Why travel as a political act?

Traveling as a political act, according to Rick Steves, is essential to better understand the world we live in.  Doing this kills prejudice, narrow-mindedness, and allows people to see the world for themselves rather than simply believing generalizations from other people about a place. Egypt made for a great example of this, because the first thing that came to my mind were the pyramids.  Upon research and traveling to Egypt, I learned that there was much more to this country than the pyramids.  I learned about their culture, the people, and what is was like geographically.

The plane ride home was when it really hit me of how glad I was to have visited Egypt.  I was thankful that technology allowed me to travel to Egypt quickly and safely.  I also appreciated what the technology in Egypt had allowed for me while there, I could visit wherever I wanted, and continue to expand my knowledge of the country.  Upon touching down at Sea-Tac airport, I missed Egypt already.  I missed the sounds of a language I didn't know, and the feel of a whole new country.  If I could have gone back, I would have right then and there.

How did Egypt become what it is?

History and geography have played major parts in the development of Egypt. Being surrounded by water, Egypt is a valuable resource for trade.

The Nile river, and train routes along the Nile provide easy access for movement and trade.  The official language in Egypt is Arabic, and the most common religion is Muslim (90%).  These are mainly because of the location of the country, being in the middle east.  The current government is the way it is, because some recent conflict starting back in 2003.  The "Egyptian movement for change" was in place to change many aspects of the Egyptian government, including police brutality, low wages, high food prices, and political censorship.  The Egyptian revolution of 2011 occurred,  resulting in many different governmental changes including the overthrow of the Mubarak Government.

This news article addresses many possible problems about the future of Egypt's economy, and also discusses some results of the revolution in 2011 : 

http://www.project-syndicate.org/commentary/egypt-economic-indicators-reforms-by-merit-al-sayed-et-al-2014-10

Understanding the current state of Egypt's government is a good idea when considering a visit.  

What to do in Egypt

When I was in Egypt, I noticed that there were plenty of things to do, such as visit historical sites like the pyramids of Giza, which represents the roots (olive tree) of Egypt.  The pyramids represent something unique and interesting about the country, which is why they are so well known around the world.  Visiting the pyramids in Giza falls first on my list when talking about my favorite things to do in Egypt.

My list of things to do in both Cairo and the country as a whole includes:
1. Visit the pyramids of Giza
2. Visit the Luxor Museum to better understand the history of Egypt
3. Take a river cruise down the Nile

4. Visit Corniche Beach
5. Visit Elephantile Island, in the middle of the Nile River (as seen below)


By far, the thing I would most recommend doing during your trip to Egypt is to visit the pyramids.  Here is a short video which describes many things you might not have known about these pyramids.

http://www.history.com/topics/ancient-history/the-egyptian-pyramids

What is it like?

There are many different aspects of Egypt that amazed me while I was there, whether it was the people, the cities, the buildings, the activities, or the location.  One thing I noticed about the people in Egypt was the positive vibe.  The people were welcoming, humorous, and generally did not mind where you were from or what you believed in.  The feel was very positive, and I never felt uptight or uncomfortable asking for advice, or asking about their culture.  Right when I first stepped foot in the Cairo Airport, I was welcomed by Egyptians who were also on my flight and returning home.  They asked what I was planning on doing while in Egypt, and upon telling them that I was there purely to get a better understanding of their country, they were ecstatic. The man told me he wished more people would do what I did in Egypt.  The man explained how he had visited 13 different countries, and there was nothing like Egypt.  He recommended a few restaurants, all of which I went to while in Egypt.  The man left me with a great welcoming to the country, and made me eager to interact with others during my three-week stay.  Upon exiting the terminal, my first impression of what I saw was that the airport was very well-kept.  On my way to the subway, I took note that it smelled in Cairo as it does in any other big city- like car exhaust and concrete.  It felt like something I was used to- but not.  I liked how new it felt, but I was not overwhelmed with the fact that I was almost 7,000 miles away from home.



I tried some traditional Egyptian cuisine, my favorite being Koshari. All of the food I tried had the perfect balance between spice and sweetness, and nothing was too unique.  The types included stuff I had tasted before, but they were combined in a way that was very unique with new spices and toppings added on.  For example, Koshari consisted of rice, noodles, beans, and some vegetables, but the combination and quantity of each made it unique and savory.  This is how most of the food was- stuff I was used to, with a twist that made me appreciate the Egyptian culture.
These are a few more reasons that you should visit Egypt sometime soon, flights start at only about $1000.

Economy

Before I went to Egypt, I made sure to research their economy so I could get an understanding of how they make their money. I learned that Egypt's exports primarily consist of crude oil and petroleum.  They export about $24 billion worth of goods per year, which also includes cotton, metal products, chemicals and agricultural goods.  

 

As seen in this chart, the exports continued to increase every year between 2003 and 2009.  

The top 4 countries that Egypt exports goods to (in order) are Italy, India, United States, and Saudi Arabia. Another major way that Egypt makes money is from tourism, so they do a great job especially with transportation (taxi, bus, subway).  After landing in Egypt, I took a subway from the airport into the city, which showed me really how easy getting around was.  I learned that the main railway runs along the Nile River, where most of the civilization started.  This showed me how the geography has impacted Egypt over time, because settling along the Nile River eventually led to the main subway and railway stations being based along the Nile.

This map shows the impact that colonization along the Nile River has had on the future of the country.  This shows how the olive tree evolved into the lexus: and went from colonization to railroads.

Knowing some background about a country is always essential to traveling as a political act, which is why I was glad about doing so before visiting this beautiful country.  I was glad I took the time to learn about how Egypt makes their money, and how the country developed over time the way it did.