How to Plan and Organize a Mission Trip

1. Promote, Promote, Promote - Start Spreading the Word As Soon As possible!
Talk With Your Pastor - Ask his blessing and help in promoting your mission trip. Ask him if he would promote and talk about the trip from the pulpit.
Put Announcements in Your Church Bulletin - Announce it up front, promote it from the pulpit, call people, talk to people; ask for stories of people who have already gone on a short-term mission trip, do a skit, do whatever you can to get the word out.
Put a Sign Up Sheet In The Lobby of Your Church - Put out a nice, attractive, sign-up sheet in a well-known spot and encourage people to sign up if they're interested in going. Your first step is to throw wide the net and gather all who have any interest.
Put Together an Information Trip Packet - Along with the sign-up sheet, if you have the capability, put together a mission trip packet that answers as many questions as you can think of. This will provide information prior to your information meeting to better inform those interested.
Set a Date For an Information Meeting - About one month after you have started promoting the trip, have an information meeting to inform those interested and to answer everyone's questions. Some issues to cover would be; finances, food prep, Vacation Bible School prep, trip schedule, meeting schedule for trip planning, and etc.
Announce the Procedure for Group Registration - As part of your meeting, let those at the information meeting know how to get on board. It works well to set a $25.00 or more non-refundable registration fee for group registration. For some reason, money firms up decisions.
Establish the Total Cost - Take into consideration travel, insurance, food, and other costs. Take into account the three following factors in planning your trip that need to be decided that will affect your trip cost:
Food Costs - Try to calculate what food cost will be. Think about things like food while traveling and food on your mission trip.
Building Materials for Work Projects - Some mission organizations provide building materials as part of their fees, others do not. Be sure to check this out as it could be a huge factor affecting your total costs. For many teams, helping out with building is a major part of their trip and experience. It also helps those you go to serve as well.
Ministry Costs & Plans - Will you do ministry outreaches? Take into consideration costs for Bibles, Tracts and Vacation Bible School supplies.

2. Establish Your Group!
Set Up Your Meeting Schedule for Group Preparation & Training - You will normally need a minimum of about 6-8 meetings to allow adequate time for Vacation Bible School and ministry prep. Don't forget your spiritual prep which is the most important of all.
Set Up Money Due Dates - Set up a schedule for Team Members that lets them know when their funds are due for your mission trip.

3. Establish Your Mission Trip Prep. Meetings & Schedule!

Here are some items you might want to consider in your mission trip prep meetings:
Fund Raising Help and Ideas for Team Members - An important part of making your mission trip happen is fund-raising.
Vacation Bible School Prep - Most mission teams do Vacation Bible Schools on their mission trips.
Community Outreach Prep - Also, mission teams do Community Outreaches. You might want to come prepared for that as well.
Testimony Prep - A great way to help others is by sharing your testimonies.
Meal Prep - If your trip includes your own food prep, an option to consider if you don't have a cook, is to designate a kitchen and meal coordinator to oversee the meals and kitchen. Divide the group into food teams and allow them to plan the meals (with the oversight of the kitchen and meal coordinator). Some meals can be pre-cooked then prepared on site if your mission trip is not too far away. Make sure you have healthy meals as you will be exerting extra energy while on your trip.
Lodging - Be certain to know what your lodging accommodations will be like. You obviously want a safe, somewhat healthy environment for your team. It's okay to suffer some, but if you can transfer the energy you would expend on suffering into effective ministry then that's ideal. If we're called to suffer then we should, but if we don't have to do so unnecessarily then that's better.
Spiritual Prep - Don't neglect this important area. Without right hearts we have nothing to offer. One of the great benefits of a mission trip is that you have a wonderful platform for discipleship training. The trip can serve a much larger purpose than the time you're serving. Try to get as much mileage out of your discipleship training time as possible and think of ways to disciple and use the group or individuals upon returning home.
Paperwork Prep - It's good to start early if some don't have Passports. It can take up to a couple months to get them so let your team know up from so they can get started on them. Passports are now required (with some exceptions) for re-entry into the U.S.
Training Prep - Don't forget you're going to be ministering cross-culturally and you need to prepare your team for this. There are many tools for doing this on the Internet. Please look at the resources links below for help in this area as well.
Safety Concerns - It's common for folks to be concerned with safety on a mission trip. While sharing the Gospel is never risk free and we should have the faith to trust God will protect us, we shouldn't be foolish as well and put ourselves into harm's way if we don't have to.

