Egypt 1989

Feature image for Egypt post

Ever since I was a kid I dreamed about seeing the ruins of ancient civilizations. I was a history buff back then and I still am. No place offers more opportunities to explore the remains of long lost cultures than Egypt so it was a real thrill for me to arrive there.

My introduction to Egypt was Cairo. It’s a city that’s noisy, crowded, dirty, and generally chaotic but if you’re looking to escape the ordinary and explore around it offers some fascinating neighbourhoods. There’s an old Christian Quarter, a Muslim Citadel, and a camel market (not for the queasy). I really regret not making time to visit the City of the Dead which is a vast cemetery inhabited by both the living and yes, the dead.

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Nepal 1987

I spent the entire month of May, 1987 in Nepal after heading there from India. May is not the best time of year to visit Nepal because at that time the air is full of mist and clouds which obscures the view of the Himalayas. On the other hand, the cooler temperatures of Nepal were a welcome relief from the heat of India.

Most of the time I spent sightseeing and relaxing in Kathmandu which is an altogether good place to unwind. Tourism has long been a feature of Nepali life but there was little in the way of touts and hustlers, at least compared to India.

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India 1987

India Richly Rewards the Patient and Open-Minded Traveler

India is a challenging country to backpack in. The cultural differences between India and the West are great but it is this that makes the experience more rewarding in the end.

I arrived in New Delhi in April, 1987. The crowding, noise, pollution, and poverty were all quite jarring but after the first few days I begin to take most of it in stride. I could not really get used to seeing people in the advanced stages of leprosy however. Many of the countless beggars I encountered there suffered from that horrible affliction. A cure for leprosy had been available for decades before 1987.

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