The Step Pyramid of Djoser is an iconic part of the Pyramid Fields, spanning from Giza to Dahshur – but no one’s seen it up close for a while. In 2006, the structure was closed to the public as it was on the verge of total collapse. But in March 2020, it was once again reopened after experts and archeologists executed a meticulous 14-year restoration.

Older Than the Great Pyramid of Giza

Believed to be designed by the ancient Egyptian architect Imhotep, Djoser’s Pyramid is the oldest in Egypt as it was built around 2670-2650 BC. The structure lies in the Saqqara funeral complex, a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1979, and features six stacked stone terraces that measure up to 207 feet tall.

The pyramid was constructed for the burial of the ancient Egyptian pharaoh, Djoser, of the 3rd Dynasty. The pharaoh’s burial chamber and sarcophagus are located approximately 90 feet underground and experts believe that the stacked stones represent the “stairway to heaven” that the king would take.

What Was Done During the Restoration

The monument was severely damaged by an earthquake during the early 1990s – an event that made the deterioration and woeful condition of the pyramid even worse. In 2006, the Egyptian government closed the structure and hired British engineering firm Cintec to execute the restoration. The project was led by Peter James and was briefly paused in 2011 during the 25 January Revolution. Overall, the renovation cost $6.6 million.

Peter and his team didn’t only restore the pyramid walls but also the pharaoh’s burial chamber, which had been closed since the 1930s, and collapsed ceilings, and corridors as well. They installed new lighting and used an innovative system to support the walls while they were being brought back to life.

Egypt has been working hard to restore its rich historical and cultural heritage and the reopening of Djoser’s Pyramid is a great step towards their goal. Make sure to visit it during your next vacation to the land of the Nile as the country has much more to offer than the Giza Plateau.

Oh, not sugar again! So, this is not a correct impression of Americans though these happened in the country. A woman was caught adding sugar to coke! Simply bizarre and unexpected. It was during breakfast when most people prefer low sugar meals.

Meanwhile, even Americans expressed displeasure at this; it’s just an extreme case of addiction to surgery meals. True, Americans love it sweet but it’s not extreme for many. Although there is an example of a family putting coke in the feeding bottle of a toddler; so many weird things around here.

An Irishman notice how religious some parts of America are after spotting several billboards with Jesus boldly written on them. Some contain religious messages.

Admittedly Ireland is religious but to this individual, seems America is up there; all religious and seriously believing in God. In his words: “I thought Ireland was religious, but Americans take it to a whole different level. Jesus’ billboards, people talking about Jesus and God openly all the time, distrust of non-Christians.”

Not what the movies projected and was disappointing to know the truth about ambulance service in America. 100% of Hollywood movies have convinced most European ambulance service is free or at least affordable but some incidents have corrected that notion.

From many experiences, Europeans have witnessed injured individuals who declined to have an ambulance pick them up since it’s too expensive. Cases of pregnant women opting for Uber instead of ambulance because it’s 100 times cheaper further confirms the expensive ambulance services. Shocking but true. How is it over in Europe?

Most Americans are eternally grateful to Walmart but some Europeans still find it odd to have such a multipurpose mall. Sharing their experiences, some Europeans have complained about the huge size of Walmart and the varieties sold there.

A European commented, “Went there to buy a sim card and some groceries. Also found out that I could also buy pet fish, car parts, and shoes. All in one building?!” Yes, all in one building. Although it may be frowned at, this makes it easy to shop all at once.

Not many Europeans check the map to compare the size of Americans to their small countries. If they do, then they won’t be half as surprised. An individual from Europe on a visit to NYC deciding to travel to Cleveland, Ohio by road. Thinking it’s just an interstate journey, the European concluded it wouldn’t be a long journey.

Surprisingly, the journey was twice as traveling through the country they came from. An interstate trip longer than traveling through an entire country is more than shocking. Brings to mind the British family who left Atlanta, GA in the morning and were hoping to get to the Grand Canyon before sunset.

