An “Ankhamun” Adventure: One Road Scholar’s Journey to Egypt
- Participants enjoy exhilarating explorations of ancient civilizations and modern-day Egyptian culture.
- Careful planning allows for a very broad educational experience throughout the country, while subject-matter experts lend important context to the places encountered.
- This is a multi-modal learning adventure, with flights over the Sahara, Nile voyages by riverboat and traditional felucca sailing ship, and even a camel ride past pyramids.
- Approaching this sometimes challenging journey with energy and a willingness to expand one’s comfort zones results in a rewarding, transformative experience.
…. Tutankhamun, Valley of the Kings, Abu Simbel, Karnak, Hatshepsut, Kom Ombo, Luxor, Edfu, Philae, catacombs, pyramids, sphinxes, obelisks, statues, monasteries, mosques, minarets, monuments, museums, markets …
The Nile River in Cairo
Visiting Egypt is, for many, the journey of a lifetime. From language to customs, this country is in so many ways a stark contrast to the United States. Although traveling abroad is oftentimes relatively easy to figure out on your own, I’d say that Egypt is a place that’s especially better to visit with Road Scholar.
The nuanced logistics alone will have you marveling that such a learning adventure can be pulled off without so much as a hiccup, as was the case when I joined the program Beyond the Pharaohs: Egypt Past and Present. This carefully curated, two-week educational opportunity included an Egyptologist who accompanied us from start to finish — allowing us experiences that we would never have been able to negotiate or navigate on our own. Most importantly, I felt well cared for, beginning the moment I stepped off the plane.
Lizzie Gerecitano
From Alexandria to Cairo and Giza (with a combined population of over 20 million people!), from Luxor to Aswan and all the way down to Abu Simbel, this is an all-encompassing immersion into a culture about as far away from daily life for many in the U.S. as you can get. And the program covers more ancient civilization — brought to life right before your eyes — than you could ever hope to absorb from a book. You’ll board three internal flights over the vast Sahara Desert, sail the Nile by riverboat, felucca and motorboat, and ride a camel past iconic pyramids.
The Citadel of Quitbay in Alexandria
All the while, you’ll be happily testing your comfort zone, squeezing in each and every life-changing moment. Egypt is a wake-up call to what life is like in a completely different part of the world.
You’ll visit places like Alexandria’s citadel and a Roman amphitheater, the Great Sphinx of Giza, the bazaars of downtown Cairo, Ben Ezra Synagogue and Bacchus Church — where stories from many religions’ texts took place. You’ll dine on authentic Egyptian specialties in local restaurants where elaborate ovens birth piping-hot bread, stand beneath the towering Colossi of Memnon, walk across the Aswan High Dam next to Lake Nasser and its thousands of crocodiles. You’ll experience firsthand Egypt’s melting pot of cultures and religions while conversing with Nubians, Bedouins, Muslims and Coptic Christians.
The Spinx and the Great Pyramids of Giza
You’ll discover the meanings of elaborate pictures and inscriptions carved into every ancient temple wall. You’ll learn about the reigns of rulers dating back so far that your head will spin. You’ll learn to haggle like a local for Egyptian cotton scarves straight off the loom, walk along ancient pathways while dogs and cats weave through your legs, experience exquisite burnt-umber sunsets and hot-air-balloon-filled sunrises in Luxor, crawl (if you dare) inside stifling-hot pyramids, listen to voices drifting on the wind singing the calls to prayer from loudspeakers atop minarets. And you’ll feel ever so small as you walk among soaring ancient pillars memorializing pharaohs, while realizing with every step you take that you are most certainly not in Kansas anymore.
Ancient obelisk in Luxor
You’ll be reminded to always stay hydrated (with filtered water). You’ll walk upon uneven, cracked, dusty surfaces everywhere you go. You’ll feel the desert heat and strong sun and become lulled by swaying date-palm trees.
Alexandria and Mediterranean Sea
Rest up, my friend, because you will need all the stamina and fortitude you can muster to conquer this slice of Africa. Prepare to fill your mind with the education that can only come from stepping inside the temples of ancient dynasties and kingdoms. from the north of the Egyptian Nile to the south, you’ll cover a great chunk of the most habitable area of this country. And chances are, like me, you’ll return home a different person. Although, like me, it may take you weeks afterward to fully process every mile you walked, every carving you touched, every word you exchanged, and every single moment of unexpected beauty that you found amid the daily chaos of cities like Cairo, tempered by peaceful moments along the slow-moving Nile from Luxor to Aswan. Is this a challenging program? Yes. Is it worth it? Absolutely. Are you up for the adventure? I certainly hope so.
