This time next week, I'll be on a plane to Egypt

My mother had planned a trip with two friends and a tour company well before the revolution. Egypt's future is still uncertain but the State Department has pulled back its travel warnings and the upcoming battles should be organizing and ballot box focused rather than taking place between protestors and police.

I'm quite excited to be going. I lack the words to express the admiration I feel for what the youth of Egypt have already accomplished by nonviolent means. The trip will be focused on Egypt's ancient history, starting in Cairo, going to Luxor, and then traveling down the Nile. It isn't oriented towards current politics and the State Department advises staying away from demonstrations, but during my guided travels and despite my lack of Arabic skills allows I hope to listen and observe and enhance my meager understanding. My regional interest is East Asia and that's not likely to change, but I've long studied attempts at democratization without ever coming much closer than East Germany a decade later.

Thus if any readers have any advice for my travels, please leave them in comments or send an email (gsanders at zort.net). I'll similarly take postcard requests for those so inclined.