As I sit watching the coverage on English-speaking Al-Jazeera, I am both elated at the ordinary Egyptian citizen’s attitude of “enough is enough” and saddened by the Mubarek government’s responses: 1) shut down the Internet, 2) shut down all cellular telephone communication, and 3) “fire” everyone in the government (except Mubarek). This statement is not to express a political opinion, but rather to take a 40,000-foot view of events and marvel that in 2011, a government would dare take such actions.

Everyday Egyptians are asserting their opinions that the Mubarek government has continued long enough.  No matter whether this is “good” or “bad” from an American viewpoint, everyday Egyptians feel empowered to speak, and that is a good thing!  By and large protesters are quietly praying in the streets and calmly walking.  There of course have been some rock-throwers and arsonists as well, but the majority are simply standing up for what they believe.  A friend’s mother (in her early 60′s) stated that Egyptians are “doing now what American kids did in the 1960s… protesting the state of things and begging the government to listen to what they have to say.”

In spite of the overall good I feel that will eventually come out of these protests, and in spite of the fact that Egypt is a very safe country in general, a simple fact remains that Egypt is not safe for American tourists at this time.  For those clients of Treasures of Egypt Tours who have trips booked now, we are postponing those vacations until a later time.  Your trip will be waiting for you, 100% guaranteed, and we’ll help you rebook soon.  Until then, stay informed, stay safe, and keep traveling! For more information, please visit the Treasures of Egypt Tours website’s special resource page on Egyptian current events.

Yoga-Paws — No yoga mat?  No classes available?  No problem!  Yoga-Paws turn your hotel room into a yoga studio; each “paw” prevents slipping, so you can practice yoga easily and safely.  About $35.

Motz Acorn Speaker — This tiny, well… acorn delivers powerful sound through a jack designed for MP3 players, an FM radio option, and a USB jack to charge its tiny battery.  Plus, it’s cute!  About $40.

PowerLine PowerCup Inverter – Shaped like a cup to fit in your cupholder, this nifty gadget connects to the car’s cigarette lighter to power two AC plugs and a USB port.  About $30.

Picnic at Ascot Collapsible Trunk Organizer and Cooler — When collapsed, this trunk organizer and cooler is no larger than a standard accordion file folder, but expand it and you’ve got three roomy sections perfect for picnics, tailgating, kids’ toys, and more. The removable cooler is insulated to maintain both hot and cold temperatures, and is easy to fold when not in use. Perfect for road trips!  About $48.

What other gadgets and gifts will your traveler be getting in his stocking this holiday season?

• Dr. Andrew R. Thomas, Editor-in-Chief, Journal of Transportation Security: “At its core, the transportation security strategy of the United States is overwhelmingly a law enforcement one. That is, what we do at our airports is inherently reactive and designed to prevent the last attack… The remedy…is to change the operational mission of the TSA and focus on risk reduction through pro-active measures such as broader intelligence gathering, knowledge management, and enhanced coordination with international partners… to take the emphasis of the TSA away from being simply a passenger screening organization…”
• Patrick Smith, pilot and author, Ask the Pilot: “[Scanners] are part of what has become an unsustainable security strategy: That is, treating each and every passenger… as potential terrorists, and attempting to inspect their bodies and belongings for each and every possible weapon. This simply isn’t a realistic approach in a country where more than two million people fly daily…We are literally strip-searching the entire flying public, from preschoolers to pilots, and rifling through their bags for things—knives and scissors—that are harmless in the first place. All of this while freight from overseas goes uninspected for bombs and explosives.”
• Robert Poole, Director of Transportation Policy, Reason Foundation: “Intrusive screening [by TSA]…treats all air travelers as equally likely to be a threat. The only feasible way to remove body-scanning (or the intrusive pat down alternative) …is to change TSA’s screening model to one that is risk-based. In practice, that would mean separating air travelers (other than those on the No-Fly list, who are automatically denied passage) into three basic groups:  1) Trusted Travelers, who have passed a background check and are issued a biometric ID card that proves (when they arrive at the checkpoint) that they are the person who was cleared; 2) High-risk travelers, either those about whom no information is known or who are flagged by the various DHS intelligence lists as warranting ‘Selectee’ status (the only ones facing body-scanner or pat down as mandatory, routine screening); and 3) Ordinary travelers—basically everyone else, who would go through metal detector and put carry-ons through 2-D X-ray machines. They would not have to remove shoes or jackets, and could travel with liquids. A small fraction of this group would be subject to random ‘Selectee’-type screening.”
• Fred Gevalt, Executive Producer, Please Remove Your Shoes: “Since we released our film, I’m asked quite frequently for a solution. Today my message to TSA would be simple: ‘Stop it. Just stop it.’ TSA has become a government jobs program… Let Americans travel freely at the airport, and let the CIA, NSA, and FBI do their jobs. We can handle risk. After all, isn’t this the land of the free and the home of the brave?”
• Chris Calabrese, legislative counsel, American Civil Liberties Union: “We need to focus more on explosives, less on looking for items like knives and box cutters that can’t really cause much harm. [The TSA] already has bomb-swabbing machines on hand, which can detect bomb-making material on hands and clothes. These are much less invasive than the scanners and pat downs, and actually address what is really the main threat against airlines… Basically, [airline safety] is a long-term issue, and it requires a process that focuses on true security threats while taking civil liberties into account.”

