Return Flight and Reflections

The return journey started with its own unique set of challenges. We were initially booked on Qatar Airways, but then had to rebook when all flights between Qatar and several Middle Eastern countries, including Egypt, were suspended due to political reasons. We rebooked on British Airways. Then, 3 days before our return flight, we found out that there are some changes in the baggage policies, similar to those of the US for Middle Eastern countries. As a result, we had to leave our powerpack and reusable batteries in Cairo; not even checked baggage was an acceptable location. Frustrating since we had no head notice, but understandable if that's deemed necessary for security reasons.

Also, the 20 hour journey gave us plenty of catch up on blog posts! Unfortunately hygge is hard to maintain when returning to LAX, given the massive delays and congestion. But alas, it was great being on the road for 17 days!

Reflections:

The Egyptian history is some of the richest in the world, and much of it is incredibly well preserved despite being more than 2500 years old. Still, Westerners were few and far between, likely due to the perception of instability since the 2011 revolution. Don't get this wrong, we don't want the place to be overrun with Western tourists, but it's unfortunate for a country dependent on tourism to leave airports deserted and craftsmen without demand for their products. Especially with the immense history of people that are likely all our ancestors. We plan to return to Egypt to see the Valley of the Kings in Luxor in the future.

Many people asked us about safety concerns before leaving for this trip, but never once were we worried while in Egypt. All public spaces and hotels had security and metal detectors, and there was a noticeable police presence on the roads. Accidents or attacks can happen anywhere, but we're not going to let that stop us from traveling (within reason).

The Red Sea diving is quite good and very affordable. We'd recommend it for someone interested in a liveaboard trip somewhere new, and to combine it with some fascinating history.

What's next? That's still in the works, but there's one (inhabited) continent we haven't checked out yet.Read more