DAY 228: Unless you've been comatose for most of your life, you already know that one of the greatest civilizations of ancient history was the Egyptian one. You know of the pharaohs and the mummies and the pyramids and the hieroglyphics, which comedian Billy Crystal once theorized where just "a comic strip about a guy named Sphinxy." However, it's one thing to read about all these things in a school history book, it's another to be there in Egypt and see the old artifacts of ancient society juxtaposed to the modern one.

For me, Egyptian history was taught in the sixth grade by my history teacher Mr. Luderer, who had been to Egypt himself. I remember the day he showed us a slide show of his trip to Egypt and remembering how, as an eleven-year-old, I thought Egypt was a far off exotic place I'd probably never go to. That was then in 1986, but now in 2004 I had made it to see just for myself, the artifacts I had seen in textbook and slideshow photos.

Most of these artifacts were located in the Egyptian Museum (picture above), just on the other side of Tahrir Square from my hotel. After a haircut and dining on the backpacker staple shawarma (in its home region finally), I went over to the museum, which was more like a fortress with its small army of armed officers protecting its precious historical valuables inside. You might have thought it was a presidential palace with all the security -- even cameras had to be checked in at the gate since absolutely no photography was allowed inside, only at the statues outside. Metal detectors, bag x-rays and body frisks were common upon entering the building.

Unlike museums in New York, there wasn't much of an exhibition design to the place. I mean, everything was in order in specific rooms, but there wasn't any good signage pointing you to this way or that way or telling you what's what. I'd say a good 90% of the tourists inside didn't need them because they were in big package tour groups with stickers on their shirts, following around a guide with a flag or colored sign to led the herd around. For me, the independent traveler, my option was to rent a digital guide, a little interactive Pocket PC palm computer with a touch screen that led me on self-tailored tours around the century-old museum's 92 galleries and showrooms. At twenty Egyptian pounds, it came with a carrying case and a headset; all the text on the screen was spoken to me in a computerized voice, which made the whole experience feel like a personally guide tour by Stephen Hawkings himself.

The highlights of the museums were two main exhibitions, the first being the mummy room, which required an additional fee to get into. Inside were the well-preserved remains of eleven kings and queens who ruled Egypt between 1552 and 1069 B.C. For fifteen years, they had been put away because of cultural and bureaucratic refusal to show them to the public, they now they had returned to the museum in a cold, climate-controlled environment with very tight security.

According to the voice of Stephen Hawkings, most of the mummies were of men and women who died in their 40s, preserved in different qualities of embalming. The mummy of King Sequenre still had his brain in his skull cavity, the mummy of Tuthosis IV still had his hair. The bodies of the dead pharaohs were incredible; you could even still make out their facial features and what they looked like when they were alive 3,500 years ago. Before me stared the faces of Amenhotep I, Queen Nedjemet and other mummies not bandaged up like the old Hollywood stereotype, but in clothes with their hands folded -- some with skin still on the bone. I really wanted to take photos of it all, but I surrendered my little spy camera as well. It was a good thing I did though, so I wouldn't be tempted; a guy with a cell phone camera was caught shooting photos and was totally busted by police officers.

USING THE INTERACTIVE MAP on my rented Pocket PC, Stephen Hawkings' voice led me to the prized possession of the Egyptian Museum, the treasures of King Tutankhamen (or "Tut" for short), the most complete royal treasure ever found. It may be noteworthy to mention that it was actually found by accident by archaeologist Howard Carter in 1922, when he was commissioned to excavate something else near the Valley of the Kings.

Stephen Hawkings' interactive map wasn't really necessary because all I had to do was follow the herds and herds of French, Japanese and American tourists marching the hallways to see the exhibition. The centerpiece of Tut's treasures was his famous gold mask (photo of a postcard) -- the definitive image of Egyptian artifacts on the cover of most books -- designed in the exact facial image of the former pharaoh so that his soul would recognize his face in the afterlife. Above his face were figures of a vulture and cobra, to represent kinship and protection respectively. No longer was it in a book but right before me in an encased glass box, lit dramatically in the center of the room. If it weren't for all the tourists around, it might have looked like the set of a Hollywood heist movie.

Nearby where the inner and middle coffins of Tutankhamen (one placed inside the other for maximum protection) -- the outer one and the mummy remain at the site in Luxor -- which were equally impressive. However, the crowds seemed to be a bit too much and it took away from the thrill of being in its presence.

Howard Carter found 3,850 artifacts of the 18th dynasty in the tomb of Tutankhamen, and most of them where on display for people to see (but not photograph), from the royal throne and footrest to shawabtis (figurines) to all the weapons, boomerangs, toys, pottery, chariots and jewelry Tut was taking with him to the afterlife. Very exciting stuff; it was no wonder it was such a tourist draw. I think I might have even heard a slight inflection of excitement in Stephen Hawkings' voice.

WHILE THE MUMMIES AND THE TREASURES OF TUTANKHAMEN were the highlights of the museum, they only comprised about a quarter of the collection, if not less. There were still many other artifacts to see from the other pharaohs of the Old, Middle and New Kingdoms of Egypt, the treasures from the Royal Tombs of Tanis, plus some Greco-Roman artifacts. Walking the ground floor I walked passed engraved stone monoliths, a couple of which I totally remember from Mr. Luderer's history class in the sixth grade. It's funny how images of the past can suddenly become vivid again in your mind when you are in its presence.

AFTER AN AFTERNOON IN EGYPT'S PAST, it was time to explore its present. Egypt has come a long way since the days of the pharaohs. Once a great civilization, it eventually evolved into a great modern city -- a few thousand years has that sort of effect I guess. No longer were Egyptian citizens slaving away to build pyramids for their rulers or obsessed with collecting things for their own afterlives. Today they were smoking hookahs at sidewalk bars or running their own businesses or going to the movies.

I joined the locals at an early evening showing of the just-released third Harry Potter film, which was almost like the theater experience in the States. Sure it was full of the usual parents bringing their kids, or teenagers going in groups -- including the one group of teenage girls in teenybopper fashion with teenybopper cell phones discussing how one of their boyfriends think that "Buffy's hot!" (Unlike the traditional Muslim dress for women in which most skin had to be covered up -- one woman I saw earlier that day only revealed her eyes to see and even wore gloves -- more than half women had started to live in modern times with modern clothes.)

The difference in the modern Egyptian theater experience was in the way it was organized. I bought an advanced ticket for a 6:30 p.m. show and got there by six to catch the trailers. However, 6:30 was the seating time, which didn't make much sense since seating was assigned by ticket and row like in a Broadway play. Seating lasted a good half hour so nothing happened until 7 -- then it was 20 minutes of trailers of Hollywood movies (Alien Vs. Predator, Van Helsing) and Egyptian ones (Tito) -- the latter looked like they had just as good production values and storylines as the former. By 7:20, Harry Potter, friend Ron Weasley and hottie-to-be Hermione Grainger filled the screen -- but only until half way since there was a 15-minute intermission in between reels for a snack and bathroom break. Quite a concept there. In the end, the movie didn't let out until about 10 p.m.

Modern Egyptian society goes to the McDonald's next door right after the movie -- well, it was a "family film" -- and so I did as the locals and splurged yet again on American fast food. Man, the taste of those McDonald's french fries... I'm sure King Tut didn't know what he would have been missing if he was still alive, otherwise there would probably be some ancient McDonald's fry box behind a glass case back at the museum. Of course, you wouldn't be allowed to take pictures of it. Not even with a mini cell phone camera.