4. One Month Prior to Trip Departure!
Double check your Master Checklist - Make sure you've covered all your bases and nothing is forgotten.Order Bibles and Tracts - If not already done yet, make sure to order Bibles and Tracts for your ministries.Vehicle Insurance - Take into account you might need vehicle insurance for your mission trip if you are traveling by land.Daily Devotionals - During the week of your mission trip, it's great to have group devotions each morning.Group Tee-Shirts - If you would like, you can design your own tee-shirts for your mission trip. This can be very valuable and act as a great keepsake and reminder of God's work in each person's life.

5. Final Departure Plans!
Paperwork Checklist - Make sure you have all of your paperwork and passports in order. Important note: We recommend that all paperwork be kept in a briefcase or etc. in the possession of the leader at all times as folks can easily lose their paperwork.
Review the Master Checklist - To be sure you've remembered everything.

Helpful Links

GoMissionsToMexico.com - Ministry Offering Safe Affordable Mission Trips to Mexico!

Mission Trip Prep for Leaders - Online Coordinator's Manual for Mission Team Leaders!

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Pleasure and Adventure for Everyone

If you cannot bear the thought of leaving your barking buddy or feline friend at home, just bring it with you during the holidays. Instead of staying at a hotel, get accommodations at one of the spacious dog friendly Dartmoor holiday cottages. At these dog friendly Dartmoor holiday cottages, you can experience luxurious services and maximum comfort without worrying about your beloved pet. All Dartmoor holiday cottages have clean and spacious rooms, modern amenities, and self-catering facilities. You can choose to stay near the beach or at the centre of the town, depending on your family needs and expectations. It is a good thing also that the spacious dog friendly Dartmoor holiday cottages are just a walking distance from train and bus stations so travelling from one tourist destination to another is not a problem.

During your stay at the spacious Dartmoor holiday cottages, you will have more than a handful of famous attractions that you have to visit. You can go to the beach and have a picnic there. You can engage in water sports adventure like kayaking, skiing, surfing, sailing, and diving. You can find peace and serenity at gorgeous gardens, nature trails, and promenades. You can try zip wiring, cruising, clay pigeon shooting, and race karting. You can go on a shopping spree at shopping complexes, charming boutiques, art galleries, and the farmer's market. You can enjoy some tee time sessions with friends at excellent golf courses. There are just so many things to do and so little time when you are holidaying in the south west of England. Check out the parks where you can have a fun day out with your family.

The Woodlands Family Theme park

The Woodlands Family Theme Park is the perfect place for your family to have a whole day of pleasure and adventure. Leave the comfortable dog friendly Dartmoor holiday cottages after a sumptuous breakfast so you can have many exciting memories here. There is a plethora of adorable animals and birds in the zoo, falconry, and farm and wildlife sanctuary here. It would be a great privilege to take pictures of these wildlife creatures at their natural habitat. Let your children interact with farm animals. They can feed these animals before you head back to the luxurious Dartmoor holiday cottages.

Dartmoor National Park

A visit to Dartmoor National Park is something you should not forget while staying at the superb dog friendly Dartmoor holiday cottages. Take up the challenge and climb the hiking trail that is 621 meters above sea level. As the highest point in Dartmoor National Park, you will feel a sense of victory and satisfaction as you gaze upon the beauty of the surroundings from afar. If you still have the energy to do so, explore the vast moorland and you will find yourself coming across a variety of wildlife. These are just some of the exciting and inspiring activities you can do at the park before retreating at the comforts of the luxurious Dartmoor holiday cottages.

