Hi Everyone, So things are getting easier, Im getting used to my surroundings and getting a feel for what is safe and what isnt. The politics are in turmoil and the sinking economy is crushing the country, but as a tourist Im not really affected by these realities. But I hear a lot about it from the people I speak to, and there are very little tourists. Tourism being a very important part of the Egyptian economy, the current lack of tourists is a total disaster. Many people here feel that the Western media is purposely tarnishing Egypts reputation, and the current travel advisory against all non-essential travel to Egypt is more political than anything else. Being here, its hard not to agree. Theres really no reason for the travel advisory to exist at this point. Theres still a few small protests here and there on Fridays (here the weekend is Friday-Saturday), but on that day the curfew starts at 7:00pm so generally we dont go out much on that day. As a tourist, you would really have to go looking for trouble and do something really stupid to get mixed up in these skirmishes. The media really portray the latest change in government as an affront to the ideals of democracy, but actually the Muslim Brotherhood was incredibly unpopular (there were only 2 representatives up for election last time: the right-hand man of Mubarak representing the old regime, and the Muslim Brotherhood). Since the Muslim Brotherhood have been voted in, theyve been incredibly incompetent and have mostly been passing laws to dismantle the democratic process and impose a religious state. They were ousted by the army after days of massive protests, so although people are not necessarily in favor of a military state, they requested the army to step in and end the Muslim Brotherhood government. To me, that sounds like the democratic process at work since the peoples voice has been heard. Of course, it was messy, the Muslim Brotherhood didnt go quietly and they tried to hold on to power. Many good people lost their lives Im sure. But the protests were violent, and they were a threat to security, and its hard to imagine that the interim government would just turn the other cheek. The army has been intensely criticized by the international community, and the Muslim Brotherhood turned into the white doves of democracy, but this is quite far from the impression I get when talking to people in Cairo. The US government is very unpopular, and the street to their embassy has been barricaded for security. People accuse the US government of backing the Muslim Brotherhood (and indeed, they had many economic ties with them) and of conspiring to bring the Muslim Brotherhood to power and keep them there. Its not so far-fetched in my opinion, especially when seeing the incredible media bias on the current situation in Egypt. And lets face it, the US has always been quite meddlesome. So public security is not nearly as bad in Cairo as the media would have us believe, but Im told that Syria, on the other hand, is much worse than what is portrayed in the media. Politics aside, Ive found Egyptians to be incredibly helpful and welcoming, much more than anywhere Ive been in the West. Ive had people go more than 1 hour out of their way to drive me home safely after a night out, even though I easily could have taken a taxi home. People have invited me to their homes and taken care of me. There are many good people here in Cairo! Obviously, there are cultural subtleties that need to be taken into account, and I would still hesitate to venture far on my own at this point. Men have mostly been very respectful in my presence, but the Western women Ive spoken to have had a wide variety of experiences with men. I think a lot of it depends on your disposition. Some women say they are constantly harassed, and others have very little problems with this. So far Ive been quite fortunate with my encounters (knock on wood!). Tonight Im going to a Halloween party, Egyptian-style. So far I havent done all the touristy things like the pyramids and such, Im waiting for another group of tourists to arrive at Yasminas so I can split the cost for a guide. Ill let you know what those are like. Theres so much Id like to say, but Im a bit tired of writing now, so Ill have to tell you more in my next posting. Je vous aime tous beaucoup, beaucoup, beaucoup!!! Mindy xoxo
Posted on: Thu, 31 Oct 2013 12:22:50 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015