SIGforum
Would you travel to Egypt this summer?
March 20, 2017, 08:10 PM
oddballWould you travel to Egypt this summer?
quote:
Originally posted by Jeff Yarchin:
Go to Israel.
I can hook you up with an incredible guide and you will have the experience of a lifetime. It is by far the safest place in the middle east.
This.
"I’m not going to read Time Magazine, I’m not going to read Newsweek, I’m not going to read any of these magazines; I mean, because they have too much to lose by printing the truth"- Bob Dylan, 1965
March 20, 2017, 09:05 PM
corsairThere's five places I would refuse to travel unless I'm able to carry a rifle with me at all times:
North Korea
Zimbabwe
Dem Reb of Congo
Somalia
Central African Republic
All have zero government, so you have no idea who's in charge and where to pay your bribe money to or, the government is a totalitarian state.
Egypt gets the headlines but, is far from any of those, in fact, of all the ME/Islamic countries, they're actually stable. They have a functioning economy, understand tourism, have a large Anglo ex-pat population and as far as ME/Islamic countries go, is ethnically diverse. A close friend of mine spent his honeymoon there, cruising the Nile, down to Tanzania to include Zanzibar. With all that said, Cairo is a massive city, with all the urban problem that any other metro area has. Stick to the tourist areas and be the Grey-Man, blend-in where you can and don't attract attention to yourself, the people working the tourist areas are reliant on your business, jihadi assholes only fuck-up their economy. Secure travelers insurance and make sure the plan has repatriation and medical extraction coverage back to your doctor.
March 20, 2017, 09:11 PM
KrazeehorseNo way. Not even a freebie.
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March 20, 2017, 09:14 PM
RightwireSure, I'd go to Egypt.
If I was a SEAL and the rest of the team was on the plane with me.
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There are three types of mistakes; Those you learn from, those you suffer from, and those you don't survive. March 20, 2017, 09:22 PM
ZSMICHAELquote:
I'm a 6'3 blue eyed Lithwok...so I'll never be going.
What is a Lithwok? Google doesn't know.
Oh would go to Israel instead.
March 20, 2017, 09:56 PM
irreverentI'd stay touristy, but I'd go. Check with the Fiance if possible and see what her comfort level is- decide from there.. I've always wanted to see the pyramids.
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March 20, 2017, 10:03 PM
FishOnI always wanted to go to Egypt. Now, I would not be comfortable to go there. I think I would always be looking over my shoulder.
There are so many incredible places to see, and it is hard to enjoy traveling, when one is "on edge". Check out Iceland!
March 21, 2017, 04:53 AM
arabiancowboyI've traveled all over the ME and Africa. Egypt is mostly safe if you're staying in the tourist sections of Cairo, Luxor or Alexandria. Statistically it is unlikely you will be a victim of terrorism. However, I do not think it is an enjoyable experience. Cairo is a dump. People will be incredibly rude and "grabby" to your wife, no matter her age, and nothing will be done about it. It stinks. The water is gross. The food is gross. I will not go back, unless it's the northern border region and I'm working.
If you're able to do North Africa, I recommend Tunisia. Or Morocco. That's if you must go to Africa. If you're just looking for cool places, try Cyprus or Crete. If you must do Africa, do Kenya. I'd take my family there in a heartbeat, it's safe and awesome.
Good luck!
March 21, 2017, 05:06 AM
msfzoeI would value my safety more than my curiosity and pass on visiting Egypt.
March 21, 2017, 05:37 AM
MikeinNCI was going to post the link to the State Dept....someone beat me to it.
I wouldn't go unless I could carry a rifle
One of the side-jobs I had aboard ship was the "force protection officer". I helped the CO make decisions about if/where we were to pull in and what restrictions the crew had while in-country...
Lemme just put it this way, we all know the government does not serve us well and in all it's boondoggling; how many citizens have gotten hurt for the .gov to issue a public statement like there is
RIGHT now in Egypt?
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“A single round of buckshot to the torso almost always results in an immediate change of behavior.” Chris Baker March 21, 2017, 07:15 AM
fauI've been to Somalia (awful, obviously), Kenya (beautiful country and very nice people) and Burundi (incredibly beautiful but I'm not sure how touristy). I'm glad that I got to see a small part of Africa but I'm not sure I'd go back these days. There is no way I'd visit Egypt although it is certainly a fascinating place.
