You say you want a revolution, well you know...we all wanna change the world.

I'd like to take a moment to reflect on the current events in Egypt.

Revolution is at hand. I barely missed it. I'm somewhat relieved, but I'm not necessarily surprised. When we planned for our trip, we acknowledged the possible dangers of traveling to the largely unstable Middle East. We didn't want to waltz blindly into the area's social issues and political unrest, so we kept an eye on current events. Though, to be honest, I was far less concerned with Egypt than I was with Israel.

When I think about Egypt, I envision grand pyramids, the sphinx, the winding Nile and the remnants of an advanced ancient civilization. And while I did see all of those things, what was even more apparent were the vast amounts of poverty and filth. I had never seen a dirtier city. And while the citizens appeared to be generally happy, there was obviously a great neglect for their well-being from the government. Living conditions are absurd. Trash covers the streets as thousands of stray cats and dogs pick through, searching for food. There are no pedestrian laws or stop lights, so maneuvering around the city in a car is difficult at best. Food and water are often contaminated, and the air is heavily polluted. 


As a tourist, I felt like every single person in Egypt was after my money...and they were. They weren't trying to rob me; Cairo has one of the lowest crime rates in the world. But everyone was trying to get as much money out of me as possible. Merchants at the Khan al Khalili Bazaar would shout prices at me that were three times higher than they were with my friend Mohammad, and if someone merely stepped into your picture, they expected to get paid for it. It's easy to scoff and roll your eyes in annoyance, but really, a lot of this behavior comes from necessity. Nearly half of all Egyptians live off of less than two dollars a day, and many of the younger generation are unemployed. 


I don't blame them for wanting change. They've lived under the auspices of "democracy" with an unpopular president who has done little for them for nearly three decades (and controls them with his much-feared police force). They saw their African neighbor, Tunisia, revolting against their president and his government for many of the same reasons they're unhappy: repression, corruption, and police violence. One of these early protests took place while I was there, but it was very small.

There was a lot of doubt about my trip. Many people asked why I wanted to go to such a dangerous place on my vacation. My answer was simply this: The Middle East has been full of turmoil for thousands of years. It's always going to be in turmoil, and I want to go see the Pyramids and the Holy Lands before they disappear forever. There are always travel advisories, and this situation in Egypt has only confirmed my reasoning. The Egypt Museum has been looted. Several Pharaoh's mummies were destroyed and priceless artifacts either damaged or stolen. Hundreds of Egyptians who didn't want their precious heritage taken away formed a human chain around the museum,  but there are things I saw that no one will ever be able to see again. 


Egypt's future is going to determine the future of the Middle East as a whole. They've been instrumental in keeping peace with Israel, and the steps they take next will determine stability in the area. The Middle East may never be the same. Governments may fall, borders may move (again) and more precious pieces of history might be forever lost. I feel a personal connection to what's happening just based on my short visit and a realization that things will be forever altered. I'm glad that I was able to see it when I did.