Misery in Egypt

We traveled to Egypt in the spring of 2013. We had a wonderful time and learned so much from the people. We hoped to return soon but that possibility seems increasingly remote. Today, August 15, 2013, we received a message from the U.S. Department of State which read (in part)...

"The U.S. Department of State warns U.S. citizens to defer travel to Egypt and U.S. citizens living in Egypt to depart at this time because of the continuing political and social unrest. This Travel Warning supersedes the Travel Warning issued on July 3, 2013." This is the first time we can remember the Department telling our citizens living in Egypt to leave.

The Egyptians are a wonderful, warm people. We mourn the agony they are enduring today...Leo M

Comments

  • Leo M wrote:
    We traveled to Egypt in the spring of 2013. We had a wonderful time and learned so much from the people. We hoped to return soon but that possibility seems increasingly remote. Today, August 15, 2013, we received a message from the U.S. Department of State which read (in part)...

    "The U.S. Department of State warns U.S. citizens to defer travel to Egypt and U.S. citizens living in Egypt to depart at this time because of the continuing political and social unrest. This Travel Warning supersedes the Travel Warning issued on July 3, 2013." This is the first time we can remember the Department telling our citizens living in Egypt to leave.

    The Egyptians are a wonderful, warm people. We mourn the agony they are enduring today...Leo M


    I agree, lovely people, very sad situation.
  • I traveled to Egypt with Tauck in Oct. 2011, it was a wonderful trip and we met so many lovely, warm Egyptians along the way. I see their faces now when I read about the horrors occurring there and wonder how they are coping with being jobless, feeding their families, etc. even trying to stay alive.
  • This is so sad. I've been to Egypt numerous times. It is such a wonderful country with an inspirational history. And they had parlayed that into a vibrant, modern society. (I do realise it wasn't a democratic country, but there are many first world countries that aren't democracies, either!) The people are friendly, usually extremely well-educated and it's just so sad to see what they are suffering through.

    Cross fingers and warm thoughts.

    Jan
  • I am glad to see we are not alone in our feelings for Egypt and the Egyptian people.

    In my last posting I meant to mention something our Guide told us this Spring. She said there would be a real difference between the 2011 uprising that deposed the "tyrant" and the next revolution that would rid the country of the "Brotherhood" that hijacked independence. She said that young Egyptian idealists - who sought democracy - rose up to rid Egypt of its dictator. These idealists were relatively few in number. Most people did not participate in 2011 because most Egyptians had never experienced democracy and did not know how it would impact them.

    "That will not be the case later this year," she said. The next revolution will be a broad coalition of people who are starving because the fundamentalists have ignored the economy. These people cannot find work. They cannot afford to feed their family. They will be starving and without hope. They will see the Brotherhood is not interested in their welfare but only cares about establishing a religious state at the expense of the people and their children.

    She predicted the people would join together and appeal to their military to save them from the fundamentalists. Indeed, it only took two months for her prediction to come true. Twenty two million Egyptian signed a petition asking the military to save them. They did. I'm not a politician or even interested in politics but I fail to see how 50% of a nation's population asking for help constitutes a "Coup".

    Leo M
  • Thank you so much for the insight, Leo. We were booked on the October 7, Egypt/Jordan trip, which, of course, has been cancelled. We have been watching the events unfold for many months, and your posting gives us an insider's perspective. Personally, we have rebooked for the Kenya/Tanzania Safari in October, but we will hold out hope that this situation will not come to a total civil war in Egypt.
  • Hi Joyce W...You are welcome but I wish it was not necessary to write about violence in Egypt at all. We wrote a blog after our return and thought you might be interested. The link appears below. My wife and I hope you will see the wonders of Egypt in person....soon!

    http://blog.travelpod.com/travel-blog/leomcyr/4/tpod.html


    Best regards... Leo M

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