I, like many American males, always thought of myself as being tough and hardened, when in reality, I have had a pretty cushy life to this point.\u00a0 As such, when I hear about \u2018Revolutions\u2019 occurring in Ukraine or in the Arab Spring countries, I think to myself how awesome it would be to be present in those places during such pivotal moments in the histories of these countries.\u00a0 I mean, imagine being in St. Petersburg during the Bolsheviks uprising!\u00a0 Of course, these thoughts are completely ignorant as these revolutions tend to involve scenarios where the situation for a group of citizens has become so desperate in a given country that people have no choice but to sacrifice their own lives in hopes of imparting some sort of change to make the country a better place for future generations.\u00a0 Yes, I know, it is way more complicated than that, and in some instances, the rebels are not necessarily \u2018the good guys.\u2019<\/p>\n
Despite the warnings by those around us, we remained excited for our 3 days in Cairo.\u00a0 Due to the uprising in Egypt, we decided it would be wise to stay in a five-star hotel which would presumably be safe.\u00a0 My buddy worked for an international financial institution which enabled him to secure discounted rooms at their preferred hotel in the region, The Intercontinental Semiramis.\u00a0 We had been advised to stay near the U.S. Embassy and this hotel was literally 2 blocks away.\u00a0\u00a0 We booked it.\u00a0 Then, about a week before we departed, international news headlines reported that a hotel in Cairo had been stormed by the rebels and all of the inhabitants were taken hostage.\u00a0 Gunshots and fire bombs were used to overpower the staff and take over the building.\u00a0 Of course it was the Intercontinental Semiramis.\u00a0 Our giddiness turned to dread regarding the Cairo leg of our journey.\u00a0 It seemed as though Westerners were actually being targeted in order to garner the attention of the international community.\u00a0 Prior to this we had been telling ourselves that the fighting was between two rival political factions and were not really a target and thus not at risk.\u00a0 The reality of the circumstances, however, began to sink in.\u00a0 To make matters worse, the newly elected regime led by Mohammad Morsi was now under attack by a second iteration of rebels and Morsi was losing command of the Army, Police and other government serving ministers.\u00a0 \u00a0I won\u2019t get into politics here, but basically Morsi seemed like a decent candidate until he was elected into power, after which he revoked any legislative and judicial powers which might challenge him, and essentially elevated himself to dictator-like status while promoting his Muslim Brotherhood cronies into all the important government positions.\u00a0 This understandably didn\u2019t sit well with the disgruntled citizens and thus resulted in a second wave of revolutionary protests.\u00a0 Just in time for our visit.\u00a0 Believe me, I am by no means trying to make this about myself.\u00a0 As I said, this is the sort of thing that people are literally giving up their lives for.\u00a0 I am just a stupid Westerner who thinks it\u2019d be cool to witness a revolution.\u00a0 \u00a0But we had probably bit off way more than we could chew.\u00a0 I reported my intentions to visit Egypt to the U.S. State Department and took all other necessary precautions before leaving.\u00a0 \u00a0A revolution was once again in full force in Cairo, and all travel to the region was discouraged.<\/p>\n
This trip would be a sort of coming of age for me.\u00a0 Up until this point, I had only really explored central America and Europe.\u00a0 Our travels through Vietnam, Malaysia, Cambodia, and Thailand had really given me a greater perspective on life and how we as Americans live in this little bubble.\u00a0 The craziest place I probably had visited before this was Russia (and believe me, it was pretty crazy).<\/p>\n
Due to our growing fear for our safety in Cairo, we contacted and hired a professional tour guide who had been a minister of antiquities before the revolution.\u00a0 His driver would also serve as a body guard and carried a gun with him at all times.\u00a0 This was the real reason we hired him. \u00a0\u00a0We landed in Cairo and needed a visa on arrival.\u00a0 It was recommended that we just pay off a customs guy to get the Visa and so we did.\u00a0 This was our first taste of the state of corruption of this place.\u00a0 Before we knew it we were on our way to Giza.\u00a0 The highways were largely empty (I know during normal times, Cairo is famous for its traffic), and there was sort of an armageddon-type feel to the whole place.\u00a0 It seemed devoid of humans.<\/p>\n
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Any people we did see looked disheveled and exhausted.\u00a0 The prior year or so of fighting had visibly taken its toll on the city.<\/p>\n
