P_M

First of all let me make it very clear that I have no fear of traveling to Egypt. I just need your help with convincing others that I'm not walking into a war zone!!

I recently booked my plane ticket and am in the process of booking a tour w/Imaginative Traveller. I am really excited about this trip, so why do I keep getting a gasp and raised eyebrows from friends when I talk about my plans? People ask me, "Aren't you afraid of terrorism?" Well, of course I am, but I think a terrorist attack could happen anywhere, anytime, so am I really any safer in the US than in Egypt? Another warning--Americans are so unpopular right now. Well geez, that's not exactly a late-breaking story. I don't remember a time when we really were popular with everyone. I don't worry about that because I have found that if I treat people kindly, they will judge me for the person I am and not for my nationality. I've traveled to Europe many times in recent years and people there treat me just as well as they ever did, and from what I've read on this board, the same is true in Egypt. But correct me if I'm wrong.

I'm sure many of you have experienced the same, so please give me some advice on how to deal with it. You've now read some of my come-backs to these warnings, but I would love to hear yours too.

galiano

Egypt is a wonderful, fascinating country. The people are genuinely friendly and overall it's probably safer than travelling in the States. In fact,Cairo is known to be one of the safest big cities in the world. We spent 3 weeks in Egypt and never felt any animosity towards us at all.

Ignore all those friends of yours who likely know nothing at all about travelling in Egypt.

JackieSun

We just returned from Egypt a few months ago. We were there just after Arafat's funeral. People were very nice to us.
We were aware security appeared very much for show rather than true security.

We were cautious, but everything was fine. We were alert and did not take safety for granted. We have traveled many place including many places with travel advisories. Our philosophy is be careful, be reasonable, but don't live in fear. Go see the world and have a great time. We are so much richer for the adventures! Enjoy!

gail

We got the same warnings from people - and we traveled before 9/11 (April 2001).

Take a look at who is giving you these warnings. We found they were generally from people who did not travel anywhere, or who rented the same beach house every year. Or from people who are afraid of everything.

We just smiled, thanked them for their concern and changed the subject.

Do not waste your breath giving them statistics, trying to rationalize away their fears - it will not work. And why bother - it is your trip anyway. Have a good trip.

Dottie

I got the same reaction before I left for my trip also. In the town where I work they have had drive by shootings and other gang activty. I asked them how safe they felt around here with that going on? That stopped them for the most part.

AprilA

I just returned from Egypt on Sunday. We were there 10 days, Cairo, Aswan,Luxor, Edfu, Esna. It was wonderful and I never once felt scared. I was traveling with my 12 year old daughter and we were independent and not with a group. Yes there are alot of police and the guns are in very visable view but it was not threatening. If anything you knew nobody would bother a tourist or antiquiy!!

Go to Egypt and have a wonderful trip. Do not let people jade your views or ruin your trip. Take time to meet people and savor every moment. Take in the smells, the sounds, the feel of the desert breeze.

Go where you want, see what you want.

Have a wonderful trip and if I can help in any way, just email me.

April
[email protected]

alice13

I guess if I believed in God, I'd say "God Bless you and keep you safe". But I don't - so it'll have to be:

Good on ya. Have an amazing time. Just a shame you have to handle the ignorant views of ignorant and uninformed people.

sandi

The alternative is to stay in your home and pray a gas leak doesn't blow up your house; that you don't get hit by a truck crossing the road; that someone's road rage doesn't find you as their target - welcome to the real world and you aren't but 2-miles from your residence.

Sensible people know that is not living, rather like sticking your head in the ground and hoping you don't get hit in the butt.

Egypt is wonderful - the people, the smells, the sights, the Nile, Abu Simbel and smiling children.

There will always be someone, somewhere who has only negativety to lay on others - tell them to "get a life"... in the meantime, go and enjoy (live) yours.

sandi

... further, none of us should leave this world with the words "would've, could've, should've" on our lips.

P_M

Thank you all for your replies. In my original post I meant to say, "friends and relatives," but I mistakenly just mentioned friends.

I am going on this trip with my dad and stepmom so obviously they are OK with travel to Egypt. However, we have other family members that are very concerened. The know-it-all friends are one thing, but I hate the fact that some family members will worry about us. My plan is to call and/or e-mail every few days while I'm there to let them know everything is OK. I will also make a copy of this thread and show it to them before leaving. Thank you all so very much.

PS Sandi, I completely agree with your point about should've, could've, and would've.