Gives you loads of information on spending the best of your holiday cottages and accommodations at Cornawall, Dorset, Isle of Wight, Devon, Newquay and Brixham.

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Places to Stay in Wayanad

The green paradise of Kerala, Wayanad is situated in an elevated picturesque plateau in the Western Ghats. Pristine, enchanting and hypnotizing, this hill station with its vast stretches of misty mountains, green meadows, water springs, wild jungles and sparkling lakes, is overflowing with natural beauty, history and culture.

Wayanad's ensemble of topography gives tourists opportunities to indulge in various forms of adventure activities. Forest treks, boating, overnight camping, bird watching and wilderness study are some amazing options available to visitors. The resorts at Wayanad are as interesting as its landscape.

Experience the jungle-feel: To keep up with the aesthetic appeal of the Wayand's natural prettiness, there are some resorts which offer to their guests, the opportunity to climb atop trees and live in tree top houses to enjoy the thrill of jungle life. There are simple bamboo cottages, with a warm cozy feel to them, or a little more elaborate tribal huts constructed with utmost care and artistic touch to give them an authentic feel, making your holiday at Wayand, truly unique and memorable. This exquisite experience comes at a cost of around Rs.5000 per tree house for a room for two.

Unpretentious Home-stays: For those who like to keep things simple, comfortable home stays are for you. These are modest homes that are available to guests, entirely or on share basis depending on their need, and yet are equipped with the basic comfort one would look for in a resort accommodation. These home-stays come at a fair price of around Rs.2000 to Rs.3000 for single or deluxe rooms. Usually home-stays don't come with much facilities, but there are a few with do provide swimming pool, a conference hall and a recreation room for their guests.

Ideal time to visit: Wayanad has a healthy climate all through the year. Monsoon months of June to September are warm with heavy winds and rainfall. Wayanad looks beautiful with average rainy days. December to February is perfectly chilled and tourists love these months in Wayanad. The ideal months for sightseeing when nature is at its best and can be beautifully captured in photographs, is during the months between October and May.

Be an early bird: These exquisite tribal huts and tree homes get booked like hot cakes during the peak season as everyone going to Wayanad looks forward to experience this unique adventure stay. Hence, it is best if you be an early bird in making your reservations well in advance to ensure you have a tree house or tribal hut booked under your name, before anyone else takes it away!

Thrillophilia has many customizable packages for camping around Bangalore and corporate team outings in Bangalore. Drop in your enquiry today and get the best deals.

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Top 10 Things to Do in Amsterdam

Amsterdam is the place to visit if you want to spend time in a city that has much you can explore. From villas owned by rich merchants to vibrant parks with splashes of vivid colors, Amsterdam has it all. The nightlife in the city is captivating as are the small but grand festivals that take place throughout the year. Here are the top ten things you can do when you are in Amsterdam:

Go on Canal Tours

The beautiful canals in Amsterdam have been key to transportation and defense in the 17th century. In 2010, all 165 canals in the city were identified as UNESCO monuments. Most boat tours will take you along the Canal Belt and Center. You will have plenty of options to for traveling along the waters and seeing the canals. Open boats, private boats, dinner cruise tours and special-themed tours are a few options.

Glimpse the Memories of World War II

Anne Frank House, a memorial of World War II, has been made a museum. It holds the famed "secret annex" in which Anne Frank and her family hid. It was there that she wrote in her diary. Verzetsmuseum is dedicated to the couple that hid the Franks. The historical museum is recognized as one of the best in Netherlands. A few other museums in Amsterdam are - the Jewish Historical Museum and Dutch National Museum.

Tulip Season

Netherlands prides itself on its spectacular bulb flowers like tulips. To see the magnificent flowers in bloom, visit Keukenhof in Lisse. This bulb-flower park is one of the most visited in the city. Rows of colorful flowers line the park during tulip season. Many varieties of tulips are showcased in the Amsterdam Tulip Museum. The museum places emphasis on their history and cultural significance. Hortus Botanicus Amsterdam and Bloenmenmarkt are a few other places you should go to, for an eyeful of tulips.

