Even though the Egypt’s recent turmoil has made it an unlikely destination for tourists, some foreigners were keen to be at the middle of the scene to witness the uprising, support protesters, and enrich their understanding of Egypt and the world.
Other tourists figured that watching history in the making was better than watching historic monuments in Luxor.
Lisa Maeir and Michael Stimrann came to Hurghada from Switzerland on Wednesday for a vacation, but they headed to Cairo once they heard about the protests planned for Friday.
“I didn’t want to be sitting on the beach in Hurghada while all of this is happening here,” said Stimrann.
The events of the last week have also changed many foreigners' perception of the Egyptian people. Stimrann said the whole experience is “surreal;” he didn’t expect anything like this to happen in Egypt.
Maeir said she was impressed to see Egyptians standing up for their rights and admired their “peaceful social movement.”
Han Le, an American who has worked in Egypt for the past four months, has been participating in the protests every day. Seeing the Egyptian people enforcing change has altered his view of them.
He was pleasantly surprised to see that the protests did not pass unnoticed like previous ones. Le was also impressed by the work of the popular committees who volunteered to protect their neighborhoods and clean the streets.
Stimrann says that he enjoyed watching people’s courage build up throughout the last week.
“The first day people were a bit afraid but the numbers kept growing and now it’s really interesting to see what will happen next,” says Stimrann.
Some foreigners living in Egypt are not just there to watch; they also feel obligated to support the demands of the Egyptian people.
“We are here to support the people who are standing for what they believe in. They’re asking for basic human rights,” says Hunter Moore, an American studying at The American University in Cairo.
Maier says that she supports Mubarak’s departure, not only for the sake of the Egyptian people but because she also “prefers Egypt without Mubarak.”
Maier says that some tourists refuse to come to Egypt because they don’t want to give their money to Mubarak’s regime. She wants real democracy and freedom to reign in the country.
Watching last week’s events unfold also changed some foreigners’ worldview.
Le says that watching protests last week changed his “perception of what is possible.”
Maier says that what’s happening in Egypt “affects the whole world” and that it is inspiring for the youths of Europe who have more freedom to express themselves but do not utilize it the way Egyptians have throughout the last week.
“It shows the power of people, that they can change anything if they stick together and this is a value that we have lost in Europe,” says Maier.
