoleon Bonaparte declared to his troops as they geared for the Battle of the Pyramids on July 1798. Indeed, the history of the great pyramids goes back to one the earliest civilizations on Earth. This fact made my experience of being there feel more surreal in real life. I remember looking at the pyramids with wide-eye wonder while standing motionless, as I lost myself in a spectacular now kind of moment. There is no better way to cap our Holy Land trip than a chance to see the Great Pyramid of Giza up close.

Childhood Fascination Streak

I'll have to go back to my childhood to trace when my fascination with the pyramids of Giza in Egypt started. It must be our geography class showing photographs of landmarks around the world that captivated me and flicked my wanderlust switch on. It was also during this time that I learned about the Angkor Wat in Cambodia, the Great Wall of China, the Taj Mahal in India and Petra in Jordan.

The pyramids stood out among the rest, as it represents a stunning construction marvel by some of the earliest civilization known to man. Even at a young age, I was already in awe at how human beings built the pyramids. *cue for Alien theories*

There’s no better way to bookend the best travel writing assignment I’ve had 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. Instantly, the hairs on my arms stood up and a jolt of excitement shot through my body. I can’t believe I’d finally see the day when I’m inching closer to these amazing landmarks of the planet.

As soon as we got out of our bus and bought our tickets, I separated from our group and just made a mad dash to the pyramids. Appearing bigger as I come closer. The massive slobs of stones piled on top of each other arrested my attention. Glistening under the bright sheen of the sun, I see sparkle from everywhere. A surreal moment just got real.

The Pyramids of Giza

Also known as the Giza Necropolis, the Giza Pyramid complex is where the Great Pyramid of Giza stands along with two other smaller pyramids: The Pyramid of Khafre and the Pyramid of Menkaure. The Giza, aside from the biggest, is also the oldest being constructed between 2580-2560 BC. It remains as the only surviving 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 much of his time, I jumped four or five times and to his credit, he captured me in fine form mid-air.

That photo—other than garnering 800 plus likes on my Facebook—is framed and displayed inside my room. Forever reminding me of that wonderful moment when I finally realized a childhood desire to see the pyramids of Giza.

We spent at least an hour just walking around the complex. While some from my group ventured out to find a shade to rest, I regaled at the sweltering shower of the sun by remaining closer to the pyramids.

I figured, I’d spent almost a lifetime waiting for this chance, so I might as well milk every second I have to be as near as possible to these monuments that “look down upon me”.

As I saw our guide from afar mentioning for us to board our bus, I ran back to the outer walls. I rub my hands on some of the stones as if trying to imprint some of the history of the Pyramid of Giza on myself. I also realized that it was the fitting thing to do, as if stamping my journey that began when I was touching the glossy pages of travel magazines to finally seeing and even feeling the pyramids with my bare hands.