Bicycle Rides

For a taste of how half the people in Amsterdam explore the city, hire a bicycle and go for a ride. During peak hours, the bicycle lanes in the city are choc-a-bloc with bikers. Just about everyone rides a bike - students, parents with children and office-goers. You can hire a bike and buy a map designed specifically to guide bikers, and ride through the city. If you're not sure about your biking skills, take a guided tour by bike.

Delve into Dutch Cuisine

After spending your day looking through what the city has to offer, visit one of the many restaurants that serve traditional Dutch cuisine. Most of the dishes in this cuisine are comfort food. Some of the local favorites are stamppot boerenkool, pancakes, Gouda cheese, French fries and erwtensoep. For a taste of exotic dishes, restaurants that serve Suriname and Indonesian food are the best. You can savor rijsttafel, a presentation of several Indonesian dishes.

Cannabis Cafes and Drinks

Cafes that serve space cakes, drinks and coffees are among some of the most visited places in Amsterdam. They showcase various aspects of the city's culture through art and craft exhibits that were originally created as forms of self-expression.

Shopping in Designer Stores and Flea Markets

Amsterdam has an interesting mix of some of the best retail and fashion stores, and flea markets. You can go shopping for Versace, Gucci and Prada merchandise in the city. The Nine Streets' exclusive boutiques are the right place for those who want an exclusive, upscale shopping experience. The flea markets in the city offer some of the most interesting items that have been a part of Amsterdam's history.

Take in the Finest Art

The city has some of the best modern and fine art museums in Netherlands. Rembrandt's work has made the artist's residence, now known as the Museum het Rembrandthuis, its home. The interiors of the museum have been redone to look grand. The Van Gogh Museum is a must-visit, especially for those who love modern art.

Explore the Street Art Scene

The art scene in Amsterdam is not restricted to the museums and exhibitions in the city. You can get a glimpse of the skills of its artists on the street. The art scene on Amsterdam's streets is dynamic, vibrant and enriching. Sculptures, graffiti and stenciled poetry on city walls are just a few of the artistic elements that can capture your attention.

Listen to Jazz and Rock Music

One thing no visitor to Amsterdam should miss out on is the city's jazz music. As the jazz capital of Europe, the city has a lot to offer music enthusiasts. From local trios that perform in cafes and bars, to international jazz musicians, you will find them all in Amsterdam.

Bart van de Grift is an art historian and tour guide in Amsterdam. He specializes in art and historical excursions in Amsterdam

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Volunteer Abroad Motives - Why Should One Go for It?

We all know that the world is a massive place with 'n' number of people, creatures and living lives residing on it. There are so many talented, exciting and astonishing people in the world whom you have never met yet. So, if you are a social animal and have a craving for new hands on experience, wait no more. No matter where you are, you can take your own time and travel anywhere that is absolutely novel and foreign to you.

Volunteer abroad is the best choice to fulfill this wish of any person. It emphasizes on working to offer for the needs of several people like you. These needs may however differ, in terms of educational, environmental and so on, but volunteering focuses in assisting people with such variable needs. While reading or hearing so much about volunteering opportunities, you might wonder why volunteer abroad?

Nevertheless, give a deeper thought to it and you will find a satisfactory answer for yourself. Ok, fine don't stress your brains so much. Read below to get your answer. One can go for volunteer abroad for several reasons such as adventure, excitement, culture, exploration and so on. While others go hunting for a challenging job or their own personal interest drives them there. To volunteer abroad, you need to have some qualities inherited in you like patience, flexibility and respect for the host people to attain a rewarding experience.

There has been a tremendous increase in the number of volunteers going abroad since it provides them with a rewarding as well as challenging personal experience. One's desire to contribute serves as an intense motivation to go abroad. This is also one of the best approaches to understand new culture and get novel experiences from them.

