I often get asked what I think about people visiting Egypt now a days considering that it is going through major political changes. My answer is always the same, when you want to visit a country, you visit it to see how the people live in a culture that isn’t yours. With this in mind, I always say why would you go when it is all pretty and calm?
Growing up in Egypt was never a walk in the park, in fact, it was pretty adventurous. For instance, crossing the streets requires a lot of practice, some might call it a dangerous sport, others would label it as a suicide attempt. However, all that is tolerable, what never made sense is the dangerous talks. From a young age, we were all raised to not speak up about politics, we couldn’t say our true opinions, at least not in public. Put corrupted elections on top of that, and you’ve got yourself a prison right in your own home.
At a very young age I could tell you life was wonderful, protected by pops, and taken care of by mother, life couldn’t be any better. Fortunately enough I had an air conditioner, so I had no reason to complain. Then came a time when I was old enough to sail on my own, and that’s when I saw what the streets of Egypt are really like. Streets ran by the police, you had no other choice but to watch your back, because if you didn’t have any connections, you were on your own, and with a corrupted Judicial system, you never got to court. Think of jail as kidnaping, where you are taken by the police, put in a jail cell, and no paper work are filed. Meaning you could be in there for as long as they want, except if you get forgotten of course, in that case, well, you wouldn’t be here reading this.
One thing I figured as I made my way through trouble is that the police allowed certain corruption on the streets. They used the corruption that we created to cover for the corruption they were creating. Money was your pass, connections were even better than money, and street smarts had a whole different meaning. I could’t be more proud to be an Egyptian, a guy with ancestors that need no introduction, streets that showed me the difference between real danger and intimidations, but I always wanted a fair country.
After years of corruption added upon corruption, we finally spoke. As citizens we made it all happen. The thought of the people being ore powerful than the system had never crossed the mind of any Egyptian. Action spoke a lot better than words, and we brought justice. To see a transition like that in my lifetime, and being a part of both sides was a true mind blow. So if you ask me when is a good time to visit Egypt I would tell you the second you buy your plane ticket. Be a part of history, experience a change in a country that lead the world, hit rock bottom, and got up like nothing has ever happened in the course of decades and decades.
Same goes with any country, if you want to experience a different culture, you better surprise it and surprise yourself, buy your ticket and go, see the rawness of the countries. There is no point of seeing the Eiffel tower stands high in pretty in pictures not knowing what goes on right by its feet. If you want to see the pyramids, you will have to go through the streets to get to it, and don’t worry, the Egyptians will take good care of you. The real protection will come from the people not the system.
Written by: Bassem Girgis
Website: Nrod.us
Bassem Girgis 