The Building of the Pyramids
Despite the fact that many think that a
pyramid was constructed at the pleasure of a
king, they actually served a major role for the
Egyptians and their worship. That role was
that the pyramid was their way of shoring
and demonstrating their dedication to their
religion.
The time in which pyramids were built is
referred to as the Pyramid age. Egyptian
history is divided into several periods
including the Old, Middle and New
Kingdoms. The period in which pyramids
were constructed was the Old Kingdom,
between 2700 and 2200 BC. Pyramids served
as royal tombs and temples, specifically
made for individual kings. These man made
mountains were four- sided.
Construction could not begin right away,
though. The pharaoh plotted and picked out
where he wanted the pyramid to be. Also, he
had to make sure that there was a sufficient
number of workers available at the time to
build his pyramid. If there was, he hired
thousands of men. But, they could not start
right away on the pyramid. There were many
other things that needed to be constructed
too. Before the dead pharaoh was brought
into the pyramid, he had to be mummified,
and a whole temple was dedicated for this
purpose. It was known as the temple valley.
The temple and pyramid needed to be joined
together, to transport bodies and other
various things, so a causeway was
constructed. Priests and nobles needed a
place to worship and praise the gods,
because worship was the reason pyramids
were built. Without worship, pyramids would
be pointless. Therefore, another small
mortuary temple was constructed. The
Queen would have her own small pyramid
built alongside the main pyramid, called the
Queen's Pyramid. Lastly, there was the tomb.
This was the central focus of the pyramid. It
contained the King and all his buried
belongings.
After the outline and plan were approved,
construction started. Since pyramids were
mainly constructed during the flood seasons
of the year, most Egyptian farmers were
more than happy to leave their farms and
work for the King. The workers began
excavating and plotting land, no easy task. It
took time to find the right place to build
most pyramids. It was very important to
make sure that a perfect building point was
found, because then they would have to
start a process that would take at least 15
years. The men were divided into groups.
They were paid in water, food, and clothes.
Stonecutters made huge limestone blocks
and boulders into squares and all other types
of shapes to fit into the pyramid tightly.
Surveyors were workers who oversaw the
whole project and told their bosses what was
needed or what could be improved. Masons
were closely associated with the stone
cutters because they used tools to perfect
the stone. Foremen lead the groups.
Carpenters helped design the interior of the
pyramid.
Mortar Makers helped with interior
construction. To make limestone and rock
transportation and organization easier,
quarries were formed. Workshops and
barracks were also created. Sometimes the
quarries were on the other side of the Nile
River, so boats were used to transport the
rock. They were all made of stone, copper,
and dolderite, with wooden handles.
Some of the tools that were needed were
chisels, mallets, dolderite balls, hammers,
polishing stones, trowels, drills, saws, Adze,
and carpenter chisels.
The architectural outline was rather
complex. To build the pyramid, the workers
devised ingenious designs for efficiency. To
make building easier, the workers built the
pyramid in layers. They made a ramp that
spiraled around the pyramid so rocks could
easily be dragged upward. The ramp was
largely made from earth, so removing it was
easy. The ramp was made steeper and longer
as each layer was completed.
Inside the pyramids, there are large and
unique galleries. Many paths lead to dead
ends and abandoned chambers. Usually the
king is intact in his sarcophagus. Also, there
was a good chance all of the riches and red
granite rocks were stolen.
The inside of the pyramids make them
unique. They have galleries so immense, that
one could get lost in minutes. Unfortunately,
around 1000 BC, every pyramid was looted.
The Great Pyramid does in fact show with
evidence that people have ventured into it.
Napoleon (a French army leader) and his
explorers ventured into the pyramid around
the 1800's. All the limestone is blackened
from the torches they carried.
The Egyptians were perhaps one of the most
religious and dedicated people of the
Ancient World. Their religion and culture was
complex. They worshiped gods and
pharaohs. Pharaohs would become gods, but
not until they were dead. Pharaohs were rich
and very powerful. They could do almost
anything. Egyptians would have done mostly
anything the pharaoh said. Disobeying the
pharaoh was not only disrespectful, but
against their religion. All Egyptians
worshiped the pharaohs. Pharaohs told the
people what was needed or what had to be
done. The pyramids were the people's way
of showing their religious devotion. In some
way, shape or form the average Egyptian
contributed to some type of pyramid
building, whether it was actual construction,
or providing water for the workers. Pharaohs
wanted eternal happiness and pleasure. They
thought the best way to show this was to
build a pyramid.
This was the main reason why pyramids were
constructed. Perhaps, it was the Egyptians
way of showing off, or merely showing how
intelligent they were for their time. Some
even believe grains were stored in them. It is
possible, but highly unlikely. Kings didn't
want to show off, or exploit their
masterpieces. Pyramids were and are
perhaps the most advanced and
unbelievable monuments of the ancient and
current world, and after reviewing the facts,
there is no way one could prove this wrong.
"Time laughs at all things, but Pyramids laugh
at time."

