So, as you know, I am heading to Egypt this June with Judy. We bought our tickets and will leave SFO on June 12 and leave Cairo on July 3rd. Given that our trip is about 5 months away, I’ve been reading all kinds of forums, travel books, hotel reviews, itinerary suggestions, etc and I have one major question…
WHAT IS WITH THE WHINING?! About 90% of all posts are individuals complaining about the noise, hagglers, heat, and other accommodations. I seriously read a post about a traveler complaining that his $55 a night room didn’t have a flat screen TV. Another traveler said that the heat is awful–well DUH! You are in the desert in mid-summer, it’s going to be hot! I mean last I checked, 125 degrees is pretty terrible–what were you expecting, a cold front to roll through JUST for you?! I think what is even worse is the noise/haggler complaints. Most posts consist of those. I don’t understand what the big deal is. If you are going to travel to a foreign country with a high poverty as well as a high tourist rate and want to do it on a budget, you are going to encounter hagglers. And yes, in a place that is highly populated, there will be NOISE.
I do understand that I have a different perspective. Being that I stayed in India for three weeks, I feel very prepared for Egypt. Everything I have read doesn’t surprise me or worry me (except the heat. I am a little worried about that, but we will do most of our traveling and site seeing before noon). I guess what bothers me the most, is that so many people have a hard time “roughing it.” I guess 1st class train tickets, taking in-country flights everywhere, staying in $100 a night hotels, and dining at actual restaurants and not local eateries isn’t good enough for most people. When you are going to a foreign country, you need to be able to put yourself aside and be open to experiences–I feel like in most of the items I have read, the individuals aren’t doing that. Fortunately, I am not letting them discourage me at all :) I am still JUST as excited about this trip as I was before I read the complaints.
Only 155 days until my big trip! You ready for me Egypt?!
