In 1980, the USAF sold Egypt some F4E fighter jets. The Egyptians had a hard time getting them to fly consistently so we went there on a TDY (Operation Proud Phantom) for 3 months to prove that you could indeed fly the crap out of the old birds. I got to go to the pyramids at Giza and actually climbed the largest one. (the one on the right in the pictures of the three) It was missing the top 50 feet so only 450 feet tall now. It used to be smooth on the outside like the top of the center pyramid still is today. ( Alabaster I believe but was robbed off of them for later construction projects through time) It was amazing how that thing was built. Most of the stones were arm pit high to me (I'm 5'9"). I was 21 years old and in shape and the climb took much energy. Once on top, when you looked back down, it looked straight down, frightening was an understatement. You wondered how in the hell you were going to get down. There are massive holes in the desert around the pyramid that are shaped like they were made for boats. Some think that is how they transported those massive stones to the sight of construction. Climbing the pyramids is of course illegal because people have died falling off so you had to pay a guide who split the money with guards around the pyramid. This added a little extra anxiety for the climb. Afterwards, we were able to go inside the pyramid up walkways to the center where a tomb resides. You would notice small shafts constructed all the way to the exterior skywards. Later, I learned those shafts were built to see certain stars, I think, at the Summer Solstice or something like that. The four sides are perfectly aligned to the North, South, East, and West. Perfectly! It is astounding to me the craftsmanship, not to mention the manpower, to build such a massive structure so precisely nearly 5000 years ago! How? How? Damn, how? There's no doubt in my mind there once was an advanced civilization here on Earth.
