The Paradoxes of Egypt

Pyramids at Giza

When I’m travelling, I often find it hard to carve out the time to jot out my experiences.  Or, if there is the time, there isn’t always the electricity. And life flows by, quickly.


At some point, over the next couple weeks, I hope to fill in many of the blanks, etching, electronically, something of my memories—but not tonight.

Luxor Temple

Tonight I’d like to summarize Egypt, summarize it by a trio of paradoxes:

Egypt is peaceful, but unsettled. The events and promises of the last couple years have led to widespread disillusionment, economic and political. The present is calm, but the future uncertain. (Duh. Do you think I can get a job as a fortune-cookie writer?)

Egypt is very cheap, but considerably overpriced. Prices are low, but expect to pay two to three times what the locals do and maybe get cheated on the side.


Coptic Cairo

Egypt is a dream come true, but often, sadly, something of a living nightmare. Chilling at the Pyramids, romping though ancient temples, chasing bats in old graves… there is something of the classroom, something of the movies, something completely intangible about it… but the pickpocketing, the constant hectoring, the exorbitant prices sometimes make me forget that I’m on vacation…