Blog Like an Egyptian

Yes, that’s the itinerary for the trip.  I’ll post more about it in the future.  But for now, I wanted to address safety and that little blue circle in the upper right quadrant of the above map.

The first reaction I hear when I tell people I’m going to Egypt is always, “Cool!”  The second reaction is always, “Don’t die!”  I’ll try my best.  Something tells me I’ll be okay.  Here’s why.

See that blue circle in the above map?  It’s centered on the Sinai Peninsula; the region’s economy is almost entirely driven by tourism.  There are a ton of resorts on the Sinai Peninsula, and the corral reefs are, from what I’ve read, pretty stellar.

That’s also where most of the terrorist attacks happen in Egypt, according to the U.S. Government.  There have been three bombings since 2004 on the Sinai Peninsula.  They don’t appeared to be targeted at Americans, specifically, but Americans been killed. If we were going there, I might think twice about safety.  But we’re not, so I’m not.

But Cairo, where the group tour begins and ends, isn’t without problems.  According to the site linked above:

In addition to the Sinai attacks, there were three terror attacks on crowded tourist destinations in Cairo in April 2005.  In one, a lone suicide bomber killed three foreigners, including an American, at Cairo’s Khan el-Khalili Market.  Three Americans were seriously injured in this incident.

Lest anyone worries, look at the date: April 2005.  Knowing that, and looking at the tour itinerary above, I think we’re pretty safe.  The first 13-15 days are part of a guided tour, so I imagine they know what’s up and will keep us safe.