By volunteering abroad, you are benefitted with some of the social benefits. You get an opportunity to make new friends, have fun, develop personal skills, modify your living style and develop your career. Did you ever put light on a simple fact that you are on this earth for a very special purpose. If yes, then it's time to do something like volunteering that gives meaning to your life and make a difference. You get a feeling of contentment as you have served the world. The insight that one gains by such a program is indeed priceless, with all its privileges and advantages. So, now it's time to initiate your journey.

Anish Kumar Singh is a Online Marketing Expert and Writing a Review Article for Volunteer Abroad, volunteer in Nepal and Volunteer in India.

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Romance on a Kenya Safari

Your Romantic Kenya safari

Your experience on a Kenya safari will be the most secluded, romantic and unique destination. Kenya is the perfect place to have your own personalised getaway that offers tailor-made elegance at its finest. The natural beauty of the terrain and the wild will compliment your special occasion superbly. With the opportunity to see a variety of animals, meet other friendly travellers and see fantastic scenery, Kenya is like a dream. The long sandy beaches are heaven to walk along at night bare foot. Stroll by in the evening and listen to the Indian Ocean waves. Explore the most unique national parks and reserves in the world on your Kenya safari, including Mount Elgon National Park, Marsabit National Park and Shimba Hills Reserve. When planning your dream safari here in the heart of Africa, your options are endless.

Romantic Places to Go

A once in a lifetime opportunity is just around the corner on a wonderful Kenya safari. Explore places you have always dreamed of, capture romantic moments and make the most of every minute. The Mount Elgon National Park is one to visit, located 140 kilometres north East of Lake Victoria, it's uniquely split down the middle by the Kenyan-Ugandan border. The park has spectacular scenery; which includes cliffs, caves, waterfalls, gorges, mesas, calderas, hot springs, and the mountain peaks. The Marsabit National Park is located north of Kenya and 560 kilometres north of Nairobi in Marsabit district. This national park is perfect for game viewing, bird watching and camel safaris; it is also a good idea to take a picnic if you wish to engage in some relaxation after a long day of exploring the animal kingdom.

The Best Wildlife on a Kenya safari

Known as the 'jewel of East Africa', vast arrays of wonders are to be found within your beautiful Kenya safari. Kenya will provide you with the perfect scenery for your stay. Major wildlife attractions include the African elephant, the endangered zebra, lion, leopard, and the buffalo. Shimba Hills Reserve is one of the largest areas of coastal rainforest in East Africa covering 24,000 hectares. The climate is hot and humid but the area benefits from coastal breezes which also create mist in the mornings. This stunning reserve is well known for its forested landscape, sharp slopes and steep valleys. Your Kenya safari will bring something new and spectacular to your life.

Plan your Kenya Safari holiday here.

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'Gypt in a Land of Wonder

In the midst of it all, a wedding cavalcade of mini-vans escorted by a traveling disco sound system. The police are very noticeable by their absence. The situation is unsafe and it all happens so frequently. It is dangerous, annoying and it is deafening. This is Luxor, one of the major tourist destinations on earth. It's also the 2011 festival of Eid. But, this is also Egypt after the authorities lost control. It isn't a pleasant experience but it's what independent travellers have to endure if Egyptology is on their minds. And, after visiting the ruins of one of the world's early civilizations, it has become a wonderful mystery as to why it's all so un-inviting.

The chaos, cacophony and crap on the streets appear as sure signs nothing good lies in the near future for the people who speak so proudly of their recent "revolution". It's as if this is their only period of "freedom" since the pyramids were built 5,000 years ago. And, they're going nuts with it. For example, it would be very difficult for foreigners to drive a car in Egypt. Car rental companies have vacated the country. I noticed a lot of missing headlights. I noticed very few traffic lights. The most were near the stretch of highway that connects the airport to downtown Cairo. In this city of 18 million it can be anywhere from 30 minutes to never when estimating how long it might take to do that trip. I've never experienced traffic congestion such as I lived with during my 5 days in Cairo.

