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Egypt: At the Crossroads of Cultures
March 9/10–23, 2013
·Itinerary
·Printable full program description
·Register
PROGRAM LEADERS:
Richard Allen, Professor of Computer Science
Wendy Allen, Professor of French
Egypt is a country with 5,000 years of history. The birthplace of one of the most influential civilizations of the ancient world, it has throughout history been at the crossroads of multiple cultures. The history of Egypt progresses from the pharaonic period through a Christian and a monastic period, to the Islamic period of more recent times. Egypt gave the world hieroglyphics. It is a country whose population lives on the banks of a single iconic river, the Nile, the longest river in the world, which runs from south to north, and which provides the lifeblood of the country. Egypt is a country of starkly contrasting sites where ninety percent of the land is sand which is so fine that it cannot be used to make cement; yet it is bordered on two sides by strategic seas, the Mediterranean Sea on the north and the Red Sea on the east. It is the most populous country in the Arab world and Egyptian Arabic is considered the standard for oral Arabic.
Through lectures, guided visits and a range of cultural experiences, program participants will discover the different aspects of Egypt's civilizations and explore how they come together form a multi-dimensional mosaic in which the glories of the past stand both in contrast to, and as integrated into, what Egypt is today. We will focus much of our activity around the Nile. We begin our stay in the mega city of Cairo with its mosques, churches, markets, Egyptian Museum, and the nearby Pyramids at Giza and Sakkara. Next, we will head north to explore monasticism in the desert, the World War II memorials, and Alexandria, one of the seven wonders of the ancient world, a city founded in 331 B.V. by Alexander the Great. Egypt's capital for 1000 years, Alexandria was home to the ancient library and today houses the new biblioteca alexandrina.
We will then travel south to Luxor, where we will visit the temples of Karnak and Luxor. On the west bank, we will visit the Valley of the Kings, the temple of Queen Hatshepsut, and the Colossi of Memnon. From there, we cruise further south to Aswan, the site of the world-renowned high dam, and then visit the temples of Abu Simbel, two massive rock temples that are part of the UNESCO world heritage site known as The Nubian Monuments, dating from the 13th century BC under Ramesses II and his queen Nefertari. We will spend our final day and evening in Cairo, with a dinner cruise and show on the Nile.
Program Leaders
Professors Richard and Wendy Allen custom designed this program based on their experience leading the Global Semester for St. Olaf students. Wendy did her undergraduate work at Connecticut College and earned M.A. and Ph.D. degrees at Indiana University. At St. Olaf since 1977, Wendy has taught courses in French language, culture and literature, and has led numerous January Interim courses for students in France. Her particular areas of research include 17th-century French literature, contemporary France, second language acquisition and pedagogy. She has also been deeply involved with St. Olaf's Foreign Languages Across the Curriculum program.
Richard, a native New Englander, was an undergraduate at Boston College and earned advanced degrees at Indiana University before coming to St. Olaf in 1975. He established the computer science program here and has been involved with it ever since. For the past 25 years, Rich has conducted research with French artificial intelligence teams in Rennes and Grenoble. He has spent three successive sabbatical leaves in France collaborating with these teams. He teaches a course on Islamic geometric patterns as a result of his Middle East work and has led with Wendy three 5-month study abroad programs for students.
Personal Perspectives: What Previous Participants Say
"I enjoyed the tour and found it very informative. I liked Rich and Wendy's style."
"Rich and Wendy were such excellent hosts that I learned so much from them!!! I so appreciated their work ahead of time
to make the trip so smooth. They were able to guide our group yet give us opportunities to learn on our own."
"Fantastic study leaders!"
"I so enjoy the expertise and knowledge of the St. Olaf faculty to bring alive the lands we are exploring!"
"We have had fine experiences travelling with St. Olaf before and this was no different."
What to Expect
Egypt is a mix of modern and ancient, of the familiar and exotic. Large cities have all the usual amenities, while smaller towns and outlying areas may feel like a step back in time.
Egypt is not handicapped accessible. Though we will transfer between cities by air-conditioned private motor coach, you should be prepared for lots of walking. The country is full of tiny streets and passageways — places a bus just can't get to. You should be capable of walking a minimum of one mile at a time over uneven terrain and up to five miles per day, of climbing stairs that may not have handrails, of keeping pace with an active group of travelers on long days of traveling, of dealing with the emotional highs and lows that can occur when experiencing a different culture, and of traveling with a group for several hours each day.
Hotels will be tourist class (typically three or four star) with private baths, air conditioning and English-speaking staff. In smaller towns, we often secure the best hotel available, which may be two star (small sleeping rooms, and fewer amenities such as in-room coffee making service).
The weather in March should be pleasant, with lows in the 50s and highs ranging from the low 70s to the mid 80s.
Most days, we will depart the hotel between 8 and 9 a.m.; we will coordinate our departure time in order to maximize our time at that day's sites. We will stop for lunch at some point in the early afternoon (usually between 12 noon and 2 p.m.). Often we will resume our program after lunch, visiting another site or museum. Some days may have several hours of free time; others will have very little or none at all. We try to return to the hotel in time to relax and freshen up for dinner.
You should plan on seeing your family physician or a travel doctor at least four to six weeks prior to departure, preferably earlier, to talk about routine vaccinations. For more information on travel health, visit cdc.gov or who.it.
Program Fee
The program fee is $3,750 through Oct. 31, 2012. Based on double occupancy, it includes seminars by Rich and Wendy Allen, assistance by a national guide, all accommodations, breakfast daily and several other group meals, admissions for group activities, ground transportation except airport transfers, and gratuities to guides and drivers. For single occupancy, add $480. After Oct. 31, 2012, the program fee is $3,900 per person.
Airfare is not included in the program fee. Participants are solely responsible for all expenses not specifically included in the program fee. Examples of excluded expenses are: airfare, transfers between the airport and hotel on arrival and departure, any passport and visa fees, any recommended immunizations or vaccinations, accident / baggage / trip cancellation insurance, beverages, laundry, dry cleaning, phone charges, room service or mini bar charges, expenses incurred during free time or non-group activities, and lunch and dinner, unless specifically included on program itinerary.
| Please plan to DEPART THE U.S. ON SATURDAY, MARCH 9 in order to arrive in Cairo on Sunday, March 10. Plan to depart Cairo on Saturday, March 23. This includes flights that leave in the very early morning (around 1 a.m.), which means you will arrive at the airport late in the evening on Friday, March 22, after our farewell dinner. For assistance with flight arrangements, may we recommend Noreen Deiss of Travel Leaders / Suntime Travel. She can be reached at 651-429-0039 or noreen@suntimetravel.com. We recommend you not purchase non-refundable airfare until we can confirm the program has enough participants to go. |
Register
Register online or call our toll free number 888-865-6537 or 507-786-3629. A deposit of $500 per person guarantees your space.
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