I have been skeptical about Egypt. It was on the 3rd place on my personal “do-not-want-to-go- there” list, just after Paris and Rome. But I happened to go there.
Islam, poverty, the pyramids and coral reef – those are the four things which impressed me most in Egipt.
Muslim religion, as you can expect, has a huge influence on Egyptian culture, greater than western styles. Actually, Muslim and American cultures are poles apart. These are the issues too big to describe here.
Poverty in Egypt is overwhelming. It shapes behaviors of local people, who are ready to do much to get a dolar. Imagine a boy in a rest room waiting for you to finish, then opening the tap so that you can wash your hands, and passing you paper towel. He radiates with hope that you will take out one dollar from your pocket. Motives of such people become much clearer when you understand that the Egyptian law comes heavily on those who earn more than it is allowed*. For example, a bus driver can make 150$ per month.
The Pyramids would not be anything special to me if I was not aware of how long they have been standing there. Similar situation is with hieroglyphs inside those buildings, as they seem to be five not five thousands years old.
Coral-reef is the most beautiful thing I have ever seen. Diving into it was a more enjoyable experience than the helicopter-flight over the Great Canyon. Hundreds of sea-creatures of different shapes and colors, shoals you can dive through, things you have seen on TV before, slightly doubting that they exist. It is impossible to describe, and surely worth seeing.
Of course, Egypt has a lot more “flavours”, such as: dirt, cheaters, desert, sailing, sunny weather, camels… but it must be felt.
* according to our guide
Maciek
You can find the pictures here:
http://magdaimaciek.geoblog.pl/entry?id=34340