Let's start with the obvious: when you come to Egypt, you have to visit the pyramids. It's a given. Most of us learn about the country's ancient history in school. Pharoahs, pyramids and mummies live on in our dreams ever after. When I was twelve years old, I turned in a written assignment on Egypt that was supposed to be one page, but ended up being twelve. I couldn't help it. I had seen mummies and funerary artifacts at the British Museum when I was younger and it made an impression. I was hooked on Egyptology, as I expect many people are. When the King Tutankhamon exhibition came to Los Angeles, I was there. But, it was never enough. I knew I would have to visit Egypt one day to truly appreciate it.

In the intervening years, I have studied the contemporary history of the country and have a decent understanding of current affairs. I followed the Arab Spring with excitement, cheering on the (mostly young) protesters, as they sought to depose their dictator, Mubarak. When they finally did, I shared their frustration at the regimes that filled the void.

Egypt is a complex country that is new to the democracy game. The transition from dictatorship to popular rule is rarely, if ever, a smooth one. To sum up the current situation, Egypt is under military rule. The current president, Abdel Fattah El-Sisi, is a former Mubarak crony (he served as his Minister of Defense), so he is really part of the old regime. In the recent elections, he arrested, exiled or otherwise suppressed the opposition, which means that he ran unopposed…in a so-called democratic election. About half the population is happy about it, the other half are tired of protesting, while an unlucky few languish in jail or have disappeared altogether.

Add to all of this political tension the occasional spate of violence, including attacks on tourists, and you can understand why tourism has taken a hit in Egypt. The droves of tourists that once crowded the pyramids have vanished. As we were working our way West, we had frequent discussions about adding Egypt to the itinerary. Our primary concern was, of course, safety. After researching the issue and consulting with other travelers, we decided that we wouldn't let fear deter us from visiting Egypt and making up our own minds. We only had a few days to spare, so we opted to visit Cairo and get a taste of Egypt. If we liked it, we vowed to return for a more extensive visit.

From the moment we touched down in Cairo until the moment we left, we encountered nothing but kindness and warmth. Let me get this out of the way: at no point did we feel unsafe or intimidated. That's not to say that Egypt is without danger, but bad things happen to good people everywhere in the world at random. If you are serious about seeing the world, then you have to be fatalistic to some extent and realize that random events are out of your control. However, you can and should be cautious at all times wherever you are traveling. Egypt is no exception.

Our greatest and most wonderful surprise was finding Egyptians to be exceptionally warm and friendly people. When we were walking along dusty, chaotic roads, random strangers would greet us with a hearty "Welcome to Cairo!" and a big smile. They would ask where we were from and tell us to enjoy Cairo. We were also surprised by their quirky sense of humor. They would joke with us and play jokes on us, in the lightest way possible. Putting aside the incredible cultural heritage in this country for just a minute, I would return to Egypt just because of the people.

Culturally speaking, great changes are underfoot in Egypt right now. You can feel it. People want political freedom, but they also want personal freedom. In a humbling exchange, one young man asked us where we were from. When we told him America, he beamed at us and told us how much he wants to visit. Jona asked him why and he replied without hesitation: Freedom! It was the most eloquent expression of the human experience that I've heard on this trip. While we have come to understand that people want the same things throughout the world — family, health and a roof over their head — we have taken our freedom for granted. No matter how bad we may think our political situation may be, regardless of party preferences, we can express our discontent and we can vote to change the future. In many of the countries we have visited, this is simply not the case. Democracy is precious and it should be the glue that binds Americans together. Freedom is simply having the choice to live and make decisions together, in safety.

Most of the people we met in Egypt were men. While we saw a great many women along the way, most of public life is still conducted by men. However, there are signs that this is changing, particularly among the younger generation. In one particularly vivid incident, we saw a young girl yelling at a man in the street. We're not sure what he said or did to her, but she let him have it. She publicly shamed him, while bystanders were prepared to jump to her defense. According to our excellent tour guide, Tarek Halim, there has been a movement in the past few years to change the culture of sexual harassment in Egypt. Women's roles are changing gradually, as they redefine their place in society. It's fascinating to observe and bodes well for the future.

Having a guide like Tarek accompany you during your visit to Egypt is a great way to make the most of your time. It's also an effective way to understand the local culture, as well as the history. We toured the Egyptian Museum by ourselves on our first day in Cairo, but decided to hire a driver and guide to see the pyramids. It's possible to trek out to the desert by oneself, but it's not recommended. We found Tarek through Emo Tours, which was well-reviewed online, and we really lucked out. He was very knowledgeable and even teaches ancient history at the university. He gave us a great overview of Ancient Egypt and put the pyramids in context for us. He also facilitated the touristy parts of the experience, including an awesome camel ride across the Sahara, and kept the street hawkers at bay. Most of all, we learned something about his family and daily life in contemporary Egypt, which made us friends.

As for the pyramids, we feel like we were in a dream the whole time we visited these great monuments. During this round-the-world trip, we've visited temples, pagodas, churches and mausoleums. Each of these places is a testament to the person they seek to honor, but they are also a testament to the creative genius of the people who made them. The pharoahs' graves are no exception. They rise in the middle of the desert, like a path to the sun that the ancients worshipped. They're like a mirage, two-dimensional, yet real and awesome. They remain mysteries, as there is still much that is unknown. For instance, how did the ancients figure out the formulas to design such imposing structures that have lasted nearly 4500 years? Where did the idea come from? And how old is the Sphinx really? The mystery that surrounds the pyramids is a vital part of their allure. We came away from the experience awed but unsure whether it was real.

The Egyptian Museum also deserves a special mention, because it was possibly an even greater experience than the pyramids. This classic building on Tahrir Square houses the most important collection of Egyptian art we have ever seen. One would assume that there would be nothing left after the colonial powers plundered Egypt, but there are thousands of artifacts in this museum. We spent about four hours wondering through room after room full of sarcophagi, statues, jewellery and mummies. The star attractions are undoubtedly the mummy of the great Ramses II and the death mask of King Tutankhamun. Truthfully, though, it would take days to be able to fully appreciate the collection in all its glory.

As we watched the sun rising over the Nile this morning, our last in Cairo, we wistfully looked back on our time here and vowed to return one day. There's so much to enjoy: the architecture, the old world charm, the vibrant street life, the food (particularly koshary, which my friend Eric described far more eloquently than I ever could), the markets, the smell of spices, the tea (oh, the tea), and, most importantly, the people. On our way to the airport, I saw a man seated in the bed of a pickup truck, on his way to work, no doubt in construction. He looked at me with great curiosity and I did the same. After a few minutes of these furtive glances in stop-and-start traffic, I waved at him. He waved back with a big smile. Goodbye Egypt.