Lately I have been hearing a lot about anti-Mubarak sentiment in Egypt which has inspired many protests, and also violence. I understand the elections are being held in September, and I was wondering if it would be safe to come to Egypt during the last weeks of August? I would be flying to Cairo and then taking the train to Alexandria, where I would most likely stay. I would appreciate anyone's comments or opinions on this.

Also...is it easy to get lost in Egypt, even with a map in hand?

And...lastly (I promise), are female tourists often dangerously harassed in Egypt? For example, would it be possible for a group of Egyptian men to corner me? What I have read here has been very reassuring, but I just wanted to make sure considering I'm a young woman with little international traveling experience.

Again, thanks. :-)

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Originally posted by Dulcibella:
Hello all!

Lately I have been hearing a lot about anti-Mubarak sentiment in Egypt which has inspired many protests, and also violence. I understand the elections are being held in September, and I was wondering if it would be safe to come to Egypt during the last weeks of August? I would be flying to Cairo and then taking the train to Alexandria, where I would most likely stay. I would appreciate anyone's comments or opinions on this.

Also...is it easy to get lost in Egypt, even with a map in hand?

And...lastly (I promise), are female tourists often dangerously harassed in Egypt? For example, would it be possible for a group of Egyptian men to corner me? What I have read here has been very reassuring, but I just wanted to make sure considering I'm a young woman with little international traveling experience.

Again, thanks. :-)

[This message has been edited by Dulcibella (edited 07 July 2005).]

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Unless you want to come here and protest about Mubarak and his government, you will be as safe, if not safer here than in many places in the world. Egypt actually employs special tourist police to look after the needs of foreigners.

If you can’t speak Arabic, and you are going into rural areas, yes, it’s very easy to get lost; otherwise it depends on how good you are following directions and how good the directions are. There are actually maps of Cairo, but maybe not of rural areas.

It came from the enormous quantity of sheep by tradition slaughtered for the muslim holiday of Eid al-Adha, which follows the annual Hajj or pilgrimage. (About like muslim Christmas?)

Actually, I made up the story here I did not arrive in Cairo but in Sharm and the "blood flowing on streets" I read from an internet diary of a male traveller who may have also exaggerated a bit, for the sake of excitement, of course. But I was concerned when i had learned about the holiday and the story behind it, how you were supposed to sacrifice your life to your god etc.. maybe there will be modern followers of islam who'll think NOW! is a good time to go to heaven and take along some non-believers (hey, you need some service people up there, too!). Anyway, I arrived in the middle of a most enjoyable family holiday, hotels were full of beautiful families and small happy children.

But maybe more important is that you stay away from any of the pro-US/pro-interference European capitals where there have been no explosions yet.

About harrassment... if you are not a female from US, in which case cat hissing equals with gross kind of sexual abuse, for you, then the harrassment in Egypt is probably completely upside down in the sense that you might be harrassed by women, but the sole aim of men seems to be to be your guardian angel or in any other way earn a smile or wave from you (so don't be stingy, please, you'll make their day!). And the older and more serious kind of men are simply the fatherly kind of protective and much more caring for your wellbeing than in any western country. Although I was with my boyfriend of course but in many cases i felt that it would have been so much easier for me alone, since I am of course a hard boilt North European gal, so I don't take any fussing around. (How you respect yourself and your self-assurance are very important for how you'll be treated, it is a bit about who'll dominate whom, in case of less ethical people like taxi drivers, people in hotels etc.) While being a crossover couple always rises questions and emotions - in any culture, PLUS, you are supposed to be kind of feeble and more of a sweet soft woman if have a man beside you but the same fact then also makes you a lot more woundable, "softer".

Just maybe stay away from the new high-rise areas that are packed with young people on streets who have nothing to do and where the sense of community and home has not yet developed (and maybe never will) - the modern Brooklyn kind of areas?? These new areas which lack all charm, character (and yes, you'll get lost because they all look the same) and where people move in then move out emotionlessly, these really seem to kill all unity between people and all morals, in any country, they lose the sense of shame and the 13-somethings are always the age group with dubious "experimenting" morals. urban ethics is different, it's about self-survival, not helping others.

The old parts of town (where also mostly older people are to be seen sitting around) are much bvetter because there you have the "neighbour watch" working for you :o)

About getting lost... my boyfriend was able to get lost nearly every time he returned from buying sandwiches or anything, but never me :o). So it probably depends whether you are a person who tends to get lost a lot and anywhere. But there are always plenty of taxies around, indeed, I never saw a standing taxi in Egypt and I've never seen a place where it is so easy and quick to get one on the street, so in the worst case just stop one and tell them where you need to go. Even a grossly overcharging taxi in Egypt is still a pretty cheap taxi. Esp in Alexandria you only have 2 kinds of fares: 4 pound for short rides (5-10 minutes) 10 pound for longer rides (10-20 minutes). Anmd tramways are agood indicator because there is one sure way about them - they are always built to pass some kind of centrsal places, no one builds traways from nowhere to nowhere. And they are cheap and the view is great and the speed is not high so - sit and indulge. (Again - don't forget to wave to nice smiling people :o)

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Originally posted by sadik12:
nevermind, can you clarify for me what exactly is meant by men who cat hiss at women.

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I really have no idea, but when I call my cat (or any cat since I have none) I'm usually drawn by very strong positive emotions towards said cat, about like grabbing it and hugging with all my might and maybe even placing a few kisses on its... moustache?
:o)

In general, I rarely wish to give negative meaning to people's reactions because I don't see so many negative people around. I see considerable amounts of fools of course but you can forgive a fool, can't you? And even they can be sympathetic, well-meaning fools.

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Originally posted by sadik12:
Another ambiguous answer about the hissing thing. But, then again, fools trying to kiss and hug a female stranger still sounds like harrassment to me....meow.

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Originally posted by sadik12:
Another ambiguous answer about the hissing thing. But, then again, fools trying to kiss and hug a female stranger still sounds like harrassment to me....meow.

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