The Sphinx - Guard of the Pyramids

The Sphinx is a cat like character with the body of a lion and a face of a man in a royal headdress.  The monument is one of the largest in the world.  It was carved from a single stone and it lies in front of the Pyramids which makes one heck of a Kodak moment.  The history of the Sphinx is quite a mystery.  There are many theories but no one has the real answer about who inspired the monument or when it was built.  The only thing scientists and historians know for sure is that the Sphinx is an ancient wonder that originally had a nose and a beard, which are now missing. 

One of my favorite things about traveling is meeting local people and experiencing new cultures.  Before going to the Great Pyramid I read in tour books about kids begging for money and tips at the tourist sites and that it is important not to give them money because it usually goes to an adult and never benefits the child.  The books made me a little paranoid about kids asking for money.  So when I met several local children at the Pyramids I was dreading them asking me for money.  There was only one Baksheesh (tip) request from a child that day, the rest of the children had a request but it wasn’t for money. 

This kid was so cute! 

The majority of the kids and teens we met at the Pyramids and Sphinx were hanging out there after school so they could work on their language skills.  The kids were dressed very nicely.  They asked us to talk with them and teach them a little English.  They did not ask for Baksheesh (tip) as the tour books warned.  It was interesting to talk to the students for a few minutes.  I was a little overwhelmed by them but my friends Bridget and Shayna were really good at talking to them.  They adored Bridget.  I think they thought she was a famous movie star.  They all wanted their pictures with her, it was really funny.

Bridget and Shayna giving English lessons

My friend Bridget - the movie star!

Lady selling necklaces at the Pyramids

I applaud the local people for encouraging their students to learn English and talk to the tourists.  I wish I had been warned that we may run into local children that want to learn English because I would have been nicer when they first approached me.  I also wish I would have had books or something to give them to help with their studies.  These students will have an advantage in life if they learn English because they will be able to work in tourism and pursue higher education and capital interests.  I imagine these students we met were already climbing out of poverty or belonged to Cairo’s very limited middle class. English is often considered the language of currency and I have no doubt that going to the tourist sites and practicing English after school will help these students succeed.      

As I look back at these kids I can’t help but wonder how they made it through the Arab Spring and the revolution.  I visited Egypt in December of 2010 a few weeks before the uprising.  We knew there was tension and problems when we were there on vacation but we didn’t realize how volatile the situation in Egypt really was at that time.