When I came back to Cairo after my trip up the Nile, I was ready to visit the pyramids again. There is supposed to be a direct, air-conditioned bus (not one of the regular local buses) departing near the Egyptian Museum for 2EP. I wandered for a good 20 minutes unable to find the bus stop. Sorry if that's stupid, as I know other people who found it, but I really did make a good effort to look and even asked people for it, but all the locals directed me to the local bus station, which seemed too hectic for me.

I gave up on the bus and took the metro to Giza for 75 piastres. Once in Giza, I got a taxi by butchering "Haram" and making a pyramid shape with my hands. The taxi driver was so nice that I felt sort of bad when he indicated that the 5EP I gave him was too low. That was the price suggested in the most recent edition of Lonely Planet, but it was a very long ride from the town, so I second-guessed myself. Every driver will act like it's not enough, but he seemed serious. Not serious enough to follow me, though, so I moved on.

The pyramid site cost 20EP with a student ID, but you need another ticket to actually enter the pyramids themselves. I spent some time gazing in awe, mouth gaping and stroking the blocks in reverence. My thoughts centered on, "I can't believe I made it." It was like a middle-school fantasy come true. After climbing up to the entrance of the Pyramid of Khufu, just to get a feel for it before deciding whether I'd go in or not, I decided to walk around the Pyramid first.

On the far side of the Great Pyramid, I encountered the camel touts. Supposedly, the site has improved significantly in the last few years, as tourist police are trying to reduce the hassle, but this side is hidden from the side with the ticket office.

One in particular was persistent. Emet convinced me to take a ride with him by first taking me to the workers' "cafeteria" hidden between the pyramids. Here I got fresh bread, cheese, and jam—the traditional Egyptian breakfast— and tea and soda, all for free. It was a fun experience watching the other camel touts, now no longer trying to sell to me, riding up to the small building and requesting takeaway sandwiches from the sweet lady inside. After breakfast, Emet offered me the ride for free. I was happy to accept.

Although it's not recommended, I was too scared to ride the camel alone, so I climbed on behind Emet. I kept my distance and held onto the saddle. Occasionally I felt safe enough to not hold on at all. A couple times, I was forced to hold onto Emet, but he didn't take advantage of the situation. Riding a camel is bumpy and weird, but it was funny watching the other groups of tourists riding together and seeing Emet chase off the drink sellers who simply camp out in a seemingly random patch of desert waiting for the line of camel-riding tourists to appear.

Although I was enjoying myself, I had no reason to fully trust Emet. He suggested we ride in the desert for a few hours, but as beautiful and intriguing as the idea was, I knew it wouldn't be a safe idea. The other option was going to meet his family in the village near Giza. I was more than happy to visit a local home.

We rode the camel through the streets, which was hilarious. I mean, it's not like there's a camel lane or any other animals in the street. It was just me, the obvious tourist, and a guy who wanted to hook up with me, weaving in and out of cars around Giza.

We ended up at the home of his friend, another camel tout. Here, of course, he was relaxed, simply saying, "Remember me?" but he was at home and not trying to sell a thing. His friend was married, but still lived with his parents. We had a meal of fresh, very sweet watermelon; a pungent buffalo cheese; and lots of fresh bread. Later, we moved upstairs to smoke a little post-lunch Moroccan hash. I took my cue to leave when I realized Emet was trying to get his friends to leave us alone.

So I never even made it inside the pyramids. But I'll be back, and I think the weird day I had was worthwhile—after all, most tourists in Egypt walk into the pyramids, but how many have ridden a camel through the streets of Giza?

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