Thyra

PM, Believe me I know how you feel, we are leaving in September and members of our family are horrified! When we went to Keny in 2002 I had a family member say "well I wouldn't get off the plane without a shot gun in my hand" Talk about ignorance!
Anything can happen anywhere... I think often, and with great sadness of all of those folkes who died on 9/11.. what were they doing? Sitting in their cubicles at their offices.. working on spreadsheets... how risky was that supposed to be?
You've got to live your life 100%.. yes, by all means avoid the coulda, shoulda... Have a wonderful trip!

P_M

Thyra, you and I are on the exact same page about 9/11. I have a sister who hasn't flown since that day, and I have pointed out to her a dozen times that the vast majority of people who died on 9/11 were NOT on airplanes. They were at the office, expecting a day like any other.

Enjoy your trip in September, and I hope you will share your experiences with this board when you return.

MariaL

Returned from Egypt/Jordan trip yesterday. We never had a insecure moment in 3 weeks. (Well, riding in a taxicab in Cairo is a bit hair-raising, but an experience we wouldn't have missed!) Egyptians on the street took the time to welcome us as Americans. School children followed us and wanted to practice their English (with proud parents looking on). As previous posters have said, we felt as safe in Cairo as in any U.S. city. We live in uncertain times, but we refuse to let the fears of others dictate where we will go. We flew to South America on 9/21/01, and you should have heard the yelps of dismay from some of our fearful but well-meaning friends. Thank heavens our children, knowing us, said "Go for it!" and we did.

bobbysue

It's so nice to read your responses. I am by nature a worrier, but I also love to travel and refuse to let my tendency to worry keep me from living life. After reading these posts (I needed some reassurance after the Thursday bombing) I started thinking about the other things that make me worry and realized that my odds of getting hurt on our upcoming Egypt trip are much less than they are of getting hurt on the heavily traveled and under-constant-construction stretch of Interstate I travel every week. I was teaching high school during the time when Columbine and all the other shootings occurred. I didn't worry about that even though we had a good number of students who fit the description of the Columbine shooters. Anytime we go to a mall or festival or any other gathering are we not at risk from some looney throwing a bomb into the crowd? At any rate thank you for giving me some good comebacks when I have lunch this week with a few of those people who go to the same beach cottage every year and can't understand why anything other than a good skin cancer bake in the sun is a trip worth taking.

felicia

I returned from 13 days in Egypt on March 25th and never felt safer. I live in the Los Angeles area and their are shootings and muggings on a daily basis! Go and have the trip of a lifetime.

Mimi

Like Thyra, we are also booked for a trip to Egypt in September. And like P.M., many friends are concerned about our safety.

We live in NY and watched the towers fall on 9/11. I could easily have been in those buildings or in downtown Manhattan that morning. It was a wake-up call for me. That summer, we visited Russia, then Eastern Europe.

The War in Iraq caused us to cancel Egypt last summer, but this year we're going.

Bombs go off in Madrid, hostages are taken in Moscow, nerve gas is released in the subway in Japan, there are tsunamis and earthquakes,and people are run down every day in the US by drunk drivers. I refuse to live my life in fear. Yes, I will take precautions, but seeing Egypt has been a life-long dream and nothing will spoil our anticipation or deter us from taking this trip.

Thyra

Well said Mimi! Not to bum everyone out, but I just had the most profound object lesson on this very topic. About 3 weeks ago, one of my best friends was killed in a car crash driving home from work. He had always wanted to go to Peru and travel to distant lands, but never found the time, or the money. What is that Mark Twain quote: "Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn't do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover".

P_M

Thyra, I am so very sorry for your loss. That is really sad, my condolences to you and all who knew and loved him.

Thanks for your quote from Mark Twain, and thank you all once again for sharing your experiences.

suzanne97

Although I agree with the sentiment you must live life to the fullest, I can also understand that it is hard to have an amazing vacation when your loved ones back home are worried. We were not going to go to Egypt because my parents were "freaked out" about it. I want to live life but not at the expense of their sanity for 2 weeks. Luckily, my dad finally said it was ok and my mom went along with it. I'm sure there are plenty of people who will criticize me for this (I am in my mid-30's) but everyone makes their own decisions for their own reasons. At the end of the day I hope everyone will be supportive of you like my family has been. Regardless, it is a tough choice. The beauty is you have a choice.....God Bless America!

sunshine007

I tend to agree. I don't think I would have gone to Egypt during my parents last years. They were drifting into Alzheimers & would not have been able to handle it. My mother in particular would have worried the entire time I was gone. Sometimes when you love someone you have to postpone your dreams. I'm glad that your parents came around, suzanne 93. Have a wonderful trip!