As you can tell by the flurry of posts, my 10 days in Egypt have inspired me to write. I’ve had an amazing experience here. My open letter to President Morsi actually earned me a reply from his assistant, who ensures me they are trying and that they appreciate the caring candor of this series on their country. I leave Egypt both exhilarated and exhausted from all that I’ve learned.
I have no plans to write a guidebook or lead tours to Egypt. Others do that far better than we could with our Europe focus. But I’m excited about returning in the next season to produce two, possibly three, episodes for public television. While I set out to scout for two shows, it’ll be very tough to show what I want in two 3,400-word scripts. But making a logical structure for three different shows will be a challenge. Perhaps Ancient Egypt (light on Cairo with Abu Simbel), Cairo (light on ancient sites), and Highlights of the Nile (Alexandria, Cairo, Luxor, and the cruise to Aswan). But a tighter two-show plan–Ancient Egypt and Highlights of the Nile–would be stronger.
Photo by Trish Feaster (for her Egypt blog, see http://thetravelphile.com/).
By the way, I purchased a Sony RX100 camera just before leaving (at $650, it’s about the most expensive of the little pocket cameras). It slides like an armadillo into my pocket when not in use. I generally just shot on automatic but found the shutter-priority mode handy, too. It has incredible light sensitivity (I rarely used a flash and shot a lot at night). And its brain is mind-blowing. I like it a lot. My partner, Trish (a better photographer than me–you can see her art from this trip at The Travelphile, uses one, too.
Photo by Trish Feaster (for her Egypt blog, see http://thetravelphile.com/)
I have to admit, I was pretty pampered on this trip. To both stay safe and get the absolute most value out of my time, I hired Tarek Mousa, who runs Egypt and Beyond Travel (http://egyptandbeyondtravel.com/) to set up this trip. We brainstormed possible itineraries for the 10 days. He met me at the airport in Cairo and had hotels, a car, and local guides working with me each day. I went out a lot on my own and felt comfortable. But from a sheer efficiency point of view, with the language barrier and the complexities of post-revolutionary life in Egypt and real issues of safety, I was glad I worked with Tarek to create what was essentially my own private tour.
Photo by Trish Feaster (for her Egypt blog, see http://thetravelphile.com/).
Now, after getting used to a world where I routinely find tiny pieces of stone in my food and am hob-knobbing with people with foreheads bruised from the intensity of their prayers, I fly to the Holy Land for 10 days split evenly between Israel and the West Bank, Palestinian Territories, or Palestine–depending on your politics. This promises to be an equally stimulating and rewarding travel experience. I hope you’ll stay tuned as I report on what I learn there, here on my blog.
Photo by Trish Feaster (for her Egypt blog, see http://thetravelphile.com/).
I am enjoying all the blogs. But they fall in the category “better you than me over there.” I found it curious that Rick can write “If you travel [to Egypt] thoughtfully, you’ll be charmed by a warm welcome” – “thoughtfully??” Hmmm. Perhaps that should read “If you travel expensively, staying secure and safe with your own private guide at the swankiest hotel in north Africa…..” eh? Clearly, money has been no problem for Rick on this trip. Yes, we can tell Rick has had a wonderful time, and the posts reflect that, but he must admit he was “pretty pampered on this trip.” (and even then, he finds stones in all his food?)
I agree with Judy in a previous post: if you have only one week per year, maybe 2 max, you are not so inclined to risk it on the Middle East at present, with brutal war in Syria still raging and ready to escalate if WMD usage has been confirmed. Remember, Rick, it is a lot longer haul for Americans to get to Egypt than it is for Europeans. And many Americans like myself, happen to fall in the 99% class – not so wealthy.
PS. I’ve been having terrible trouble with those blasted captcha codes. Don’t seem to work with FIrefox at all…..
Have enjoyed the Egypt blog, although it’s not on my revisit list at present. I chose to visit Syria, Lebanon and Jordan, and not Israel when I was last in the Middle East, so will be interested in the rest of your trip. (I was boycotting Israel because of the treatment of the occupied West Bank, not avoiding it because of security concerns.)
the name of ” Tarek Mousa” sounds to me a great combination of two historic and greatest conquers of The Iberica Peninsula in the 711s A C : Tarik and Musa, from the east .; people who give to the west world ,civilization, art, culture, science, literature.
