After the two hour tour of the museum, it was time to go to the ancient cities of Memphis and Sakkara, which are about 10-14 km away from Cairo on the west bank of the Nile. But it happened to be the sacred hour of 2 PM when almost all activity in Egypt ceases, as people do their midday prayers. So we were deposited in a carpet weaving factory to observe carpet weaving techniques. Many a time, these carpet weavers are children from neighboring farms who are apprenticed early on to learn the techniques!!! The Egyptians argue, as do most developing countries, that their families have no alternatives for subsistence, especially due to the meager returns from agriculture and farming. After having got almost convinced to buy an exorbitantly expensive carpet, we slunk away to our next destinations, Sakkara and Memphis, which are the remnants of the oldest period in history known to man (5000 years old).