This one practice catches non-Americans unaware and shocked. The problem being the price of goods is tax-exclusive, and making a purchase becomes difficult because the buyer keeps a price in mind only to find out it’s higher.

For a European in America, this unfamiliar method is weird. The simple explanation is, “each state, county, and city has varying tax.” One could go from one point to another one only a few miles away, buy the same item for the same price but different tax amounts.

A hilarious conversation ensued in Boston between an American and a Londoner. While in Boston, an American got to know there were some Britons around. So, the American walked up, and with excitement said “Oh my god, I have a friend in England. She lives in London. Do you know her?”

The Britons were quite stunned. “Hmm, there are 9 million people who live in London and 65 million in the UK. The chance of me knowing one individual is quite remote!” What a hopeless optimism the American had!

“I thought the gap in bathroom stall doors was a myth until I visited the US. Didn’t get privacy for my five-day stay. How do you [go to the bathroom] when someone can look you in the eye?!”

A gobsmacked European shared this after seeing the myth and legend in reality. An excuse for this type of design could be because restrooms are categorized based on gender. Thinking it would be less awkward to have someone of the same gender see another through the space. However, when some persons tend to stare awkwardly, keeping eye contact, then it becomes irritating.

There’s no denying that TV programs are riddled with ads. But what is more troubling is, not the ads, but the content. A common example is the medication adverts.

The smiling and cheerful faces on the screen while the voice-over mentions the scary side effect of the medication is one thing many Europeans cannot seem to wrap their heads around. Sometimes death is cited as a possible side effect; no one should be cheerful whilst listing something that bad.

Some Europeans concluded either Americans do not read or prefer to just ask just about any question to keep a conversation going. An exchange student was asked many questions by American students but two hilarious ones stood out.

One is “can you see the moon in Europe?” Where on god’s green earth is a moon not visible? Weird, inquisitive Americans! The next shocking one is “do you have Pizza in Europe?” What are Americans thinking? That pizza only exists in their region and not anywhere else? An especially funny experience of a European in the United States.

Blame it on lifestyle, genetics, or health problems, America has one of the highest numbers of obesity cases in the world. However, while there are many speculations regarding the use of electric scooters by obese people, some Europeans think it’s a weird sight.

Some obese individuals are handicapped by the condition and use an electric scooter for shopping in malls. Since this is not common practice for Europeans, it’s surprising and makes them give it a second look.

In Europe, soldiers are viewed as common servicemen, with no special attention or extra appreciation from the citizens or government. A German soldier on a semi assignment trip to the United States experienced something extraordinary.

While in uniform on the streets of the US, the soldier received lots of appreciation, admiration, and here’s the topping; he got discounts on goods, got some free goods, and free Starbucks. At a point, he confessed the attention was quite overwhelming but overall a lovely experience.

In the United States, there are unusual things that may are not only be shocking to Europeans but some Americans. For example, in Las Vegas, “The Heart Attack Grill” had something unusual.

The idea is for people to measure on a scale and if they weigh 350lbs, they get to eat free meals. Wait! Free meals for someone that size? “What a horrendous thing to do!” Are they encouraging obesity? Sharing the experience, the individual said it took years to come to terms with what they do.

On a visit to America, a tourist visited a theme park then took a blue-colored drink the unforgettable problem started; the blue waste.

The individual had a blue “number two” just three hours after taking the drink. “No food in Europe has ever contained an ingredient that made my [waste] come out blue”, added to this expression, the individual said after 11 years, the memory seemed to be right there; evergreen! The incident was simply blowing.

On a visit to Los Angeles, a European familiar with the popular game GTA was astonished at the exactness of the actual city and the game.

He always thought the landscape, people, the road width, manner of speech, and light were exaggerated until he visited in person. Driving around the city, he was so wowed. “The sound, the light, the landscape, the frickin RADIO! I thought a big part of it was just exaggeration. Nope! This was actually kind of fun.” — he said.

