EGYPT
On a recent trip to Egypt I had the opportunity to explore many of the famous sites. A trip to the Pyramids is certainly a must-do (how many times does one go to Egypt?!), but such locations, I found, lacked a genuineness about them that left me wanting more. They have been marketed and fabricated to the touring masses and no longer hold the same sense of wonder. Being in Egypt at this time was an eye opening experience as the tourism industry is still recovering from the 2011 riots and gave me much to contemplate in terms of the extent in which a country relies on tourism (see post “Reliance on Tourism“). So while tourist numbers were relatively low, street vendors and service providers were on high alert looking for every opportunity to make a sale, further diminishing the overall experience. However, I also had the opportunity to explore some of the lesser known sites such as Garbage City and many Coptic sites. I found these lesser known sites to be much more fulfilling in terms of gaining unique cultural experiences and insight into the larger Egyptian world.