What do you like the most in Egypt?

Hi,

Living abroad, expats discover and enjoy a new environment.

What do you like the most in Egypt?

What seduced you when settling and living here?

Share with us your favorite part of living in Egypt and the reason why you enjoy your expat life here.

Thank you in advance,

Christine

Really was a big defferent between the imagination and reality. I came to Cairo but only few days a could'nt handle Much longer.so I moved to ismailai which a bit quiter  and less crowded.

...nothing

don't deny the wonderful under water life in Sharm el sheikh , Marsa alam , Hurghada  ,Safaga and Taba . the charming desert and the beautiful climate as well . Louxer either is fulfilled with historical temples  .  :top:

The weather, the history, and in general the peace and quiet of Luxor. However you soon learn that Egypt does not inform ex pats of new things that are happening and I find that frustrating. Especially the item in the magazine Magnificent, where they headline "Egypt's welcome has gone cold" Telling ex pats that they will now get only 6 months visa's, and will have to leave the Country every 6 months and re-enter to comply with new visa applications. They also state that "You will not be guaranteed re-entry" For people that have retired here that's incredible and has caused a stir in Luxor, many now are wanting to move on and sell their homes, through the lack of financial security. This article will also cause big drops in the housing market, when tourists for that reason will stop purchasing, and the only buyers will be local people.
For locals it will be a disaster, the homes and apartments they have invested in will be worthless, no one will buy. Already via the internet we have seen people cancelling holidays and people saying that relatives who were coming for Christmas have now cancelled.
The worse part is, people have written and e-mailed people in authority for clarification and they have had no replies.

Sorry for the long answer here, but here goes...

This is a great question, but probably a complex for many because of the many possibilities and also because, like anyplace else, there are things both good and not so good.  There are many things that make living in Egypt a wonderful experience and exhilarating.  I'll talk about my favorite first, but also want to highlight many of the things I see that I have grown to like. 

Without a doubt, my favorite thing here is the vast amounts of history that anyone here can be exposed to.  In the US, we spend years learning about Ancient Egypt.  We learn about it in school and it's very easy to find documentaries all about it.  I came here very well informed about Ancient Egypt, but learned much, much more since I've been here.  Having been to the Antiquities Museum in Cairo, Giza, Dahsur, Memphis, the Ramseum, Luxor Temple, Karnak Temple, the Valley of the Kings, and the Valley of the Queens I have had experiences that will stay with me forever.  I've even had family and friends over here so they could join in on these experiences.  I knew that these would be some great happenings even before traveling here, but what I've seen has surpassed all expectations.

What else is good here?  A lot!  The vast majority of people I've met here are very nice folks.  While you don't see this in the way that people drive, I've seen it in many other ways.  The Egyptians I have the honor to work with are the cream of the crop and are people I'll never forget.  The food here is also superb.  I see many different influences here and have rarely found a good here that I didn't like.  Anything that is baked by an Egyptian is superb!  From fresh flatbread (any kind of bread really) to cookies to cheesecake to kunafeh (my personal favorite), it's all truly great stuff.  Something that I've learned about and easily learned to like is the way Egyptians value individual freedoms.  Most of the folks I've met all have different beliefs.  Most were Muslim and a few were Christians.  Some Muslim women wear the hijab, others do not.  Overall, people seem to be content to live among one another with beliefs that are either slightly of very different.  I did not necessarily expect this, but have been happy to see this.  I once got invited to a Ramadan Iftar (breaking of the daily fast) meal.  The folks who invited me know that I was not a Muslim, but it just didn't matter and it was a truly wonderful experience.  Finally, Egyptians are proud to be Egyptian.  They proudly display their flag and the Eagle of Saladin all over.  It's nice to see people who are proud of what they are.

Just about everything    :)    and missing Masr and my home there so much !!!