On a visit to San Francisco, and some Europeans experienced an extraordinary kind gesture while on a road trip. It happened that on a US road trip they decided to stop for a meal in a restaurant. After the meal, the waiter came up and announced their meal has paid for by another customer who left a while ago.

“Who does that. So nice! Totally made my day and honestly the whole vacation.” No doubt the customer must have sensed they were non-Americans on vacation and decided to be anonymously nice.

Common in the US is also the practice of asking, “how are you?” Regarding this type of greeting, a European noticed it’s more of a conventional way of speaking than a genuine question asked out of concern for someone.

When Americans say “how are you?” It doesn’t always mean they are interested in getting the answer. “Everyone asking “how are you” without wanting to know the answer.” A comment from a European asserts that the question doesn’t float around in Europe, it’s asked out of genuine concern.

Ads for prescription medicines are common in the US and this was shocking to an individual from Europe. Do ads get regulated at all? Why would medicines that require a prescription from a professional get advertised on TV?

Well, it can be argued that this helps to build trust in the drug when prescribed. However, the downside to this is many end up dictating to medical professionals what drugs they want since they saw the adverts on television. This certainly may not be common in Europe since the individual seems pretty shocked.

It’s shocking how Americans use air conditioning at an extreme temperature yet they complain of the cold in winter. True, summer can be quite hot, or extremely hot in some cases.

Regardless, the temperature is no validation to use an air conditioner at a temperature that’s similar to that of a refrigerator. A refrigerator is simply too cold for an average person, yet it never seems to bother them. One joked about Americans wearing sweaters right in a freezing room not caused by winter but deliberate use of air conditioning.

The American culture of having it big cuts across so many things. Meal portions, vehicle size, house size, and road size. A European speaking about the sizes of houses complained they are excessively big — “don’t know why you need 6500 square feet of space for a family of four people.

My family of five lived comfortably in a 2500 square foot three-bedroom house.” The same thing goes for cars, they are usually bigger than usual especially in comparison to car sizes in the United Kingdom and most of Europe.

Seeing an old woman of about 90 years working behind the register in a supermarket was the awkwardly-surprising moment for another European. After the age of 60 years, old ones tend to retire or just a little over the age but before reaching the 70 years mark.

It comes as a surprise to see a frail-old woman or man working as it’s common in the US. Many Americans argue over the reason for this, some claim there are financial repercussions for some old folk while some believe some old people work for the fun of it.

The sugar content of food, packed or fresh is heavily criticized by European who have reservations for excessive consumption of sugar. For example, breakfast in some hotels that offer cereals as an option contain at least 20% sugar.

The preference for a sugar-free breakfast is almost not feasible since all the cereals are arguably the same. A Europe on a visit to America experienced this and decided to share the shocking moment — when none of the cereal types is sugar-free.

The Hiker from “down below” had a couple of interesting things to share about America during a road trip holiday. The properly-organized parks with top-notch service were the eye-catching and interesting part that impressed the hiker.

The second thing is the food quantity and price. The portions were exceptionally sufficient yet cheap. Though the initial plan was to cook to save cost, the hiker realized buying a meal was better. Lastly is the water in the toilet which is always full to brim. It was strange but nothing hard to live with.

One shocking thing noticed in America is the popular use of flags almost everywhere. It was a shocking moment seeing the flags in front of residential edifices with owners having no ties to political offices or law enforcement agencies.

A particularly shocking one is a flag stationed in front of a supermarket. Who puts a flag in front of a supermarket? It obvious the practice of flag use is not the same in Europe. Little wonder it was surprising for this individual.

Not quite an amazing sight but certainly an unbelievable sight with the reputation of America and the American people. Driving through the street, a European was dumbfounded by the number of homeless people on the streets.