Well, readers, what do YOU think?  How can we make flying more efficient, easier, and faster, while still maintaining safety?

Chapter 3, “The Family Vacation That Ate the Planet” gives a quick overview of American travel habits and then gives some practical advice.  Next time you travel, try these easy “green” ideas:

1. use the same linens and towels in your hotel room throughout your stay (saves water and electricity, reduces impact of detergents on the environment)
2. travel in groups (4 in a taxi instead of 2 automatically doubles fuel efficiency)
3. pack lightly (each 10 lbs. over weight uses an additional 350 million gallons of jet fuel per year)
4. use a digital camera (film processing uses harsh chemicals that are bad for the environment)
5. try an eco-friendly cruise instead of a large cruise line (fewer passengers, less impact on marine habitats)
6. use e-tickets instead of paper tickets (printing at home saves fees and the plain paper is more easily recyclable)
7. pack your own shampoo, soap, and toothpaste (saves millions of those little plastic toiletry bottles)
8. stop newspaper delivery while you’re away (keep unread newspapers out of landfills) and get a credit on your next bill!
9. turn the thermostat up to 82 or down to 55 (you could save up to $100 per year on energy costs)
10. turn off the lights, TV, and close the shades when you leave your hotel room (saves electricity)
11. buy souvenirs from local manufacturers or craftsmen to support the local economy you’re visiting

Sprinked throughout the other 11 other fascinating chapters are testimonials from well-known stars (Cameron Diaz, Jennifer Anniston, Will Farrell, Robert Redford…)  and hundreds of small choices and simple tips you can make to have a big impact on the health of Mother Earth. Also included is an extensive reference/resource guide (50 pages!) on every topic in the book, so you can get more information.  Of course, there’s also a website:  http://www.readthegreenbook.com  Enjoy!

The top 25 most visited travel destinations, according to a May 2010 online report by The Travelers Zone:

1. Times Square, NYC (photo at right)
2. Las Vegas Strip
3. National Mall and Memorial Parks, Washington, DC
4. Faneuil Hall Marketplace, Boston
5. Disney World, Florida
6. Disneyland, California
7. Golden Gate Park, San Francisco
8. Niagra Falls
9. Great Smoky Mountains National Park, TN/NC
10. Navy Pier, Chicago

Read the full article here.  Where do you like to go?  What’s your favorite vacation destination?  Let our readers know!

1. If you’re not sure if you need it, you don’t.
2. If you’re pretty sure you need it, you don’t.
3. If you’re absolutely certain you need it, you probably still don’t.
4. Take more money.
5. Take more pairs of underwear…

(Read Dave’s full article here.)

Now explore a woman’s take on the same concept:  Kerry from Minnesota offers “36 Tips From a Gal Backpacker.”

