Walk like an Egyptian
SC students, faculty tour land of the pharaohs

Winfield Daily Courier article of February 10, 2007

By Amanda Smith

(Editor's note: A version of this story originally appeared in the Southwestern College Collegian. Amanda Smith is a freshman majoring in political science at SC.)

Leaving behind the fickle weather of Kansas, which in a day can range from frosty to tropical, a group of Southwestern College students and professors traveled over Christmas break to Egypt, where the climate is constant and the landscape bears witness to 5,000 years of history.

The group departed the day after Christmas and returned just days before spring classes began. Local travelers included students Janelle Renz, Linda Hawk and Robert Jackson, Professor George Gangwere and his wife, Patricia. They were joined by other students and adults from Kansas, Missouri, and California.

"Altogether we had 24 travelers, 18 of them women. Some of them got marriage proposals from eager salesmen," said Stephen Woodburn, history professor. Woodburn organized the trip through V.J.'s Exotic Safaris, run by Vijay Sherring in Winfield.

"We didn't expect Vijay to join us, but he surprised us in Cairo when we arrived. He put together a great trip with lots of extras, and really made things happen," Woodburn said.

Traveling to and around Egypt added to the adventure. "We took planes, trains, boats, buses and taxicabs."

The group was diverse by age, interests and background, and the combination proved to be a success.

"The older travelers in our group kept saying how much they enjoyed traveling with students, who are so young and full of life. On New Year's Eve, our boat was making so much noise we had to pull away from the dock and circle mid-river. Some of the crew from the other boats on the dock joined our party," said Woodburn.

After flying into Cairo, the students visited the Egyptian Museum where the contents of King Tutankhamen's tomb are on display. An overnight train took them to Aswan, in southern Egypt, where they saw the High Dam and Philae Temple.

Completed in 1970, the dam captures the Nile to create the world's third largest reservoir, Lake Nasser. Philae Temple, dedicated to the goddess Isis, had to be relocated to higher ground and is still reached only by boat.

Boarding a chartered cruise ship, the group spent four days floating down the Nile, the longest river in the world, stopping at temples in Kom Ombo, Edfu, Karnak and Luxor (the ancient city of Thebes).

Across the Nile from Luxor, the travelers explored tombs of the pharaohs in the Valley of the Kings and the temple of Hatshepsut, the powerful female pharaoh of the 15th century BC.

The travelers were amazed that tomb walls painted thousands of years ago could still be so bold and colorful.

After their Nile cruise, the group returned to Cairo to see the pyramids at Saqqara and Giza and the Coptic and Islamic sites in the old part of the city.

"Crossing streets in Cairo is a death-defying act, and we got fairly good at it," said Woodburn.

Sightseeing, picture taking, absorbing the culture and sampling new food were all part of the learning experience. Extra perks arranged by Vijay included Nubian dancers, a "galabeya night" in Egyptian robes for dinner and dancing to Arab pop music, an unforgettable New Year's Eve bash, and a final dinner cruise with live music and belly dancing, before a midnight bus ride to the airport.

Traveling and learning go hand in hand. The fear of the unknown keeps some people close to home. But travelers stepping out of the comfort zone into an entirely different world get a new perspective on their homeland.

"I want my students to understand that they can go among strangers and find friends. Americans fear Muslims as if they're all terrorists, but the hospitality and courtesy we were shown by Muslims would put many Americans to shame," Woodburn said.

"Also I hope when students experience the foreign, they'll see the familiar in a new way. Instead of asking why do they haggle over prices, asking ourselves why can't we haggle prices at Wal-Mart?

"I hope they come back with more than just souvenirs."

Builders Abroad 100 College St  Winfield, KS  Sheila Krug, Director Phone: (620) 229-6368 Email: sheila.krug@sckans.edu Campus Phone: (620) 229-6367

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