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Shadowing practice: Egyptian Pyramids - Top 11 Tips for Visiting Giza

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  1. We're just gonna get to the chase.0:00
  2. We have some really bad news.0:01
  3. Music We lost basically all of the footage that we took on our day visiting the pyramids.0:04
  4. Tears were shed.0:16
  5. We're very, very upset for so many reasons.0:17
  6. One, it was just the best day.0:21
  7. We had a great time.0:23
  8. We worked really hard on filming this vlog and we couldn't wait to share it on our channel.0:24
  9. And now we can't.0:29
  10. Spoiler alert!0:31
  11. The agents don't dance on this.0:32
  12. They used to.0:37
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  1. Normally if we lost this much footage we wouldn't be making a video but we figured we couldn't go to Egypt and not visit the pyramids or at least explain0:39
  2. why we did visit the pyramids.0:46
  3. You're just not seeing it.0:47
  4. Music Since we don't have enough footage to make one of our normal vlogs we thought we would make the most of the situation and make a video that's helpful0:50
  5. to other travelers who might want to go to the pyramids.0:58
  6. So in this video we're going to be giving you the top 10.1:01
  7. Oh 11 we actually added an extra.1:04
  8. The top 11 tips for visiting the pyramids of Giza and throughout will sprinkle the little bit of footage that we do have left over.1:06
  9. We have some random clips from our little point and shoot camera and from our Insta stories.1:13
  10. Basically it's Kara's face with some pyramids in the background.1:18
  11. And we have all of our photos.1:21
  12. It's gonna be okay.1:22
  13. Our work week is over.1:24
  14. We finally left the hotel and this is 2 .3 million stones that are over 4 ,000 years old.1:25
  15. No big deal!1:35
  16. Okay tip number one get there as early as possible.1:36
  17. The more we travel the more we try to avoid the big tour groups who are showing up at popular tourist destinations at the same time we are.1:40
  18. We left our hotel at 6 .30 am this morning and our guide Mustafa is taking us around to all the different angles of the pyramids and telling us about1:47
  19. different parts of it.1:55
  20. And it's like he's figured out where all the people go first and we're not going to those places so we've been just walking around all alone at one of1:56
  21. the ancient wonders of the world.2:04
  22. It's just amazing that this place isn't flooded with people.2:05
  23. Trust me nobody likes waking up super early on their vacations.2:09
  24. It was really hard for us to pull ourselves out of bed but as soon as you get there standing in front of this world wonder and you feel like2:12
  25. you have it almost all to yourself it's gonna be totally worth it.2:19
  26. Our first sighting of ancient ridings.2:22
  27. Wow.2:26
  28. Just on this random stone.2:27
  29. In the middle of all these other random stones.2:30
  30. Amazing.2:33
  31. Not only can you avoid the tourists but by getting there early you can also avoid the desert heat because it gets really hot.2:34
  32. If you're wondering where all the people were in all of our videos we found them.2:40
  33. There up here we just came to this spot where it's like a panoramic view of all of the pyramids and everyone is up here.2:45
  34. Tip number two get to Egypt as soon as possible.2:52
  35. Tourism has been down the last few years.2:55
  36. We were there in early May and felt like we had these amazing archaeological sites all to ourselves.2:56
  37. If we hadn't lost all of our footage you would have seen us running around with the cameras multiple times saying oh my gosh why are we the only ones3:03
  38. here.3:08
  39. This is amazing.3:09
  40. And there's no one around.3:10
  41. It's amazing.3:11
  42. We're at a wonder of the world.3:12
  43. While we're in Egypt a lot of people messaged us and asked if we felt safe there and the short answer is yes.3:13
  44. However there are a lot of armed guards walking around especially at the big sites so if you're not used to seeing that it might make you feel a little3:18
  45. uncomfortable but you just have to remember that they're there for your safety.3:24
  46. One of the things that surprised me the most about the pyramids is how massive these stones are.3:28
  47. This one is taller than me.3:33
  48. This is one stone.3:34
  49. They just look like these tiny little bricks in the pictures and even in person from far away but look at these.3:35
  50. Huge.3:41
  51. Tip number three it's spec to be hassled a lot.3:42
  52. When you go there's going to be people trying to sell you everything from camel rides to guidebooks and everything in between.3:44
  53. The sad reality is that because tourism is down right now and there are a lot of people who rely on tourist dollars to make a living the people can3:50
  54. be a little more aggressive.3:57
  55. This is something that could really take away from the experience if you're not prepared for it but just be ready to say a polite no and try to keep3:59
  56. in mind that these people are just trying to make a living and be able to feed their family.4:05
  57. Also if somebody's there and they're offering to take your picture or if you take a picture of somebody's horse or somebody's camel be prepared to give them a small4:08
  58. tip because nothing comes free at the pyramids.4:16
  59. Which leads us to tip number four carry lots of small bills with you.4:18
  60. Egypt especially the pyramids have a very large tipping culture.4:22
  61. There are a lot of signs everywhere that say no cameras no photos no videos but if you have a few dollars you can get away with it.4:26
  62. Tip number five is less of a tip and more of an explanation.4:45
  63. So if you want to go inside of the complex you pay one fee but if you actually want to go inside of the great pyramid then you have to4:49
  64. pay a separate fee which we did.4:55
  65. Inside of the pyramids we are currently climbing a lot of steps.4:59
  66. It's hot.5:04
  67. It's humid.5:05
  68. It smells like other people have been sweating in this tunnel.5:06
  69. And you can't stand up straight.5:11
  70. This is awesome.5:13
  71. So I've learned that the great pyramid is actually the only pyramid that you can go inside all of the rest they actually built the tombs under the pyramids.5:14
  72. Our guide told us they just decided it was too hard to like build an alleyway inside the pyramid so they were like yeah we'll just put them underneath them5:21