With so many going on, people trying to catch the bus, and other activities, right there in the background are many homeless people sitting by the roadside. Expressing an opinion on this, someone commented, “estimates range from 300,000 to 500,000 homeless veterans alone. I still can’t wrap my head around that discrepancy today.”

Not many Americans are guilty of this but several are. The Indoor felt colder than the chilly winter for a European who visited America in summer. Since the craving for the warmth of summer is common, this individual wonders why the room temperature in many facilities is as chilly as winter.

For example, some set the room temperature to 18°C while it’s 35°C outside. The temperature outside is indeed hot, regardless, the difference between 35 and 18 degrees is too much for most Europeans.

So, it’s about the taste of meals now. An individual from the UK who’s a regular at McDonald’s complained about the difference in taste. After ordering the usual when in the United States, not only did the meal taste different but the Fanta drink as well.

They said that the drink “tasted like orange syrup.” A response under the post reads, “McDonald’s fries in the UK have 3 ingredients – potato, oil, salt (sometimes a tiny amount of dextrose). McDonald’s fries in the USA have 14 ingredients” — this explains the discrepancy.

This came from a European now living in the States for over 7 years. Since moving to the US, everything has always seemed big and different.

The surprising part is the stark contrast in culture between the States. Going on vacation to another state in America is similar to crossing country borders in Europe. The individual adds that each state with its big land area feels like another country and everything is so different even though it’s the same country.

Telling people to have A good day is foreign to Europeans or perhaps it’s the excessive use of it by Americans. A user aired his opinion regarding why everyone keeps saying “Have a good day.”

While this is not bad or wrong in any form, some feel it’s not necessary since most people who say it are strangers. But hey! It’s America and this is the norm. As common and ordinary as it may sound, it’s a way of being polite and nice to people.

Drinking soda at a restaurant, a European was surprised to have a refill while the content in the cup is far from finished. The waiter had come around to refill the cup to the brim which shocked the foreigner.

Things are way different and until about three cups are gulped there is no stopping. The foreigner had no idea and was shocked when the half-filled cup of Pepsi was taken and brought backfilled. “Thank you, Mr waiter man, your service was fantastic, but one glass of soda was just fine for me.”

Many have said this, and it has been reaffirmed often than not; Americans are polite. For the wherever reason, not so many expected Americans to be polite and friendly.

To the surprise of some Europeans, a large percentage of Americans are polite in their manner of speech and dealings with strangers. In ways beyond imagination, Americans are lovely, they are appreciative, starting friendly conversations with strangers, and give lots of good wishes. Genuinely from the heart or a perfunctory custom, they are altogether friendly.

Skyscrapers bring to mind the misconception about Europe. Some believe there are no skyscrapers in Europe, the buildings are just average height structures. Untrue as it is, the fact stands that there are few tall buildings in Europe.

A report once claimed a particular state in America has as many skyscrapers as the whole of Europe! It’s no wonder that many Europeans are startled due to the overwhelming number of tall buildings, both residential and commercial in America. “Impressive in pictures but overwhelming when literally towering above you in real-life.”

Americans and cars! The number of car owners in America drives Europeans nuts. Why is everyone trying to be the owner of a car? Europeans rave about how they enjoy riding bikes or taking public transport to their destinations.

When they visit and see the enormous number of cars, the scene is inconsistent with their reality. As stunned as Europeans may be, Americans have valid reasons for owning a vehicle. Some complain about the delay of public transportation system but the untold reason probably is their preference for luxury.

Widespread as the touch and go card payment option is in Europe, the same is not applicable in the US. This makes some European in the US go, “why the slow payment option?”

Of course, some fast-food restaurants and grocery stores have the system in place yet it’s not everywhere or almost everywhere. For a European familiar with the Touch and go payment, it feels weird a place as developed as the US hasn’t fully adopted the system.

