In this issue:

• Eye On: Egypt
• CQ Capers: 2009 Early Bird Discount
• Teachers Talk: Kara McGann
• Travel Tidbits: Top 10 Historical Hollywood Movies
• Multicultural Corner: Students and Seniors Share Common Threads

EYE ON: Egypt

Ancient Egypt. The very words conjure up royal pharaohs, mysterious mummies and golden pyramids. Ancient Egypt is just about every elementary student's first glimpse into civilizations past, and you'd be hard pressed to find a fourth grader who wasn't captivated by the fine art of embalming or the Curse of King Tut's Tomb. Why, then, don't more American student groups visit this exotic yet oh-so-familiar country?

There's a litany of reasons why American teachers balk at the idea of taking a trip to Egypt: it's too far away, it's too expensive, it's too dangerous, with danger, of course, being the operative word. The Middle East has long had a bad wrap in the travel safety department, more so in recent post 9/11 years. Egypt's reputation, in particular, soured after suffering a series of deadly terrorist attacks in 2004, 2005, and 2006 in or near tourist resorts in the Sinai Peninsula. But what the media failed to stress was that these attacks took place in areas far away from the popular sites listed on student itineraries and that U.S. citizens did not appear to have been targeted. Teachers need only be reminded of the 2004 Madrid train attacks or the 2005 central London bombings, and Egypt is easily let off the danger hook.

Since Egypt relies heavily on foreign tourist income, the government has installed high security throughout the country, including many roadside checkpoints, keeping the crime rate low and ensuring the nonstop flow of tourist dollars. In reality, Egypt is a safe country to travel in and probably no more dangerous than any western capital with the common array of minor crimes like purse-snatching, pick-pocketing and petty theft. Europeans, fortunately, get this point. According to PRNewsNow.com, Egypt attracted just over 9,000,000 visitors in 2006 with England, Russia, Germany, Italy and France sending a combined 4,155,000 tourists, compared with the trickle of 228,165 Americans who visited Egypt in the same year.

Another reason more American student groups don't visit Egypt is the notion that it takes too long to get there. While the Egyptair flight from New York to Cairo does take 11 hours, many teachers who would readily organize an educational tour to Italy or Greece are forgetting that an East Coast flight to Rome takes about 8 hours and a flight to Athens takes 9 hours and 40 minutes. Another hour and change and you've landed in Cairo, so why not go the extra mile?

Perceived expense goes hand in hand with long distance in the mind of the resistant American traveler. Teachers who think Egypt is too far away also mistakenly assume it is too expensive — especially for their student groups. While the higher cost of airfare to Egypt over many European cities may have made this true in the past, the euro has recently leveled the playing the field. European land services are now at an all time high, making the total cost of a trip to Egypt — even with its higher airfare — a relative bargain. A 10-day fully escorted tour of Egypt with Culture Quest, taking place in March 2009 and including airfare from New York, first class accommodations, a four-night Nile cruise, two internal flights and guided sightseeing throughout costs $3489 pp. Running a close second in price is a 10-day unescorted tour to Rome, Naples, Sorrento and Pompeii with Culture Quest, taking place in April 2009 and including a flight from New York, superior tourist-class hotels and guided sightseeing throughout. Cost? $3379 pp. Hard to believe but true. The difference between travel to Egypt and Italy is $110.

So we've conquered safety, distance and cost. Add to that the ease of travel to and within Egypt, and you've got a sure shot winner of a student destination. Entering the country is a breeze. Americans need only pack their passports; the required tourist visa is obtainable on arrival at the airport for a $15 fee, payable in U.S. dollars, and no immunizations are required for travelers arriving from the United States.

The transportation infrastructure in Egypt is a good one with an extensive air-conditioned long distance bus network, a well-connected and relatively cheap domestic air network and dozens of different Nile riverboats offering 3, 4, 5 and 7-day cruises from Luxor to Aswan, the historic way of visiting temples and tombs along the river.

You and your students will instantly feel welcomed and connected in Egypt. English is commonly spoken in tourist areas, ATMS are easily found in the major cities and an increasing number of coffee shops, restaurants, hotel lobbies and other locations now provide wireless Internet access. Egypt, too, has a reasonably modern telephone service including three GSM mobile service providers, and you can purchase a short-term cell phone service for the duration of your visit.

