it always strikes me as odd that when i tell people i'm going to someplace like syria or uzbekistan they think it's really dangerous, and wonder why i'm not going to a "normal" place like europe. they seem to forget that europe has quite a few indigenous terrorists organizations. people go to spain, despite the ETA, the british isles notwithstanding the IRA, and greece without thinking about november 17th.
i'm not saying that europe is especially dangerous. but nowhere is really "safe." i think places that are labeled "safe" has more to do with how similar they are to what people are used to in the u.s. what makes "exotic east" exotic for a lot of people is the hint of danger they associate with the place. those dangers sometimes have a kernel of truth to them but are also exaggerated and extended to places where they don't really apply.
