I had done a post back in 2017 on life in Egypt before I really knew what this blog would be. I’m not sure I know even now, but it is more than the 2017 vision to be sure, I’m inspired by a good friend who makes amazing photographs, is passionate about photography and who teaches me something new every time photographs are shared. It’s made me want to re-visit some of these old posts and make them the best they can be.

The original post grouped photographs on life in Egypt with photographs on transportation and electricity. For this 2020 re-visit I’m going to split the original into 2 posts, life and transportation with a little commentary and reflection that 10 years of brings to a trip like this.

I spent 6 weeks in Egypt and Jordan at the end of 2010 and to be honest didn’t have a lot of focus on anything in particular. What's unique about the time I was in Egypt is that it was right at the end of the time that Hosni Mubarak was President, in fact, I was in Cairo on November 28th, the date of the last election before the Egyptian Revolution in early 2011.

I went to all the most famous spots, I have photographs of all of that, but so does everybody else who has ever gone to Egypt. I don’t think that shows what life is really like there, at least then, it’s changed some with the revolution I expect, maybe not.

Before 2017 I really hadn’t looked at any of the photographs since 2011, my favorites in 2017 and even now were not my favorites in early 2011. What I found in 2017 and recently confirmed, in my mind anyways, is a set of photographs that shows real life away from the tourist spots.

The poverty is real, so are the people, Egyptians are some of the most accepting and genuine people I have ever met. My Egyptian friends in Canada confirm that thought every time I see them.

I’m working on a re-visit of the transportation situation in Egypt that I’ll post next, and a little farther out I’ll do a post on my time in Jordan, another amazing segment of the same trip.

Enjoy!
Dean