After the Revolution

By Pam O’Connor

To say going to Egypt was a lifelong dream would be an understatement.  I have always been drawn to this ancient civilization and its connection to the roots of humanity.   I have pictured myself among her ancient monuments more times than I can count.  Finally plans were concrete. I was to travel to Egypt with a tour group that specializes in spiritual retreats. Flights had been booked.  The trip had been paid for.

Then the revolution happened!

I watched the news day and night worrying about the people and struggling with my decision to go there.  I was sure the trip was not going to happen.

As the news worsened regarding safety, and the sites were closed, our trip was canceled.  I was heartbroken and had resigned myself to the fact that I would go next year.   Then Mubarak stepped down, and things started to reopen.  Sunday night, one week before the trip was originally planned, I got an email…The trip was on, did I still want to go?!    I contemplated and talked with family; I was not encouraged to go.   But as I watched the Egyptian people stand together in a courageous and peaceful fight for their country, I was moved and knew there would never be another time like this.

This truly was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.  I would never again experience Egypt at this pivotal and unprecedented moment in her history.

A group women carry flags to Tahrir Square.

I was overwhelmed by goodwill from our first step into Cairo.  People cheered and thanked us profusely for coming to their home.  We were one of the first tour groups to return to Egypt since the uprising and a welcome sight for many people who make their living from tourism. In the Khan e Kalili bazaar, vendors actually applauded when our group appeared.  It was overwhelming to be part of this historic time in Egyptian history.  People on the trip who had traveled to Egypt before remarked that they’d never had that kind of reception.

In our travels further afield we had the unique experience of having the temples, pyramids of ancient Egypt and even the Nile virtually to ourselves.  The crowds have not returned and the relative solitude let me drink in the wonders to my heart’s content. It was simply amazing to stand in a place of such impressive cultural continuity and to see, firsthand, how Egypt’s stories are still being written.

For all my previous concerns about safety, I was entirely comfortable during my trip. It was impossible not to be swept up in the energy that radiated across the country. There seemed to be a sense of newness and of hope. Even our guide Abdulla said, “The sun is brighter.” And it was for all who live there.

A soldier patrols still-bustling Tahrir Square.

The crowds in Tahrir Square have dissipated, naturally, but military presence remains and people continue to gather, showing they are still waiting for concrete changes.   We wore cards with the pictures of the uprising’s casualties. Early on in our trip we purchased some and wore them around our necks, tied with red ribbons. Everywhere we went people gave us thumbs up and smiles of solidarity when they saw our makeshift necklaces.

At the Saladin Citadel, overlooking Cairo.

The future remains uncertain, but the sense of hope is undeniable and the warm reception we received was more than I could have asked for or expected. A new day has dawned in Egypt and I, for one, am so thankful to have seen it.

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Pam O’Connor is the Chief Administrative Officer for Search for Common Ground, based in our DC office. She traveled to Egypt earlier this month.