Destination: Egypt

The Concerto Inspired by Tahrir Square

Arab American composer Mohammed Fairouz watched the uprising in Tahrir Square on TV a year ago today. As he looked on, with the volume off, he began composing a piece of music. “Tahrir for Clarinet and Orchestra,” now complete, is “the first movement of what will eventually become a concerto in three movements,” according to a fascinating report on PRI’s The World.

You can hear the movement in its entirety below, but the radio segment is well worth a listen, particularly Fairouz discussing the various facets of the uprising he was trying to evoke through the music.


Interview with Henry Rollins: Punk Rock World Traveler

Jim Benning asks the musician about his new book of photographs and how travel has humbled him

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Protests in Egypt: Five Links for Travelers

Photo by Ahmad Hammoud via Flickr (Creative Commons)

The protests in Egypt are entering their second week, and the flow of news stories, blog posts, links, tweets and video can be overwhelming. Here are five links, in case you’ve missed any of them:


World Travel Watch: Tube Strike in London, Election Worries in Egypt and More

Larry Habegger rounds up global travel news

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Mapped: Sexual Harassment in Cairo

And speaking of street harassment—a group of women’s rights activists in Cairo has created a new site aimed at raising awareness of the problem in their city. The project, HarassMap, uses crowd-sourced emails and text messages to map harassment on the streets—divided into categories like “catcalls,” “touching,” “stalking or following” and “indecent exposure.” The second step? Approaching community leaders in harassment “hotspots” and enlisting their help in combating the problem.


Photo You Must See: Old and New Transport in Giza

Photo You Must See: Old and New Transport in Giza REUTERS/Ho New

A freestyle motocross rider jumps during a sunset training session near the Pyramids of Giza. The Red Bull X-Fighters World Tour competition took place there this weekend.

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Don’t Mess With My French Toast!

Don’t Mess With My French Toast! iStockPhoto

On the meal that grounds us in our home culture, even on the other side of the globe

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World Travel Watch: Machu Picchu Closed, Security Boosted in Goa and More*

Larry Habegger rounds up global travel news

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Photo You Must See: Sandboarding in Egypt

Photo You Must See: Sandboarding in Egypt REUTERS/Tarek Mostafa

American sandboarder Matt Walton flies down the Al Katania dunes southwest of Cairo, Egypt.

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World Travel Watch: Major Earthquake in Haiti, Road Blocks in Greece and More

Larry Habegger rounds up global travel news

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France Returns Frescoes to Egypt

Big news in the antiquities world: The French government has returned five disputed frescoes to the Egyptian government. The painted stone fragments had been held by the Louvre for the past few years, and the Egyptians—claiming that the Louvre’s curators bought them knowing they were stolen goods—had cut off all formal ties and cooperation on archaeological digs with the museum as a result. I suspect that the British Museum, among others, hopes this move won’t become a precedent-setter.


World Travel Watch: Kidnapping in Mauritania, Border Hassles in Mexico and More

Larry Habegger rounds up global travel news

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Alexandria, Egypt

Alexandria, Egypt REUTERS/Tarek Mostafa

Visitors check out the rare books displayed in the Alexandria Library, home to more than 3000 rare manuscripts, books and maps

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Eight Photos to Inspire Wanderlust

Eight Photos to Inspire Wanderlust REUTERS

Indulge your armchair traveler. We've gathered eight wanderlust-inspiring travel photos from around the world.

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Eight Great Road Trip Stories

Eight Great Road Trip Stories Photo by Nicholas_T, via Flickr (Creative Commons)

To mark World Hum's eighth anniversary, we've collected from our archives eight favorite travel stories that heed the call of the open road

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