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Our first day went by largely without a hitch.\u00a0 We visited the pyramids in Giza whereby Bedouin men with AK-47\u2019s guarded the entrances to the tombs in place of the government employees which typically guarded the area.\u00a0 The Bedouins had no claim to the area, but they saw an opportunity to make some money after the government had all but abandoned the Giza Plateau for the time being.\u00a0 This was great for us as we had unrestricted access to the tombs and other areas surrounding the pyramids to which access is typically highly restricted.\u00a0 \u00a0Entrance to each attraction was just one Egyptian Pound.\u00a0 We were left by ourselves to climb down into the various tombs and caverns within the great pyramid.\u00a0\u00a0 There was also no one to stop us from climbing on top of the pyramids.<\/p>\n
Our guide\u2019s services included a hotel in Giza, which we respectfully declined for safety reasons.\u00a0 This turned out to be a wise decision as we visited the hotel to change clothes and shower after visiting the pyramids.\u00a0 Just outside the window a small protest started to kick up and then some rival factions seemed to be coming to blows due to some disagreement.\u00a0 Our guide explained that these people have nothing to do because all of them worked in the tourist industry and there were no tourists.\u00a0\u00a0 We visited other sites during the day and had few issues.\u00a0\u00a0 This led us to become increasingly brazen with regard to the security situation.\u00a0 Ancient sites were interesting, but we wanted to see some protests or some other civil unrest.\u00a0 We were taken to our hotel that night and given specific instructions by our guide not to leave the premises.\u00a0 The hotel staff echoed these warnings.\u00a0 On top of this, there was a military enforced curfew of 8 P.M. resulting from the current status of martial law.\u00a0 But it was Friday, and we knew that after Friday prayers people tended to become restless.\u00a0 So we were determined to set out in the direction of Tahrir Square, the epicenter of the protests and the entire revolution.\u00a0 Rebels were currently camped out in the center of the square (actually a circle) and were regularly holding demonstrations.\u00a0 The army was stationed in Garden City, pretty much forming a barrier between the protesters and the hotels\/embassies of the neighborhood.<\/p>\n
We told the hotel clerk we wanted to go out and get food.\u00a0\u00a0 After some pleading with us not to leave, he realized how stubborn we were being and recommended a nearby fast food place.\u00a0 He called us a driver and gave specific instructions to the driver to not leave us.\u00a0 We were to briefly leave the car to get some food (Egyptian Koshari – – so good) and then immediately return to the car.\u00a0 But when we arrived at the restaurant we bribed the driver with some cash so he\u2019d leave us after some convincing.\u00a0 We were finally on our own.\u00a0 Our first order of business after eating was to seek out the U.S. Embassy so we knew where to run in case things got heated (we watched Argo on the flight over).\u00a0 \u00a0On the way, we passed the Intercontinental Semaranis.\u00a0 It was heavily damaged, abandoned and riddled with bullet holes.\u00a0 It is one thing to hear about these incidents on the news, but to witness the actual damage is another story.\u00a0 The road to the U.S. Embassy had several staggered, criss-crossing barriers to prevent a vehicle (presumably one with a bomb) from even coming close to the building.\u00a0 Although after we left a hijacked tank plowed through all these barriers en route to the embassy (luckily it was stopped before another Benghazi incident could occur).<\/p>\n
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Egyptian army members stood guard around many of the barricades.\u00a0 They seemed a bit confused by our presence.\u00a0 Most law-abiding citizens heed the curfew, but these random westerners are here walking around amongst burned out buildings and makeshift tank barricades.\u00a0 We thought it best to just approach them.\u00a0 Although there was a language barrier, the army guys were extremely cordial.\u00a0\u00a0 They were probably around our age or younger, and looked ill-prepared to fight a war.\u00a0 The one who spoke broken English explained that they had fought off an advancement just last night, and that was why the barricade was partly damaged.\u00a0 They held assault rifles and riot gear while addressing us.\u00a0 We asked how much they\u2019ve used both, and they said very often as they pointed out marks and other damage on the equipment.\u00a0 Me, always taking it a step too far, whipped out my camera and asked for a picture.\u00a0 They declined for security reasons.\u00a0 They were, after all, fighting for what seemed to be an unpopular faction amongst the majority rebels.\u00a0 The strategic ground they were protecting has been contested on several occasions and the toll it took on these officers seemed to show.<\/p>\n
