Building the pyramid

It is believed the pyramid was built as a tomb for Fourth dynasty Egyptian pharaoh Khufu and constructed over a 14 to 20 year period concluding around 2560 BC. Khufu's vizier, Hemon, or Hemiunu, is believed by some to be the architect of the Great Pyramid.It is thought that, at construction, the Great Pyramid was 280 Egyptian royal cubits tall, 146.6 meters, (480.97 feet) but with erosion and the loss of its pyramidion, its current height is 138.8 m (455 feet). Each base side was 440 royal cubits, with each royal cubit measuring 0.524 meters. The total mass of the pyramid is estimated at 5.9 million tonnes. The volume, including an internal hillock, is believed to be roughly 2,500,000 cubic meters. Based on these estimates building this in 20 years would involve installing approximately 800 tonnes of stone every day. The first precision measurements of the pyramid were done by Egyptologist Sir Flinders Petrie in 1880–82 and published as The Pyramids and Temples of Gizeh. Almost all reports are based on his measurements. Petrie found the pyramid is oriented 4' west of North and the second pyramid is similarly oriented. Many of the casing stones and interior chamber blocks of the great pyramid were fit together with extremely high precision. Based on measurements taken on the north eastern casing stones, the mean opening of the joints are only 1/50th of an inch wide.
Great Pyramid of Giza from a 19th century stereopticon card photoThe pyramid remained the tallest man-made structure in the world for over 3,800 years, unsurpassed until the 160 meter tall spire of Lincoln Cathedral was completed c. 1300. The accuracy of the pyramid's workmanship is such that the four sides of the base have a mean error of only 58 millimeter in length, and 1 minute in angle from a perfect square. The base is horizontal and flat to within 15 mm. The sides of the square are closely aligned to the four cardinal compass points (within 3 minutes of arc based on true north not magnetic north). The completed design dimensions, as suggested by Petrie's survey and later studies, are estimated to have originally been 280 cubits in height by 440 cubits in length at each of the four sides of its base. These proportions equate to π/2 to an accuracy of better than 0.05% which some Egyptologists consider to have been the result of deliberate design proportion. Verner wrote, "We can conclude that although the ancient Egyptians could not precisely define the value of π, in practise they used it". Petrie, author of ‘The Pyramids and Temples of Gizeh', who was the first accurate surveyor of Giza and the excavator and surveyor of the Pyramid of Meidum, concluded: "but these relations of areas and of circular ratio are so systematic that we should grant that they were in the builders design" Earlier in the chapter he wrote more specifically, that: “We conclude therefore that the approximation of 7 to 22 as the ratio of diameter to circumference was recognised”

The Great Pyramid of Giza

The Great Pyramid of Giza (also called the Khufu's Pyramid, Pyramid of Khufu, and Pyramid of Cheops) is the oldest and largest of the three pyramids in the Giza Necropolis bordering what is now Cairo, Egypt, and is the only remaining member of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. It is believed the pyramid was built as a tomb for Fourth dynasty Egyptian King Khufu (Cheops in Greek) and constructed over a 20 year period concluding around 2560 BC. The Great Pyramid was the tallest man-made structure in the world for over 3,800 years. Originally the Great Pyramid was covered by casing stones that formed a smooth outer surface, and what is seen today is the underlying core structure. Some of the casing stones that once covered the structure can still be seen around the base. There have been varying scientific and alternative theories regarding the Great Pyramid's construction techniques. Most accepted construction theories are based on the idea that it was built by moving huge stones from a quarry and dragging and lifting them into place.
There are three known chambers inside the Great Pyramid. The lowest chamber is cut into the bedrock upon which the pyramid was built and was unfinished. The so-called[1] Queen's Chamber and King's Chamber are higher up within the pyramid structure. The Great Pyramid of Giza is the main part of a complex setting of buildings that included two mortuary temples in honor of Khufu (one close to the pyramid and one near the Nile), three smaller pyramids for Khufu's wives, an even smaller "satellite" pyramid, a raised causeway connecting the two temples, and small mastaba tombs surrounding the pyramid for nobles.

Facilities and Accommodations in Yosemite National Park

The National Park Service has provided a nice selection of facilities within Yosemite Valley and throughout the park. There are several hotels in the valley ranging in price from the luxurious but rather expensive Ahwahnee and the moderately priced Yosemite Lodge to the budget priced cabins and tents at Curry Village. There are also several camping facilities in the valley. Unfortunately, many of the accommodations are completely booked during the busy summer months, so you must make reservations far in advance. It is often easier to find accommodations outside of the valley. Fortunately, the park service provides accommodations and camping in other parts of the park, and a selection of private motels and campgrounds are located near the park. Within Yosemite Valley, the Park Service aslo maintains a museum, a visitor's information center, several restaurants and snack bars, a small convenience store, a gift shop, a riding stable and tour guides. For more information about accommodations in Yosemite check our Yosemite Accommodations and Camping page.
Yosemite Valley is situated at about 4000 feet (1300 meters) with some other parts of the park at much higher elevations. The weather can be quite warm and dry during the summer, but nights may be cool. In the winter, it can be quite cold with frequent snowfalls that sometimes create hazardous driving conditions. Tioga Pass and the higher elevations of the park are normally closed from November through May due to heavy snow accummulation. Spring and Fall are transition periods that alternate between nice weather and wet or snowy conditions. Summer offers the warmest weather but is the busiest tourist season. Spring, with its heavy runoff of snow melt, offers the most spectacular waterfall show. Fall, with its multicolored foliage and usually pleasant weather, is a scenic time to visit, although Winter often produces some beautiful snow covered landscapes. Whatever season you choose to visit Yosemite, it is wise to take a variety of clothing that can be layered to match changing weather conditions.

