Egypt

[Toad82]

I was just wondering if anyone from the site had been to Egypt. I am thinking about going there, but would like to know if others who have been there have had fun and if it was worth the money.


RJ :lokai:

[rayosytruenos]

I was just wondering if anyone from the site had been to Egypt. I am thinking about going there, but would like to know if others who have been there have had fun and if it was worth the money.


RJ :lokai: It depends what you are looking for...

I love the ancient Egyptian culture, I mean, pyramids, obelisks, hieroglyphs, pharaohs, Nefertiti, Kleopatra, etc. but you can see a lot of poverty in the streets while there are luxury hotels for tourists.

I haven't been there yet, but some of my friends have.

I'm not sure what you mean by fun... If you mean by fun, sex, keep in mind that it's an Islamic country, and although it's one of the loosest ones, still it can be dangerous. If you mean about sex with men, have a look at what has been going on there:

"Historically, Egypt has been one of the more tolerant Arab countries for men who have sex with men. It’s not that Egyptian society has necessarily accepted the practice, but, for the most part, it conveniently looked the other way. Accordingly, a substantial underground of gay life had emerged, including bars where men would gather on Thursday and Friday nights (Egypt’s weekend) to dance and cruise and drink and meet.

That came to a crashing halt, however, in May, 2001, when the police raided the Queen Boat, a floating disco on the Nile known as a gay hangout. That night, 52 men were jailed and charged with “debauchery,” a term that has become code now for a charge of practicing homosexuality, which is not technically illegal in Egypt.

Since the Queen Boat raid, the government has cracked down even harder on men seeking sex with other men, including entrapping men through Internet raids, tapping phones, and busting private parties. According to Human Rights Watch, which has monitored the situation ever since the Queen Boat crackdown, more than 200 more men have been arrested since the boat raid."

http://www.bimagazine.org/nonfict/pages/feature1.html

"At least eight more men have been arrested in Egypt on suspicion of homosexual behavior, the International Gay & Lesbian Human Rights Commission reported January 21.

"The arrests, following on last year's trial of 52 men for homosexuality, suggest a steadily growing pattern of persecution," IGLHRC said. "

http://gaytoday.badpuppy.com/garchive/world/013102wo.htm

I hope this can help you.

All the best,

ray

[mike9753]

Dear Toad82:

I have been to Egypt numerous times for business and for pleasure - I have been there alone and with my wife. I have enjoyed it each and every time. I got lost with a black and white cab one night. We searched all over Cairo for a specific restaurant where I was to meet friends. But were unsuccessful. The cabbie and I had negotiated a fare before hand and he kept to the negotiated price, even after 4 hours of driving around. He and I got to know each other a bit and he was a delightful guy.

My other adventures in Egypt included a cruise on the Nile from Luxor to Aswan. It was fantastic. Great people, wonderful sites and ruins like the Valley of the Kings and Edfu. Obviously the Pyramids and the Egyptian Museum and the Bazaar. The historical information you pickup from the guides is astounding.

But poverty is all around you and is very sobering. It is an Islamic country as Ray mentioned and it is essential to respect the customs of the host country. Sex between men happens in every country, and perhaps even more in countries where human sexuality is repressed, but the consequences of getting caught can be severe. In many Islamic countries, the punishment can be as severe as death - especially if you are caught by fundamentalists.

A word of caution. Vendors and others will try to sell you anything and everything. Nearly everything is a negotiation. Most things start at 100% more than it is actually worth. If you are not interested in negotiating, say nothing - not even "no thanks". When you say "No Thanks" it is seen as the first part of the negotiation. Better to completely ignore the seller and eventually he will lose interest and go on to the next tourist.

Be advised that many of the most wanted terrorists over the past several years have come from Egypt. There is a terrorist connection. The year before I took my cruise down the Nile, terrorists gunned down German tourists in the Valley of the Kings. When we went to the Valley of the kings, we had plain clothes undercover police in our group, gun toting soldiers all around and over the hills, a large encampment of armed soldiers. Tourism is a vital economic industry to Egypt, so they take extraordinary measures to protect tourists. And on the whole, Egyptians are kind, gregarious, engaging, gentle people. I would certainly return to visit. But be very careful.


Mike

[Toad82]

Thank you Ray and Mike for the info. It will be very helpful.

RJ :lokai:

[wanderingrichard]

try to stay out of cairo , or, more specifically, it's traffic, as much as possible.. it's got probably the worst traffic problems you'll ever see...even rome and athens were pleasures to drive in compared to that!