They did, on the other hand, seem to perk up when we explained we were from New York.\u00a0 They were just as interested in us as we were interested in them.\u00a0 While conversing with them, I couldn\u2019t help but feel guilty about what I was doing.\u00a0 Here I was, a spoiled western kid going out of my way to visit this hell on earth because I thought it would be \u201ccool.\u201d\u00a0 Meanwhile, these guys were putting their lives on the line every day and probably would rather be anywhere else in the world if only they could leave Cairo.\u00a0 They even let us play with their riot gear and volunteered to snap a photo of us.\u00a0\u00a0 They probably thought we were nuts as we took swings at each other\u2019s\u2019 shields with the batons.<\/p>\n
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Upon reaching the embassy, it appeared as though it had been pretty much abandoned.\u00a0 We later found out that the U.S. had pulled out all but a few essential diplomatic personnel.\u00a0 Great! \u00a0On top of this, it appeared that we had picked up a tail.\u00a0 Someone in all black was following us, and after several turns it appeared that he was not going away.\u00a0\u00a0 He did not seem to be associated with the friendly army guys we had just met.\u00a0 A slight panic set in as I thought we\u2019d possibly be apprehended for skirting the curfew.\u00a0 This is something that I can\u2019t see going well seeing as though there is no clear central government or military in power.\u00a0 We decided it was probably best to approach the man instead of try to lose him.\u00a0 He greeted us with a stern look and immediately asked for identification.\u00a0 As soon as we showed him our U.S. Passports he seemed to smile, almost in relief.\u00a0 It turned out he was a private Egyptian security member, hired by the U.S., to guard the U.S. Embassy.\u00a0 The U.S. does not mess around.\u00a0 This guy was a legit militaristic presence, with a polished assortment of weapons and tools.\u00a0 Compared to the Egyptian Army guys we had seen, this guy was the real deal.\u00a0 Despite being an Egyptian Citizen, he had great English.\u00a0 You see, the U.S. does not trust the Egyptian Army to secure their embassy and protect the nearby premises.\u00a0 So they hire highly trained, private security forces as an added layer of protection.\u00a0 He was friendly and he explained to us that we had been out past curfew and that it was extremely dangerous for us to be out there.\u00a0 He showed us a 15 ft. concrete wall which had recently been set up by the army to stave off rebel advancements from Tahrir square towards the embassies.\u00a0\u00a0 We told him of our desire to find the embassy for security reasons and he explained that there weren\u2019t many personnel manning the embassy.\u00a0 He recommended returning to our hotel and he took down our information to that the U.S. Embassy would have it.\u00a0 He told us that the situation may grow violent in Tahrir Square tonight as things seemed to be coming to a head.\u00a0 We proceeded in the direction of our hotel while he followed us.\u00a0 But now, with our adrenaline pumping, we wanted more.\u00a0 All of the Egyptians we encountered seemed to be friendly and we thought that none of the people in Tahrir square would mean us any harm.\u00a0 So we hailed a cab and asked him to take us there.\u00a0 He obviously refused the baffling request.\u00a0 After some convincing, he said he would drive by Tahrir Square but would not stop, even at red lights, under any circumstance.\u00a0 The situation in the square had become somewhat dire and it seemed that the rebels were ready to attack anyone during a Friday night protest out of sheer frustration.\u00a0 One need only read any article about Western journalists attempting to cover the events within Tahrir.\u00a0 See, for example,\u00a0 http:\/\/www.csmonitor.com\/World\/Global-News\/2011\/0202\/Anderson-Cooper-attacked-in-Tahrir-square-during-Cairo-protests<\/a><\/p>\n As we drove by Tahrir, things seemed somewhat under control.\u00a0 Some people were running here and there, while others carried on as if nothing was going on.\u00a0 A few projectiles were being thrown, but no gunshots or petrol bombs.<\/p>\n The road past was blocked off, and several rebels guarded the barricade.\u00a0 It was probably wise of us in the end to not have approached them.\u00a0 The rebels, while fighting for what seemed like a just cause, were hopelessly disorganized, and did not have any real hierarchy or orders.\u00a0 As such, their actions were erratic sometimes not representative of the cause for which they were fighting.\u00a0 Westerners who entered the square were routinely attacked for any number of reasons.\u00a0 The entire night was sort of strange. \u00a0That night, from our hotel, we could hear several explosions and what we thought were gunshots, but we could not be sure.<\/p>\n We had come close, but still hadn\u2019t actually ventured into the center of Tahrir Square.\u00a0 After seeing other sights of Cairo (including the Garbage City, which is a crazy story in and of itself), we pleaded with our guide Hambdi to venture into the square.\u00a0 We had just gotten out of the Museum of Antiquities which was right near the Square.\u00a0 This was our chance.\u00a0 After refusing several times, we told our guide that we would go in alone and come right back.\u00a0 He seemed way more scared than others about visiting the Square.