I travelled by road from Abu Simbel to Aswan to Luxor. I'm sure that road operations were much smoother when the police were on duty. The linear urban strip all along the Nile lends itself to modern traffic control techniques but instead it can be pure pandemonium at times, often times. There's evidence of a police presence but I got the sense it was only interested in controlling the locals. Now, where the main Cairo road runs parallel with the Nile, traffic calming has sprung up in the form of crude bumps on the road. Using bricks, debris and concrete, speed bumps have been constructed at every school, market or intersection. Many have crumbled under the constant strain turning them into speed bumps to be avoided, rendering them more like gates through which both north and south bound vehicles must pass single file. In the absence of more sophisticated methods, these crude barriers to speed are taking a huge toll on travel time. The police are in their barracks, stationed only immediately outside. Government is frozen. So too are the wages many had come to rely on. Before the revolution most Egyptians had a daily government placement for at least 4 hours of paid labour. That's all gone now. For many it wasn't a tough job but it was where everybody got their share of the net worth of the Country, their institutionalised baksheesh, as it were. As far as I know, after a very short visit, while Egypt is not as resource-rich as Libya or Saudi, it does have significant wealth opportunities. The generosity of the waters of the Nile as it flows through the Egyptian desert is wonderful to see. Farm produce, hydro electricity, some oil, gas and significant infrastructure investments are all examples of the Country's gross domestic value. However, there's a saying in the arab world, "as poor as an Egyptian", and that is so very true.

The balance of an Egyptian's livelihood is supposed to come from income earned as licensed independent operators within their own communities. They work as taxi, horse and camel drivers Many are hotel, restaurant and perfume shop salespeople. The souks too are large employers. They're all volume based tourist dependant occupations.

These days, it's very evident nobody's buying. I was told, tourism didn't slow down after the January 25, 2011 protests and police action - it came to a thundering halt. What's on offer in the shops, souks and museums has all the appearance of last year's goods. Income from that source has dwindled significantly. Now shopkeepers are stuck with cheap imported junk, a lot fewer customers and an unsustainable approach to merchandising and selling. It's obvious too that much of their inventory was not manufactured locally. Unlike other countries in the region where I've visited, Morocco and Turkey, there appeared to be no local craft industry. Yet, everywhere there was delicately manufactured chattels and trinkets. Honestly, I saw nothing being made that a tourist would be interested in buying. When challenged, they say, "No, it is made in Egypt". But, the empty "Made in China" packing cartons scattered all around the souks tells the true story.

Another thing, for the prices locals are paying for these goods the cost must be extremely low. It's interesting to ponder the value of the Egyptian market to China. Many home essential goods are imported from there. Based on my use of some of them during my trip, there is a lot of room for product quality improvement. If they are making a profit in such a poor country imagine how fantastically profitable it must be selling to the USA and European markets.

Most Egyptians in the tourism sector are living off a 5,000 year old story. It's a hugely valuable asset, a well established brand but poorly nourished. Culturally, this seems to be fine with the locals. They are acutely aware of the essentials of capitalism but seem to have little understanding of marketing or long term planning. It's as if the total revenue from tourism is divvied up among too many recipients and there's never much left over for repairs or improvements. Based on my own experiences, there's the same neglect in public spaces, boat landings, train and bus stations from near the border with Sudan all the way north via Aswan and Luxor en route to Cairo. Egyptians don't seem to be making any strides to modernize, or even maintain, and glaringly unaware of the threats to their feature assets.

It's unfortunate too that while tourism revenues are down, the rest of the country must be in better shape. Egypt still produces wealth from the country's other assets. For example, Egypt is a major force in the construction industry throughout the Middle East, producing many of the materials used in it, like cement and other raw materials. In spite of this, the museums, hotels, taxis, camels, horses and donkeys all look down on their heel. That's a poor business decision that will have an increasingly negative impact for tourism.

