December 19, 2011
To All of Our Friends at Far Horizons:
Traveling in Egypt at this time of emerging freedom for the Egyptian people was very exciting and insightful. Given all that is in the news, the traveler could be hesitant and wonder if perhaps a trip to Egypt should be put off until a quieter time. To anyone who may be questioning if this is a good time to visit Egypt I would tell them that this is an excellent time for a visit. If I could leave tomorrow to go back and visit again I would!
First, let me address what appears in the news. Pictures are shown of Cairo with crowded streets, and the captions read that the people are taking to the streets. The reality is that Cairo is a very crowded city and the people are always out and about. New York City on a crowded day is spacious by comparison to Cairo. The people of Cairo, and Egypt in general, are absolutely charming. I have never felt more truly welcome by such a large group of people when I have been traveling. Just walking around anywhere we went the Egyptians were very friendly. Please don’t assume that these were people who wanted something from us, these were just passers by who welcomed us to their country.
My husband and I traveled with Far Horizons to Egypt because we had life long desires to see the antiquities of Egypt. We saw these of course, but we came away with so much more than we had expected. We both fell in love with the Egyptian people, their culture, and their outgoing and friendly nature. Egyptians are very welcoming and very proud of their country and all that it has to offer. We are asked all the time about our trip to Egypt and we always start by expressing how much we like the Egyptians, then we proceed to entertain our friends with stories of our adventures!
It saddens me that so many tourists have postponed trips to Egypt because they are under the impression that it is not safe. When we were there in November 2011, it was amazing to be able to just walk up to magnificent artifacts without having to wait because tourism has dropped. We never once felt anything but welcomed and safe in Egypt. The decrease in visitors made our trip exceptional because there were no crowds in popular tourist areas.
It is a rare opportunity to travel in Egypt today when history is taking place and to see why the Egyptians want a democratic form of government so badly. To have the chance to meet these patient people who justly desire a voice in their government and a voice in the future of their country is exciting. Egypt is a country with stark contrasts, with jets flying over pyramids and donkey carts going down streets next to cars.
The people of Egypt are looking for a way to fully become part of the modern world. This is perhaps the best time ever to see Egypt!
What a great trip! Thank you so much!
Alberta & Peter Chulick
Webster Groves, MO