Yosemite Valley offers incredible beauty

Yosemite National Park is one of the most popular tourist attractions in the USA. This is partly because of its proximity to the population centers of Los Angeles and San Francisco but is mostly due to the incredible natural beauty of Yosemite Valley. The glacially eroded alpine valley is just 8 miles long and less than one mile wide with sheer granite walls rising vertically over 3000 feet (1000 meters) on either side. Nine magnificent waterfalls cascade into the valley. Five of them are over 1000 feet (300 meters) high including the 2425 feet (800 meters) Yosemite Falls. Yosemite Park actually encompasses about 1200 square miles (3000 sq. km) and includes many other natural attractions, but most tourists visit only Yosemite Valley or the Mariposa Grove of Giant Sequoia trees near Wawona at the southern entry.
Due to its immense popularity, Yosemite Valley frequently becomes very crowded in the summer months and on weekends throughout the year. The single loop road that circles the valley floor often becomes choked with traffic on popular summer weekends. The National Park Service provides a free shuttle bus around the loop from various parking areas outside of the valley. They are considering a ban on automobile traffic within the valley; but so far, the shuttle bus is just voluntary. It is possible to visit Yosemite by taking the Amtrak train to Merced and then boarding a bus to Yosemite, but automobile travel is the most convenient method of exploring this vast natural wonder.

In the Canyon

Do not attempt to hike all the way to the bottom of the canyon and back in one day! It is a 20-mile round trip with a 5000-foot descent and a long hot 5000-foot climb back to the rim.

It requires at least two days to hike to the bottom of Grand Canyon and back. On the first day, you should hike down the South Kaibab trail to Phantom Ranch. This trail is steeper than Bright Angel and has no water supply, but does offer some spectacular scenery. It is easier to hike down this trail than climb up it. Take about 4 liters of water per person and some food! If you arrive at Phantom Ranch before 18:00, you can samoy cookout. (Costs $28 per person for grilled steak, $17 for vegetarian, $17 for stew. Always reserve in advance!) At Phantom Ranch, you can camp outdoors with a camping permit, or sleep in the bunkhouse for about $22, but you must have reservations.

Grand Canyon

Approaching from the south, you first drive for hours across desolate high-country range with rolling grassy hills, some isolated trees and an occasional horse or cow. The Ponderosa pines start a few miles south of the park, and you soon find yourself driving through dense forest. A sign reads, "scenic lookout", so you stop and walk a few yards through the bushes. Suddenly, there it is, and it takes your breath away!

The Grand Canyon stretches 12 miles before you to the further rim, and as far as you can see on either side. The land at your feet drops almost straight down for over 3000 feet and then several thousand feet more into the serpentine canyons below. This vast gorge is filled with rocky buttes, sheer limestone cliffs, and deep canyons all arrayed in a rainbow of colors. Words cannot describe it. It is one of the most magnificent sights on earth.

Most visitors only see the canyon from lookout points on the South Rim, but to really experience its natural beauty, you need to descend into it.

You can hike about halfway down and back in one day. Bright Angel trail to Lookout Point is about 12 miles round trip with a 3000-foot descent and a long hard 3000-foot climb back to the rim. The trail is broad and well maintained, but you might have to share it with an occasional mule train. Watch what you step in! It takes about 7-8 hours of hiking at a leisurely pace. Start early in the day and take food and water! The temperature in the canyon may be 20 to 30 degrees hotter than on the rim. Most months, drinking water is available along this trail. Camping facilities and toilets are available at Indian Springs 4.5 miles from the rim.

there is a bird out there for me

When he told me he was leaving I felt like a vase which has just smashed. There were pieces of me all over the tidy, tan tiles. He kept talking, telling me why he was leaving, explaining it was for the best, I could do better, it was his fault and not mine. I had heard it before many times and yet somehow was still not immune; perhaps one did not become immune to such felony.
He left and I tried to get on with my life. I filled the kettle and put it on to boil, I took out my old red mug and filled it with coffee watching as each coffee granule slipped in to the bone china. That was what my life had been like, endless omissions of coffee granules, somehow never managing to make that cup of coffee.
Somehow when the kettle piped its finishing warning I pretended not to hear it. That’s what Mike’s leaving had been like, sudden and with an awful finality. I would rather just wallow in uncertainty than have things finished. I laughed at myself. Imagine getting all philosophical and sentimental about a mug of coffee. I must be getting old.
And yet it was a young woman who stared back at me from the mirror. A young woman full of promise and hope, a young woman with bright eyes and full lips just waiting to take on the world. I never loved Mike anyway. Besides there are more important things. More important than love, I insist to myself firmly. The lid goes back on the coffee just like closure on the whole Mike experience. He doesn’t haunt my dreams as I feared that night. Instead I am flying far across fields and woods, looking down on those below me. Suddenly I fall to the ground and it is only when I wake up that I realize I was shot by a hunter, brought down by the burden of not the bullet but the soul of the man who shot it. I realize later, with some degree of understanding, that Mike was the hunter holding me down and I am the bird that longs to fly. The next night my dream is similar to the previous nights, but without the hunter. I fly free until I meet another bird who flies with me in perfect harmony. I realize with some relief that there is a bird out there for me, there is another person, not necessarily a lover perhaps just a friend, but there is someone out there who is my soul mate. I think about being a broken vase again and realize that I have glued myself back together, what Mike has is merely a little part of my time in earth, a little understanding of my physical being. He has only, a little piece of me.