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March 21, 2017, 07:22 AM
parabellumI wouldn't travel to anywhere in the Midlle East, at any time of the year, under any circumstances, ever.
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March 21, 2017, 07:23 AM
sidss1I lived in the Mideast for 2 years when I was 14. Have travelled to Egypt and Jordan, Iran Kuwait and Abu Dhabi, Bahrain. But, given the attitude of most of the people there, I would not travel to any Muslim majority country, even if it was a free trip.
If you think you can, YOU WILL!!!!!
March 21, 2017, 07:30 AM
BigboreshooterAs others have said, I wouldn't go anywhere in the ME, even if the trip was free.
When a strong man, fully armed, guards his own house, his possessions are undisturbed. Luke 11:21
"Every nation in every region now has a decision to make.
Either you are with us, or you are with the terrorists." -- George W. Bush
March 21, 2017, 07:35 AM
46and2No, but only because I'm way too white to go anywhere near the Middle East anytime soon.
March 21, 2017, 07:39 AM
ensigmaticI used to
love air travel, but, now...
quote:
Originally posted by GRIZZLYBEAR:
Since I refuse to fly (I have no fear of flying but refuse to be treated the way they treat paying passengers) ...
This ^^^^^
But, if I were going to fly, anywhere in the Mideast would be about last on my list--with the sole exception of Israel. I'd go to Israel w/o a moment's hesitation--other than the requirement for air travel.
Then again: I'd be unlikely ever to go to anywhere on the African continent, either. So...
Other places I'd be disinclined to go: Anywhere south of the Rio Grand or anywhere in eastern Europe other than Russia.
"America is at that awkward stage. It's too late to work within the system,,,, but too early to shoot the bastards." -- Claire Wolfe
"If we let things terrify us, life will not be worth living." -- Seneca the Younger, Roman Stoic philosopher March 21, 2017, 09:10 AM
VeeperMy sister and brother-in-law go to the Middle East often. He says Israel = OK, but anywhere else should be seen as a no-go zone for now. This is coming from a guy (my BiL) that would probably, literally, bleed for the Arabs that got the shaft in '67.
“The urge to save humanity is almost always only a false-face for the urge to rule it.”—H.L. Mencken March 21, 2017, 10:13 AM
joatmonvI won't go anywhere outside of the US. That includes Canada and Mexico.
I am happy going to places inside the US.
This Saturday I leave for Tampa, Florida to see my Dad for a bit. Then a long drive down to Key West for some fun with some friends that Winter at Knights Key.
I'll skip looking over my shoulder and wondering how safe I am.
I'd rather be hated for who I am than loved for who I'm not.
March 21, 2017, 10:22 AM
BBMWI don't have the fear and loathing of travel a lot of people here seem to, but Egypt at this point should be a no-go for any westerner. It's both too internally unstable and has too many people with anti-western/anti-non-islamic sentiment.
I was Googling for a link to this:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Luxor_massacrebut also randomly found this.
http://www.express.co.uk/news/...e-tourist-attractionMarch 21, 2017, 12:49 PM
Aeteoclesquote:
Originally posted by corsair:
There's five places I would refuse to travel unless I'm able to carry a rifle with me at all times:
North Korea
Zimbabwe
Dem Reb of Congo
Somalia
Central African Republic
All have zero government, so you have no idea who's in charge and where to pay your bribe money to or, the government is a totalitarian state.
Egypt gets the headlines but, is far from any of those, in fact, of all the ME/Islamic countries, they're actually stable. They have a functioning economy, understand tourism, have a large Anglo ex-pat population and as far as ME/Islamic countries go, is ethnically diverse. A close friend of mine spent his honeymoon there, cruising the Nile, down to Tanzania to include Zanzibar. With all that said, Cairo is a massive city, with all the urban problem that any other metro area has. Stick to the tourist areas and be the Grey-Man, blend-in where you can and don't attract attention to yourself, the people working the tourist areas are reliant on your business, jihadi assholes only fuck-up their economy. Secure travelers insurance and make sure the plan has repatriation and medical extraction coverage back to your doctor.
This post is most similar to my current thinking, at least before I started this topic. Thanks for your input!