  73. now.5:28
  74. Wow there are a lot of steps in here.5:29
  75. I hope these Egyptians knew what they were doing.5:31
  76. This is a very old pyramid that we're calling in right now.5:34
  77. These blocks over our head are over 4 ,000 years old.5:37
  78. We can't collapse in any minute.5:41
  79. Wow it's actually a lot bigger than I thought it here.5:45
  80. Lots of steps.5:49
  81. And this is it.5:50
  82. It's just...5:58
  83. The top of the pyramid is definitely the highlight.5:59
  84. It's just a big square room at the top with like this big stone empty coffin in the middle.6:00
  85. It is an impressive room though.6:07
  86. None of the stone is really open like it has on the outside.6:09
  87. It's really smooth and perfectly cut.6:12
  88. It's massive.6:15
  89. There's also a guy in there who doesn't want you to take pictures unless he takes them and you give him money which is...6:17
  90. ...but there wasn't much footage from there.6:24
  91. And back down we go.6:26
  92. So I'm still trying to decide whether or not it was worth paying the extra fee.6:31
  93. It's definitely more about the journey and just the idea of going inside of the great pyramid than it is about seeing anything spectacular.6:35
  94. And you're going to be super hot and sweaty when you come out.6:43
  95. But at the same time you're having the opportunity to crawl inside of the great pyramid like a once in a lifetime opportunity.6:45
  96. I'm still torn.6:54
  97. Make the decision for yourself.6:55
  98. Tip number six is go with a guide.6:56
  99. We absolutely love exploring places on our own.6:59
  100. But the pyramids is one of those places where it's totally worth the extra money to have somebody take you around.7:02
  101. We booked a day trip with a guy named Mustafa and he was the best for so many reasons.7:08
  102. First of all, you don't get hassled nearly as much from people when you're walking around with the local.7:13
  103. And secondly, he taught us so much.7:18
  104. We learned so many fun facts that we never would have known otherwise.7:21
  105. What was the king who was buried in here?7:24
  106. Ho -Fu.7:26
  107. Okay.7:27
  108. Okay, so here are a few little fun facts that Mustafa has told us.7:29
  109. The great pyramid is where king Ho -Fu is buried.7:34
  110. This was his son and this was his grandson.7:39
  111. And if you took all of the stones from these three pyramids and stacked them up three meters tall, They would go all the way around the country of France.7:42
  112. That's pretty amazing.7:51
  113. Is that right?7:53
  114. Crazy.7:54
  115. Tip number seven is dress in light airy clothes.7:55
  116. It is a Muslim country you're expected to cover up, Which is tricky because it is super hot in the middle of the desert.7:58
  117. I wore a long thin maxi dress with a really thin long sleeve shirt and it was comfortable.8:04
  118. I also recommend wearing sunscreen and a hat because you are in the middle of the desert.8:09
  119. There are only pyramids in zero shade.8:13
  120. Tip number eight, you can actually walk around the complex.8:15
  121. So when you first enter the pyramid complex, You're going to meet a lot of people who want to sell you on a camel ride or a horse ride.8:18
  122. And they're going to tell you that it's far too long to walk between all of the different pyramids.8:24
  123. The truth is it's very walkable, although it might be a little hot in the desert.8:29
  124. We actually had a car there that was supposed to take us between the different pyramids.8:33
  125. And we chose to walk because there's something really cool about walking next to some of the oldest structures in the world.8:37
  126. And you can just like really appreciate how massive they are when you're walking around them.8:43
  127. I always pictured these.8:47
  128. There's a hole.8:49
  129. I always pictured these pyramids being in the middle of the desert, but we actually just drove right up to them.8:49
  130. There's the city.8:54
  131. Right there.8:57
  132. And some camels.8:58
  133. Tip number nine is go with the right expectations.9:00
  134. I always pictured the pyramids being out in the middle of the desert all by themselves.9:03
  135. But the truth is they sit right on the edge of the city of Giza, which is massive.9:07
  136. So you just drive right up to them basically and everybody takes their pictures with the desert in the background and the city behind them.9:13
  137. And what's funny is the Sphinx actually stares at a pizza hut all day long.9:19
  138. Pyramids.9:24
  139. City.9:26
  140. Ancient pyramids.9:29
  141. City.9:31
  142. It's still a very magical experience, but kind of funny if you weren't expecting it.9:32
  143. Tip number 10, be prepared to pay a little extra if you have a professional looking camera.9:35
  144. So we shoot with a gimbal stabilizer, a camera, and then a microphone that sits on top of it.9:40
  145. They wouldn't let us bring the microphone in at all.9:45
  146. And we ended up having to pay extra to bring the gimbal in because they considered that professional equipment.9:47
  147. Tip number 11 is get outside of Giza.9:52
  148. Less than an hour away is Sokara, which has the oldest pyramid in the world.9:55
  149. It's kind of a crumbling mess, but it is so amazing to be able to touch the oldest stone structure in history.10:00
  150. There's also a bunch of tombs that you can go inside with the original paint still on the walls and the carvings.10:08
  151. It blew my mind.10:14
  152. We did the Pyramids of Giza and Sokara with a beautiful lunch in between all in one day with our guy Mustafa, and we could not recommend him enough.10:16
  153. We are going to link his information in the description below.10:24
  154. He does some work with the U .S.10:26
  155. Embassy, so he's super professional.10:27
  156. He speaks great English, and we just had an incredible day with him.10:29
  157. That wraps up our top 10 tips for visiting the Pyramids.10:44
  158. We are still so sad that we lost the footage and we weren't able to share this incredible day with you, but now you just have to go for yourself.10:47
  159. And we hope that when you do, you'll use these tips to make your experience better.10:55
  160. Signing off.11:15
  161. Signing off.11:17
  162. Signing off.11:19
  163. Signing off.11:20
  164. Signing off.11:20
  165. Signing off.11:20
  166. Signing off.11:21
  167. Signing off.11:21
  168. Signing off.11:22

