Egypt

Rod and I at Giza.
Almost exactly two years ago, RZ and I were just two terrified tourists roaming around Cairo. Well...at least one terrified tourist (me). I'm not your typical fearful tourist (In the word's of Brad Womack, "I promise you, " I'm not bragging). I grew up in an airline family with my mom working for the better part of my childhood as a flight attendant and my step-dad as a pilot. I had been to several Latin American and European countries and thought I was pretty savvy about international travel.

I have never been so unsettled in a place--perhaps it was because we were with a large, loud, touristy bunch and clearly stuck out, or maybe it was the aggressive cab drivers mobbing us to get in their taxi. Either way, it was a far cry from a whimsical frolic through Vatican City. Egypt felt very foreign in every sense of the word and volatile. I'm not trying to speak as an Egypt expert, rather a red-headed American tourist who didn't spend a lot of time there, just enough to see the Pyramids, the Cairo Museum with all the ancient Egyptian artifacts, and buy a few beetle rings.RZ and I with Indiana Bob (my step dad)
Fast-forward 2 years:
photo credit
Seeing the political unrest and violence in Egypt is sickening and for some reason, a lot more haunting after having been there. Watching the TV footage of what is going on and reading the cnn articles makes me feel so sad and helpless for these families and individuals suffering. How lucky to have seen the beauty and people of this area when I did, even for only a few days. The attacks on reporters, violence, lack of food and general pandemonium happening in Egypt is so awful.

In the midst of all the violence, there was one story from a few days ago that was inspiring.

I'm so grateful we live in a place where Democracy is paramount. Say what you will about our problems, but in my lifetime, we haven't had to deal with an evil dictatorship, royals, and overall oppression. I have never had to see or experience what these people are experiencing. I was just an American whisked into the country to marvel at the mountain-like Pyramids, touch all the sarcophagus's (because almost nothing at the museum is behind glass) and call it a day. Kind of a sobering realization considering what is going on there...

I hope that a resolution is made quickly and before too many people suffer.