\u00a0 This was because he worked for the government during Mubarak\u2019s regime.\u00a0 As such, he could be considered an enemy to the rebels if identified.\u00a0 Reluctantly, he agreed to accompany us to the square under the conditions that we run if told to do so and identify ourselves as Italian or some other nationality if approached (I was wearing a Juventus jersey).\u00a0 The first and most striking thing we saw en route to the square was the Egyptian Security Headquarters building which had been attacked and set ablaze days earlier.\u00a0 All that remained was a skeleton of a building.<\/p>\n There had been rumors about shots being fired into the crowd the night before.\u00a0 So the atmosphere was a bit tense while entering the square.\u00a0 Inside the square, things didn\u2019t seem very chaotic.\u00a0 It was mid-day Saturday and people seemed to be going about their business.\u00a0 A camp was set up in the middle of the square, complete with tents, some even having satellite dishes and electricity siphoned off the street lights.<\/p>\n Strangely, little kids seemed to be roaming around the camp, unaccompanied by adults.<\/p>\n As we wandered around, our mood grew less tense.\u00a0 I even took out my camera to take a few pictures (something that was strongly discouraged).\u00a0 Bombed out vehicles acted as barricades along the route of what used to serve as a major traffic circle in Cairo.<\/p>\n A man in a wheelchair served tea and coffee to people of the square.\u00a0 Everything seemed calm and normal.\u00a0 Then, as we turned towards the other side of the square, I noticed a figure lying on the street.\u00a0 At first, I just presumed it was someone asleep after a long night.\u00a0 As we drew closer, my heart dropped as I realized it was a deceased man with what looked like fatal bullet wounds.\u00a0 His blood stained the metal grate on which his body rested.\u00a0 Up until this point, I never really grasped the severity of this entire conflict or the grave risk faced by those present in Tahrir Square.\u00a0 Our guide, seemingly unfazed by the sight, asked a bystander what had happened.\u00a0 The man had been shot the night prior by the army during a demonstration.\u00a0 However, because there was no police or coroner, the body was just left there out in the open.\u00a0 I think this was the part of it that was most striking to me.\u00a0 Many people walked right by the body as if it wasn\u2019t even there.\u00a0 I found myself trying to avoid staring at it and appearing startled as I was afraid that would draw negative attention to me.\u00a0 Finally, as we were standing there, another man came out and laid a rug on top of the body to cover it up.\u00a0 Only then was I bold enough to take out my little camera and snap a picture.<\/p>\n After which, we all looked at each other in silent agreement that it was time to leave.\u00a0 At the same time, a crowd began to gather around a man with a megaphone nearby and passersby appeared to pick up their pace a bit.\u00a0 It was time to leave.\u00a0\u00a0 We had entered the belly of the beast, and had finally gained an understanding of the gravity of the situation here.\u00a0 You can watch a million Youtube videos and news broadcasts online, but it is only after you witness depravity first hand that you can truly understand the fear and danger faced in a place like this.\u00a0 Our curiosity had been satisfied, and when we finally looked under the veil, we were disgusted by what we saw.\u00a0 I can\u2019t even begin to imagine what it must be like for servicemen and woman in Iraq and Afghanistan as they surely see things that are way more disturbing.\u00a0\u00a0 The entire experience makes you put things in perspective and it makes you truly grateful for what you have.\u00a0 At the same time it makes you think how crazy it is that all of this stuff is going on and most Americans and other Westerners have no idea about or are just desensitized to what kind of things people in places like this experience on a daily basis. \u00a0Entering Cairo was like entering a strange dimension where time, money and the entirety of our western lives did not matter.\u00a0 We had transcended upon a dystopia of sorts where logic and order are for the most part not present.\u00a0 Days of the week don\u2019t really matter as no one has jobs.\u00a0 Cars are an absolute luxury as gas stations no longer have any fuel.\u00a0\u00a0 Streets and buildings lay empty, abandoned by those fleeing the conflict.\u00a0 Trash and fires are dotted along roadways as sanitation, firefighting and other government services are no longer active. \u00a0\u00a0Even after visiting much poorer countries like Cambodia and Vietnam, the sense of hopelessness in Egypt is such that you just worry if they will ever be able to recover.<\/p>\n It was 2012 and my buddy and I had just booked the first leg of an incredible journey to Southeast Asia; an inbound flight to Hanoi, Vietnam.\u00a0 As the rest of the itinerary fell into place, we needed to book a return flight, and as you may know, one-way international flights are oftentimes even 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