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Egyptian Eclipse Safety

Started by RobertHowe, 07/25/2005 03:24PM
Posted 07/25/2005 03:24PM Opening Post
Hi all

I am registered to join Travel Quest International (tq-international.com) for a 7 day eclipse tour in Egypt, March 2006. Things are looking a little hazardous in that part of the world right now, especially worrisome to me is that this eclipse is a predictable event that will lure large numbers of foreigners into a very small part of Egypt and thus may be especially inviting to terrorists.

I live a quiet widower's life with four children, my sons are 20 and 16, my girls 11 and 4. The present excursion is a Very Big Deal for us. We are using some of my late wife's legacy and I will be selling a couple of fine AP refractors (after Mars is gone for the summer, mind you) to finance this trip.

I took my sons, then 10 and 14, to see the eclipse in France in 1999, it was unbelievable but only a minute and a half. My older son is not coming on the Egypt trip as he is in college.

Any thoughts on safety, on whether I should go or not with my then-to-be 12 and 17 year old, (the older of whom wants to go despite the recent slaughter, the younger of whom never wanted to go), on how we can minimize risks? Would you go on EgyptAir direct from New York or AirFrance through Paris? How much pleasure does a 4 and a half minute eclipse carry relative to months of worry and the concerns of family back home?

All insights will be appreciated. I am posting this to several fora, perhaps the Current Events (comets and eclipses etc) forum would make a good place for everyone's replies.

Ciao

Robert Howe

Robert Howe
Wilbraham MA


TeleVue 85 f/7 // Astro-Physics Traveler 105 f/6 // Astro-Physics 130 f/8.35
Coronado 60 DS
"Scopes, Brains and Wisdom--but no Beauty"
Posted 08/12/2005 10:04PM #1
Hi Friends,

Thank you all for your advice. In the end we decided to cancel this trip--TravelQuest graciously refunded the bulk of our deposit, what a classy operation they have. We're going to see the eclipse from aboard a Greek tour boat instead.

My Lonely Planet guide to Egypt is for sale in the Books classifeds...

Robert Howe

Robert Howe
Wilbraham MA


TeleVue 85 f/7 // Astro-Physics Traveler 105 f/6 // Astro-Physics 130 f/8.35
Coronado 60 DS
"Scopes, Brains and Wisdom--but no Beauty"