Warning the public of Cancer-causing or other harmful materials is not done out of concern. A tourist says “In California, had big [shocking] moment when I visited a store and it had a little sign at the entrance and register informing that materials proven to cause cancer being part of the building.

First time I was like, why not just remove it? Reminded me of asbestos or something.” After moving around more, the tourist realized it’s a common practice to avoid lawsuits.

There’s no telling America is synonymous with sugary edibles. What caught the attention of a Norwegian in the US is what all stores seem to have. All the stores visited all sold candy regardless of the goods each store sells.

Well, the Norwegian is not disappointed but counts it as a welcomed surprise, after all, who doesn’t enjoy sweet things, if not everyone a majority of people from various regions surely love tasty treats. So, Americans here’s a fan!

TV ads are excessive and overwhelming according to a European. Almost every European expresses displeasure at the Tv Ads on American stations. It’s difficult to enjoy a program without frequent and repetitive adverts.

Watching an interesting show on TV stations is a no brainer. The business spirit in America is encouraging but it’s getting annoying when it’s excessive. For Europeans, on a visit to the United States, these Ads are making them avoid watching TV programs. Safe to say Americans are have found alternatives to these shows.

On a visit to the states, some German visitors got the surprise of their lives. Their American host raised the idea of cooking at midnight and it seemed impossible to them.

Around 2:30 am, they wanted to make waffles and have pizza with some beers. It felt impossible, “but it’s 2:30 in the morning!” The 24-hour Grocery Store amazed the Germans. Almost as if they’ve never heard of it or experienced it.

Some parts of Europe have 80-99% Caucasians and little of other races. For someone from Poland, it’s pretty much over 90% of natives and other races almost non-existent.

On a visit to America, a Polish was found it new and was wowed to see people from different races everywhere and anywhere. Indians, Africans, Asians, and Native Americans. It was quite an experience. People of all races and different regions of the world are residents of the US. The United States is one of the most diverse countries.

The Quality of House in the United States baffles some Europeans on a visit to some family friends. Some houses are not made of bricks as common in most of the United Kingdom.

A gentle tap on the walls shows it is made of wood or plywood in some cases. Regions prone to natural disasters usually have houses of this type to avoid a fatal accident when houses collapse as a result of heavy storms or floods.

Water refill is relatively similar to soda refill. This incident was a shocker for a European visiting America. In a restaurant, it was surprising to have a frequent and continuous refill of water.

It seemed as if the waiter kept monitoring the water level so it remains on the same level, plus it’s free!

Even Americans would agree with this, they ask any and every question. The questions asked make one wonder if they believe America is the only civilized society in the world.

For many Americans who’ve never seen out the country, it’s usually worse. They ask questions like, “Do you see the moon in Europe?,” “do you have Libraries in Africa?,” and “do you breathe in Asia?”

For someone from parts of Europe like France, Italy, or Germany, to mention a few, the concept of a walkway is not strange compared to some suburbs of the United States.

An individual visiting American friends in the suburbs had a hard time getting to the store on foot to pick up few edibles(planning a surprise meal for the host). According to the user, the police assumed a vehicle breakdown to have been spotted walking on the curb of the highway. Fortunately, the officers offered a drive back home after an explanation.

“Everything made of flour seems to be sugar-saturated in the US even bread!” For Europeans, it’s not quite the same story. In some places in Europe, it’s impossible to find bread and cakes in the same store.

Cakes are usually sweet and also considered a luxury; not a staple like bread. Bread in the US would never be regarded as one in Europe, it will be taxed as a cake due to the high sugar content.

One huge mistake a tourist can make in America is counting the number of flags. Out of patriotism or pride, Americans love to have flags around. At residential buildings, commercial edifices, just name it, flags are everywhere and anywhere.

On a trip, a tourist from Europe decided to count the number of flags. Before giving up, about 400 flags were counted, that’s a lot in just a city. How much more in the entire state. No doubt flags have become part of the American culture.