These people are screwed. It looks to me like the police and military are just waiting them out. The majority of Egyptians are poorly educated and so culturally retarded to be any match for the 1% that hold the levers to coercive power. The oppressors will undoubtedly reappear, and maybe soon when temperatures rise again to their most enervating. The country needs leadership but it's more likely to get another richly-anointed Chief Corruption Officer. Egypt has been controlled by force since antiquity and the current military machine won't tolerate change that endangers its preferred status. The oppressed can't hold out forever either.

A weird combination of a lowering of the cost of many goods, in the face of a decline in revenues, has conspired to deaden the shock waves of the 2011 Egyptian Spring. It looks like a good deal for the controlling segments in the society but it's a lousy one for most. China enjoys good relations with Egypt for reasons solely to do with natural resources. I'd say the Chinese got the gas but 99% of Egyptians got the pains.

Amazingly, I noticed a number of references to Che Guevara, the kind of leader Egypt needs. But, I saw no evidence that his image is portrayed as anything but another piece of eye candy for the tourists. When I quizzed those retailers about their product offering they appeared to have either no clue who Che Guevara was and even managed somehow to link him with Bob Marley!

This was the dirtiest, downtrodden country I've ever visited. The underlying combination of religion and paganism could well be designed to maintain the population close to the lowest common denominator. Along with the chilling effects of fiscal withdrawal and a hands-off police force, it simply looks like another slight-of-hand piece of politics. The kind of political machination measured sparingly enough to mollify the great unwashed until such times as their oppressors re-emerge from their holes to get behind another modern day leader. One who will no doubt take a "rightful" place among a long line of despots. What this country needs is a severe injection of socialism but I fear the "Gods" will resist and the people appear inept at channeling their own collective power.

Yesterday we went to see the only remaining Wonder of the World, the Pyramids and the Sphinx. They're located in a huge open air museum that is also an active archeological dig. At the edge of Cairo, in a suburb that threatens the very sands these monuments sit upon, Giza public transit takes you right to the foot of the Sphinx. It's an easy walk from there to the ticket office but you must endure another onslaught from the world's worst tourist touts.

Where you from? (Canada, ah Canada Dry, never die) What's your name? (Lovely name, same as my mother/father/sister/brother) You want scarf? (Made in Egypt, look like Arafat). It drives you nuts and there's no relief from it - even if you fight back. Where you from? (Afghanistan, oh yea?) What's your name? (Osama bin Laden.) You happy he's dead? (Don't even go there!)

Once through the gauntlet there's a lot more to endure. There's garbage strewn everywhere. Horse, camel, donkey and dog crap desiccating in full sun and under foot. You can't stop for a look around without some tout approaching and going through the same old, same old routines. Of course, there are two Egyptians. Any who were not annoying touts came across as friendly enough. But, the touts are surely leaving an indelible image on the minds of visitors. I came across a few who I rewarded with a tip of Toronto proportion but in every case my generosity was scoffed at in a most demeaning manner! These were not nice people at all.

Everywhere you look there are solutions that would make the situation better, but Egyptians aren't interested. A simple thing like a garbage bin is resisted because, "who wants a garbage bin on their corner?" That the garbage is tossed on, or swept to, that corner anyway doesn't seem to resonate. These are a culturally stubborn people. That so much of their well-being depends on tourism concerns them very little either. My guess is only the most die-hard Egyptologists would ever want to return to this place.

Last weekend we walked by Tahrir Square. Friday is the holy day and the day of protest. That Friday was at the tail end of the Eid holiday. The streets were absolutely crowded with little room for cars or people to move. Drivers honked incessantly, out of holiday joy and frustration. The horn in Egypt is both a toy and an imaginary weapon for disposing of obstacles. In one of the roundabouts off Tahrir, three or four young men had taken up position on the statue in the centre. It was obvious they were spouting political protest but only a small crowd was paying any attention. If CNN had been filming it could easily have looked like a growing protest. Thankfully though, that didn't happen until a week after we left. Having been 'gypt enough, we were happy to have seen what we wanted but also quite happy to get the hell out of there.

Patrick Smyth is CEO of Safetytoes International Inc., and a frequent traveller.

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