An American Travel Vlog Built for English Speaking Practice

This clip opens with Kara and Nate, an American travel vlogging couple, breaking bad news to camera: they lost almost all the footage from their day at the pyramids of Giza. It runs at 228 words per minute, faster than 84 percent of the catalogue, so this is real english speaking practice for a learner who already manages slower narration and wants to build toward natural conversational speed. The level is B2: the words are everyday and personal, footage, vlog, channel, but the speaker rarely pauses between thoughts, which is exactly the skill B2 is meant to test.

The scene is easy to follow even before you catch every word. An apology, then a decision to turn the loss into something useful, then a switch into a numbered list of eleven tips for visiting the pyramids. That shape, apology then pivot then list, gives you a natural place to break the clip into short lines instead of one long unbroken monologue, and it is a solid clip for american accent training if you want casual, unscripted speech rather than a studio read.

Gonna, Long Sentences and the Colloquial Turns in This Clip

The clip opens with "We're just gonna get to the chase.", and the gonna is spoken exactly as it sounds, run together, not read out as going to. A few lines later the pattern repeats in a comforting tone rather than a rushed one, which is worth comparing by ear.

  • "We're just gonna get to the chase.": the first gonna of the clip, said quickly, listen for how it slides straight into get to the chase with no gap
  • "It's gonna be okay.": the second gonna, spoken slower and lower as reassurance after the bad news, a useful contrast for how to pronounce english words the same way in two different moods
  • "The more we travel the more we try to avoid the big tour groups who are showing up at popular tourist destinations at the same time we are.": one long breath with a the more, the more comparison, good practice for stress on tour groups and destinations
  • "Trust me nobody likes waking up super early on their vacations.": a casual opener, Trust me, followed by a run of ordinary words spoken fast, closer to everyday english than anything scripted

How to Shadow the Opening Eleven Lines of This Vlog

Work the opening in small blocks rather than trying to keep pace with the whole 228 word per minute stretch at once.

  • Shadow this line on its own first: "We're just gonna get to the chase." Repeat it until the gonna reduction stops feeling like two separate words
  • Read lines 2 through 9, the apology block ending at "And now we can't.", as one connected passage, matching the falling tone of bad news rather than reading each sentence flat
  • Isolate "It's gonna be okay." and say it right after the first gonna line, so you hear the same reduction carry two different feelings
  • Take the long sentence about tour groups and destinations, break it at the comma into two shorter chunks, shadow each chunk separately, then join them back into one breath. This is what actually builds the fluency you need to speak english fluently at this speed
  • Finish on "Trust me nobody likes waking up super early on their vacations." and repeat it until the casual rhythm sounds like your own, which is good daily practice for everyday english shadowing practice with a genuine American accent
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