I always bring…

1. Earplugs and neck pillow (guard against roommates who snore, noisy neighbors, traffic, and screaming babies)
2. Grapefruit seed extract (use it to keep intestinal parasites at bay)
3. Yogurt (eating local yogurt introduces helpful bacteria into your system)
4. Emergen-C (boost your immune system and “help with hangovers”)
5. Blueberries (dried blueberries are great for stomach upset and are chock full of yummy antioxidants)

(Read the full text of Kerry’s article here.)

What is always in your luggage?  Share your backpacking tips with our readers!

This amazing site contains literally hundreds of articles on traveling the world written by and for women.  Here are just a few to check out:

• What Should I Wear, Where? (choose from a list of countries)
• She Packs It and She Leaves It  (use and then leave this disposable biking wardrobe)
• Her Culturally Incorrect Gift Giving (never use red ink on a gift card for a Chinese person; red ink says “I’m severing our friendship.”)
• Women Report on 150 Great Eats Worldwide (get a steak sizzling on a volcanic stone at Mariposas de Colores in Mindo Lago, Ecuador)
• Sex With Strangers While Traveling (grandmotherly advice which boils down to “don’t do it, honey!”)

There’s also a free newsletter (click here to sign up), and free subscriptions to HERmail.net (an international directory of women helping women travel) and the Travel Candy blog.

Who helps you prepare for travel? Share your comments with our readers.

Is your checked luggage telling tales? Is your name and address on it? If it is go back home and put a sign on your house, “Away for two weeks!” While I am sure that like Ivory soap, airport employees are 99 44/100ths percent pure, but one or two may not be. Booking Wiz has found is that it is much better to place your business address and cell phone number on the outside of the bag.

For the inside, our Wiz recommends including your business card, with cell phone number, and modified itinerary, like this: “If Found between 8/12 and 8/15, deliver to Open Arms Hotel, 123 Main St. Lowellville. Between 8/15 and 8/20 deliver to Star Hotel, 321 Front St. Highville.”

What tips do you have for luggage?  Please share!

There are many websites if you want to purchase ready-made scrapbook materials with an international theme, including Scrap Your Trip, Vacation Scrapbook Supply, and The Fabulous Scrapbook Store.  You may also enjoy making your own paper using a photograph from Egypt printed as a watermark (10-15% resolution) onto scrapbook-sized sheets of white paper.  Another neat idea is to use a piece of authentic papyrus as your background.

Readers, share your scrapbooking tips with us!

Egypt is full of beautiful people, scenic desert vistas, dramatic monuments, and of course, priceless treasures.  You’ll want photos of everything! Allow me to share some hard-earned tips to taking good photos in Egypt:

• The bright Egyptian sun can be your friend or your foe.  Either you’re looking into it (which your camera doesn’t like) or your subject is (and probably squinting).  Turn at a 90 degree angle to the sun (i.e. the sun is to your left or right) so both of you get the light without the glare.  Also try taking pictures with the photographer in the shade of an umbrella.
• Try to find interesting angles.  Get down low to take a picture up one edge of the Great Pyramid, or stand on one of its massive blocks and take a photo of your group below.
• Take multiple photos of the same thing, so you’ll have lots of shots to choose from (digital cameras make this much easier).
• Take a closeup photo of your admission ticket into each venue, so you’ll know where you are.  Bonus: you may have the date/time stamp on your ticket so you can arrange photos chronologically.
• Really learn your camera and its settings, so you can take wonderful mix of action, night, closeup, and landscape shots.
• Pre-plan shots you really want.  If, for example, you are an avid scrapbook artist, you may know before your trip that you want to do a layout on the Pyramids of Giza and the Great Sphinx. Take photographs accordingly.
• Ask your tour guide if there are locations that make for interesting photos.  For example, there is an overlook near the Giza Plateau where you can be photographed holding out your hand for the archtypical “See, the pyramid is this tall” photos.

You’re bound to see many amazing things in Egypt.  The best advice I can give you is keep your camera out at all times, lens cap off, finger on the button, poised and ready to take that perfect photo.  Now that you know my secrets, please share your photography tips!