The race is on to take the first tourists in space

Hand in hand with the one you love you gaze at the horizon to watch the earth rise.
Then you decide to do some zero-gravity aerobics, while your partner goes off for
a space walk.
It sounds like science fiction, but companies around the world are working hard to
make this sort of holiday a reality. The idea of space tourism has been around for
nearly forty years now. At first NASA made plans for the ultimate in holiday
destinations, but then private companies became involved in the mid-1980s. The
Challenger shuttle disaster of 1986 postponed their plans, but now space is back as
a future holiday resort.
The Hilton hotel group has produced ambitious and serious plans for hotels on the
moon, as well as orbiting hotels. The plans include beaches, observation decks, and
hundreds of honeymoon suites. The Hilton group thinks that many of their space
tourists will be ‘just married’ couples looking for a totally different holiday
experience. But zero-gravity will be a little uncomfortable. ‘There will be space motion
sickness in the first few days, with headaches and nausea,’ says Japan’s National
Space Development Agency. And if you get to the toilet in time, ‘Liquids simply float
in droplets,’ says George Turner, a hopeful space tour operator.
Hotels will try to prevent these problems by providing areas with the sensation of
gravity. This means going to parts of the hotel that will be spinning. Centrifugal force
will push you against the wall, and give the feeling of some weight. Since it will be
possible to lie down, many people will probably prefer to sleep in these areas. The
alternative will be to strap themselves into a sleeping bag attached to a wall with
velcro.
Sunbathing will be possible, but will require some very strong sunscreen – protection
factor 1000 will do it. ‘The sun can be hundreds of times as strong in space as on the
ground,’ explains Turner.
However the plans all depend on on one thing – cheap space travel. At the
moment the only re-usable rocket is NASA's space shuttle. Even that has to have
all its engines removed and repaired after every flight. The cost of each shuttle
launch is US$1 billion. A space craft that only costs US$2 million per launch is
what the travel industry is looking for. So far that remains a far-off dream, but it
may come a lot closer if someone wins ‘The X-Prize’.
Launched in 1997, the X-Prize offers US$10 million to anyone who can build a re-
usable space craft. All you have to do is launch three people 100 km into space –
twice within three weeks. So far 16 companies are racing to win the prize money.
But the real prize will be the income from space tourism, estimated to be US$12
billion per year. ‘Space tourism will come, I’m sure of it,’ says Turner. ‘Just think
what you'll be able to tell your friends – that you had a holiday that was really out
of this world

THE SHERPAS
Robert Moore

The world's highest living tribe

The Sherpa tribe of Nepal live at a higher altitude than any other people in the world,
often above 4000m. Their home is in the Everest region of the Himalaya mountains.  

Tengboche is one of the most important monasteries in the Khumbu. It is situated in a

dramatic location that offers a spectacular view of Mount Everest and other giant
Himalayan peaks.

The Sherpas' skill as mountaineers has been well known since 1953. It was in this
year that Sherpa Tenzing Norgay went with Edmund Hillary of New Zealand to the
summit of Everest.
They were the first people in the world to climb the
mountain, known as Sargamatha to the Sherpas,
which is the highest in the world.
In the summer months farmers take their cattle, called yaks, to graze at heights of
around 5000m. The melted spring snows reveal lush grass here. In the winter the
farmers and their yaks retreat, as the snow advances, to lower altitudes. Although
Dhal Bhaat - lentil rice - is the traditional Nepalese dish, rice grows poorly at high
altitude so potatoes are the main crop. Sherpas also enjoy the strongly alcoholic
drinks Chang and Raksi.

Tourists who wish to brave the three week trek into the region can only do so during
spring and autumn. The rest of the year the trekking paths are closed. In summer
monsoon rains flood the paths. In winter snow makes them impassable.

Before 1965, trekking was the only way to reach the Sherpas. Since then an airstrip
at Lukla has provided an important gateway to the region. Tiny aircraft fly perilously
close to the spectacular mountain scenery, giving passengers a frightening start to
their visit.

Although some Sherpas have moved to the Nepalese capital Kathmandu, those that
have stayed are now wealthy in a poor area of the world. Some have bought tea
houses to provide cheap accommodation and refreshment for grateful trekkers. But
despite the many tourists and their more modern comfortable lifestyle, the Sherpas
retain a great sense of identity and tradition. They are a hospitable and loyal people
in one of the wildest and most inhospitable places on earth