A few weeks ago, the Amman-based program I’m on took us to Cairo for a week of tours, cultural activities, and lectures given by a number of individuals working with the Egyptian government, Egyptian universities, and the Arab League. Of course we visited the typical tourist attractions such as the Pyramids at Giza and the Sphinx. Tourism is an important part of the Egyptian economy—the Pyramids are plagued by gaggles of scantily-clad Europeans riding camels and taking pictures of one another while pretending to lean against the Pyramids or kiss the Sphinx.
