Monday, February 23, 2009
Is this safe?
I think this, from a single female traveler to Egypt, says it better than I would. Obviously the recent attack in Cairo is very worrying, and I would be lying if I said that I wasn't rethinking this entire adventure. But from everyone I've talked to and everything I've read, and contrary to popular perception, this region is safe for the traveler (that is, statistically as safe as any other region). Cairo, a city of 17 million, has an exceptionally low rate of violent crime (not pickpocketing, of course) that is enviable by any big American/European/Australian city, and is safe at all hours of the day and night (but I won't be wondering around at night, anyway). Cairenes welcome foreigners (including Americans) with open arms and overpriced souvenirs. New York, London, Madrid, and Tokyo (not to mention Mumbai in tourist-friendly India) have all been rocked by terrorist attacks that, without trying to sound cavalier or insensitive, have been significantly more dangerous than anything that has happened in Cairo or Amman. Yet those cities are all considered "safe" (I remember shortly after we left London in June 2007, the police discovered a car bomb filled with nails next to Hyde Park--our hostel was next to Hyde Park!). The risk of danger is real--I'm not denying that--but it is small. Egypt, Jordan, and Israel are not Switzerland, but they're also not Iraq.
Sunday, February 15, 2009
A little on the logistics...
For those who are curious, here's some facts about how I'm planning the trip, and what it should cost.
I'll be gone for just over 6 weeks, from March 14 to May 3. I will be traveling to the UK, Egypt, Jordan, Israel, and Latvia (in the Baltics, near Russia, I'll explain later). The map below shows where I plan to visit.
Travel to the eastern Mediterranean is not that expensive, as hostels can be as low as $5 a night in Egypt and the USD is stronger now against foreign currencies than the last few years. Flights are also extremely reasonable. As I think people will be curious, my flights came out to be:
You can travel freely between Egypt, Israel, and Jordan. As an American, all you need is a valid passport and USD cash to buy visas for Egypt and Jordan at your port of entry. Entry i
nto Israel is visa-free. There are several complications if you plan to leave and re-enter Egypt (the standard visa is single entry), or if you plan to enter Egypt via the Sinai (you can only get a free Sinai pass, so no going to Cairo), but barring that it's pretty straightforward.
The geographic size of this area is surprisingly small, similar to as if you planned to visit all of California (from San Diego to Shasta, with everything in between). Israel barely reaches from San Francisco to Los Angeles. The region is well-connected with buses and ferries, and has been well worn by other travelers. I met several Aussies, Kiwis, and Americans on their way to or from Egypt, Jordan, and Israel (and Syria, Lebanon, the UAE, eastern Turkey, Pakistan, Morocco, even Iran) when I backpacked through Europe. Nothing I am doing is new or original.
I'll be gone for just over 6 weeks, from March 14 to May 3. I will be traveling to the UK, Egypt, Jordan, Israel, and Latvia (in the Baltics, near Russia, I'll explain later). The map below shows where I plan to visit.
Travel to the eastern Mediterranean is not that expensive, as hostels can be as low as $5 a night in Egypt and the USD is stronger now against foreign currencies than the last few years. Flights are also extremely reasonable. As I think people will be curious, my flights came out to be:
- Round-trip from SFO to London, $650
- One-way London to Cairo, $310
- One-way Tel Aviv to London, $260
- Total: $1,220
You can travel freely between Egypt, Israel, and Jordan. As an American, all you need is a valid passport and USD cash to buy visas for Egypt and Jordan at your port of entry. Entry i
nto Israel is visa-free. There are several complications if you plan to leave and re-enter Egypt (the standard visa is single entry), or if you plan to enter Egypt via the Sinai (you can only get a free Sinai pass, so no going to Cairo), but barring that it's pretty straightforward.The geographic size of this area is surprisingly small, similar to as if you planned to visit all of California (from San Diego to Shasta, with everything in between). Israel barely reaches from San Francisco to Los Angeles. The region is well-connected with buses and ferries, and has been well worn by other travelers. I met several Aussies, Kiwis, and Americans on their way to or from Egypt, Jordan, and Israel (and Syria, Lebanon, the UAE, eastern Turkey, Pakistan, Morocco, even Iran) when I backpacked through Europe. Nothing I am doing is new or original.
First Post
So I thought about beginning this blog with a lame quote like, "A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step" (Lao-tzu, Taoist philosopher, 604-531 BC), or, "The world is a book, and those who do not travel read only a page" (Saint Augustine, 354-430 AD), or, "Don't tell me how educated you are, tell me how much you have traveled " (the Prophet Muhammad), but even that's too lame for me.
And for those of you who think this blog will be an outlet for my narcissism, I have two things to say: 1) It wasn't my idea, Matt said I should write one. I honestly thought no one would read my travel blog, but Matt said he would... so that's one person! And 2) You're correct.
And for those of you who think this blog will be an outlet for my narcissism, I have two things to say: 1) It wasn't my idea, Matt said I should write one. I honestly thought no one would read my travel blog, but Matt said he would... so that's one person! And 2) You're correct.
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