I have to echo what others have said. Egypt is a hard sale for all but the most intrepid American travelers right now. I did both Morocco and Turkey last year (and would go back in a heartbeat), but Egypt would be a bit much. On the train in Fez, I met a couple of Aussies who had just left Cairo and their message was an emphatic, “don’t go there now.” It’s a shame, because the country has so much to offer, but it will have to wait for another time. I have to live vicariously through Rick.
Kathy, ditto on Israel. I’d love to go, but I won’t set foot there until there is a Palestine.
And I’ll never set foot in the Middle East until those countries stop calling for Israel’s destruction. The Jewish people have suffered enough at the hands of the Europeans and the middle easterners. Glory be to Israel! Never surrender!
Agree with David Wilson’s assessment.
I’m an American Jew with many visits to Israel in my passport.
I view a trip to Egypt as a dangerous endeavor and would fear for my personal safety 7/24.
I’ll stick to visiting Israel, which is like a mini-America. I’ll be interested in reading what Rick as to say abut Modern Israel, where he won’t need any translators as almost everyone speaks English.
We’re booked to tour Egypt in Octbober and after reading Rick’s blog and Trish’s as well we feel totally confident that we will be safe and have the experience of a lifetime. With our western perspective can we really understand the complicated issues of a world so different than our own with a history both ancient and recent that is so different than our own. My philosophy echoes an old Beatles’ song-giving away my age. All you need is love. Love endures all things and hopes and heals. That is the way I will approach Egypt and it’s fascinating history culture and people. We are all evolving as individuals and as cultures. All we really need is love not judgement and discrimination. Like Rick said experience the world you travel to leave judgement behind.
Love is great – especially if it comes with a large dollop of common sense.
I too have been to a lot great places in the past decade, and have a lot more to do. But at this time I don’t see the benefit of the Middle East, a bit much with not just Egypt but Syria in the back door. The history in Turkey is a must see. And Greece would be a much better option at this time. These are all great places with great prices too!
If we all stay away then Egypt will not be able to recover and move forward. Look at the dangers in our own country. I am thoughtful when i travel and try to be respectful the someone’s culture. By reading, studying and learning prior to my travels I have found people in other countries very helpful, delightful and enduring. I have never had an unpleasant experience. I will be in Egypt in October and can hardly wait to see the wonderful treasures that await me there. We will not be in the country as long as I would like but I will be there. I am an open minded traveler..thank you Rick Steve’s for a delightful journey outside of Europe.
Thanks for your Egpt blogs and pictures. I’ve been there several times and they reminded me of some of my experiences. For me the best way to enjoy Egypt is to have plenty of time to get over jet lag, and enough money to stay wherever you might like when you need a cultural break. For me Egypt was about taking my time in one place and then moving on to another place. There is a livel music and oriental dance scene in Cairo if you know where to look.
I have several friends who have spent time there in the last 6 months and didn’t have any problems. Possibly because the were staing or visiting with friends who lived there.
Getting to Egypt and appreciating the experience takes time and it is well worth it.
Wow, I’m reading a book on tourism in the 18th and 19th centuries, which led me to look up the historic Shepheard’s Hotel in Cairo (rebuilt after a fire in the 1950s, I discovered). The prices for that, and for the famous Mena House at Giza, now run by the Oberoi group, are so low, I started thinking about revisiting Egypt! I take back everything I said about luxury hotels, at those prices who wouldn’t chose to stay there?
My best memory of Egypt was looking over into the car next to us on the street and seeing a little schoolgirl with her i-pod;…. her i-pod that was identical to mine. Just a reminder that it is a small world when a little Egyptian child and a 63 year old American woman can enjoy the same things.
It’s neither difficult nor expensive to get a good guide in Egypt and any good guide will keep you from getting into trouble. Hotels and Nile cruises are cheap right now, so Egypt is both safe and a bargain. This is the cheapest time to visit Egypt in living memory, and Egypt is at least as safe as DC, Baltimore or Miami.
Yes, political and social problems are here, but better to deal with them openly, as you have done, Rick. My only regret about your trip and your upcoming TV shows, is that, unless I missed something, you seem to have ignored Christian and Jewish Egypt — not only old Cairo (Roman and Coptic and Jewish), but also some of the world’s oldest monasteries — St. Antony the Great near the Red Sea (the world’s first hermit monk) and the three monasteries of Wadi Natrun, for example.