Walk Like an Egyptian

Egypt. I've spent a few months putting off writing this post, trying to think of a way to write it without giving a negative impression of a very cool trip.

It was by far the most fantastic trip we have been on as a family, but it just didn't knock my socks off. Yes, the sites were amazing - everything you imagined them to be, and then some. The weather was perfect - very mild and no rain. The tour guides were knowledgeable and all the connections were smooth. Overall, it's hard to argue that it was anything but a great trip. Yet at the end of the day Egypt, and in particular Cairo, ended up being one of those places that I'm glad I visited but never want to go back to.

I suppose the bad taste in my mouth came down to a number of things. We went to Jordan first, where we absolutely fell in love with Jordan. The people had a laid back, genuine friendliness that was refreshing. Tourism is only beginning to develop there and in our opinion still had an air of innocence about it. Sure, our driver would stop for bathroom breaks at obvious "tourist stops" with souvenir stores, but absolutely no one pestered us to buy anything. Egypt, on the other hand, was practically overrun by tourists and has been for decades. The beggars, souvenir merchants and "helpful unsolicited guides" were pushy, desperate and in a sense ugly. The open palm was everywhere: anyone who took a picture for you or opened a gate or gave directions...drivers, boat captains, tour guides...all expected and sometimes even demanded substantial tips. It was like going from a quaint, small town atmosphere where you are shown around by your relatives... to a large crowded city where few take the time to ask your name and you are accosted on every corner by panhandlers.


I was also quite disturbed at the way that the Egyptians are managing the their treasures. There was a fair amount of trash around the Great Pyramid site in Cairo, particularly coming in the back way over the dunes on the horses. Flash photography was allowed nearly everywhere we went, inside and out. The Egyptian Museum, despite housing priceless King Tut artifacts and other ancient pieces large and small, was very run down and dirty. It was said that if one slips the guards some cash on the side, they would allow you to touch some of the King Tut stuff! Many of the temples and other structures have been dug out of the sand and opened to the public with no plan in place as to how to preserve the hieroglyphics from the elements. There is an unfathomable amount of tourist money pouring in daily. Not even a portion of it appears to be going back into the maintenance and preservation of these things. And judging from the looks of the homes we saw, the money doesn't appear to be going back to the Egyptian people either.


Finally, I'd have to say that the food situation in Egypt was less than desirable. As I said before, we had just spent five days in Jordan before going to Egypt. While we enjoy Middle Eastern food, it was definitely beginning to all look and taste the same. Not only that, we had been told by many sources that everyone who goes to Egypt gets sick, aside from a few rare cases. And I mean really, really sick. Memorable sick. Wish you were dead sick. Foods to avoid included uncooked vegetables, fruits that could not be peeled, ice, any drinks that were not bottled or canned or boiled, ice cream , street food, and probably more I can't remember. Although we were desperate to eat something other than the "safe for tourist buffets," we were to afraid to. Personally, I was most worried about the kids. Turned out that the boys only ate bananas and bread for eight days, and it was the adults that got sick. Thankfully, we didn't succumb until the very last day and the worst of it came once we were back in Saudi. Nonetheless, the inability to try new and interesting foods in a foreign country was a damper for "foodies" like us.

All of that said, are we glad we went? ABSOLUTELY. It's something that should be on any one's "bucket list." And it's only fair to say that there were things that we very much enjoyed about Egypt, such as the playful waiter on the Nile cruise ship that presented Michael with puzzles/brain teasers at every meal. And the delightful driver of the horse cart in Luxor that told us about his family.

This coming week I'll write a up a couple more posts about some of the specific places in Egypt that we enjoyed. Until then, here is one of our favorite quote from a guide in Cairo:

You have Memphis, TN and Elvis.
We have Memphis, Egypt and Ramses.
No difference: we both have a King.