Mr. P Sees the Pyramids!

Dear Boys and Girls,

Today will be a day that Mr. P remembers for the rest of his life.  I remember hearing about the pyramids when I was a child, they were a symbol of ancient civilizations that came before us.  A group of people that started to change the way we as humans see the world and helped the world get to where it is today.  So to be standing, facing the pyramids was very special to me.  I couldn't help but grin.  Also making the day extra special was my very kind and knowledgeable tour guide, and now friend, Feby.  If ever you are in Egypt and want to arrange a tour of the pyramids, make sure you e-mail her (click on her name above and tell her Mr. P sent you).  She was an amazing host and was excited to give me several stories to share with you.  Wait until you hear the one about the Egyptian vampire!

There are many pyramids in Egypt.  Pyramids were used as a final resting place for Pharaohs and their families.  They were built well in advance of them dying because they usually took around 20 years (if not longer) to build.  The pyramids were stuffed full of treasures, usually things that the Pharaoh was believed to have needed in the afterlife.  The three pyramids at Giza (shown in the picture below) belong to a grandfather, father and son team.  The largest pyramid is known as the Great Pyramid of Cheops.  It is made up of about 2.5 million blocks and rises 137m out of the desert sand and is the most impressive of the three.  You can just imagine how it must have looked 4000 years ago when it was first completed.  Back then it was covered in polished limestone which would have made it shine in the sun, a sparkling pyramid fit for a king.

Standing in the desert.  Oh look...the Great Pyramids of Giza are behind me.  Now how did those get there?

The Egyptians used pyramids as tombs for several reasons; first their shape reminded them of sun rays coming down from the sky.  Also, a pyramid reaches high up into the sky ending in a point that shoots directly up.  Sometimes it looks like the pyramid is actually touching the sun.  The pyramids were believed to give the souls of the dead Pharaohs a way of getting up into the heavens where they would have eternal life.

Great Pyramid of Cheops touching the sun.

There is so much more I could tell you about the pyramids...they are truly amazing, but I will let you sign a book out from the library or do a Google search so you can learn some more on your own.  I can't wait to hear about some of the interesting facts that you learn!

Still grinning,
Mr. Pimentel