Must sees for any first-time visitor to Egypt include The Great Pyramids of Giza and the Great Sphinx, the findings of King Tut's tomb at the Egyptian Museum, the Temple of Luxor with its seated colossus of Ramses II, the Temple of Karnak, the Valley of the Kings, the Temples of Abu Simbel and The Step Pyramid at Sakkara. Bucknell University visited all these sites and more with Culture Quest in 2006 and 2008. They are planning their third trip to Egypt with Culture Quest in February 2009.

Contact ale@cqtours.com to find out how you can organize an educational travel program to ancient and wonderful Egypt.

CQ Capers

2009 Early Bird Discount

Don't wait until the autumn leaves fall off the trees to organize your 2009 Tailored Educational Travel Program. Do it now and take advantage of our Early Bird Discount.

Students who register with Culture Quest by June 15, 2008 receive a $50 discount and an automatic price guarantee. Plus group leaders receive a $50 stipend for every Early Bird Participant.

Mention this newsletter, and we'll extend the Early Bird Discount to September 15.

Request your no-obligation customized group quote to Europe, Latin America and beyond today!

Teachers Talk

Kara McGann

Dear CQ,

Last week, I met with the other group leaders to discuss our trip to Greece. Overall, we had a wonderful experience. From the planning stages to the actual trip itself, Culture Quest was extremely accommodating and organized, making the trip run smoothly.

During the planning stage, you took our ideas for the trip and formed an incredible itinerary, enjoyed by all. You were flexible with our needs and willing to help make the trip one to remember. Any questions I had were answered quickly and accurately.

Everything was so well planned, that while I was abroad, I was able to enjoy the sites and not worry about the small things because I knew they had been taken care of by Culture Quest. You were thorough with your planning and communicated with us throughout the whole process. We look forward to working with Culture Quest again in the future for another successful trip!

Kara McGann
Assistant Director of Alumni Relations
Wagner College, NY

Travel Tidbits

Top 10 Historical Hollywood Movies

ANCIENT GREECE: Troy

Another movie adaptation of Homer's great epic poem, The Iliad, Troy elaborately used special effects to shoot the Trojan War scenes, making it Hollywood's 8th-most expensive movie of all time. Starring Brad Pitt as Achilles, the legendary Greek hero whose fatal undoing in battle was an arrow to his heel. Ironically, Pitt accidentally tore his left Achilles tendon during production. MPAA Rating: R

ROMAN EMPIRE: Gladiator

Maximus, a beloved Roman general, refuses loyalty to the new Emperor Comodus and is punished by being enslaved in a remote Roman province in North Africa. Although Gladiator is based loosely on real events, the movie does a good job at recreating the grandeur of the Roman Empire with intense battle scenes, legionaries, the Senate and brutal gladiatorial games. MPAA Rating: R

MEDIEVAL SCOTLAND: Braveheart

Legendary Scottish freedom fighter, William Wallace, fights the English during the Wars of Scottish Independence during the late 13th and early 14th Centuries. Unfortunately, Wallace, played by Mel Gibson, was eventually defeated at the Battle of Falkirk and executed for treason by King Edward I. Unfortunately, also, is the fact that no one told the kilt-wearing Gibson that this traditional garment didn't come into fashion for another 200 years or so. MPAA Rating: R

MEDIEVAL FRANCE: The Messenger

Famous French teenager Joan of Arc has a divine vision that she should help rid her homeland of English domination, and she does! Although poor Joan was captured by the English and burned at the stake as a heretic, her ability to inspire French troops to victory at Orléans helped spur the beginning of the end of the Hundred Years War between France and England. MPAA Rating: R

SPAIN & THE AGE OF DISCOVERY: 1492 — Conquest of Paradise

A Frenchman plays an Italian working for the Spanish in this quincentenary film. 1492 stars Gérard Depardieu as Christopher Columbus and recounts his discovery of the New World, his attempts to civilize the indigenous people and the disastrous effects that European arrival had on the local population. MPAA Rating: PG-13

ELIZABETHAN ENGLAND: Elizabeth, Elizabeth: the Golden Age

Two films made ten years apart covering the life of the Virgin Queen. The first movie details Elizabeth's ascension to the throne and the tensions that existed between Protestants and Catholics. In the sequel, Lizzy prepares to fight the meddlesome King Phillip II of Spain who wants to restores England to Catholicism, but finds herself falling in love with Sir Walter Raleigh. Palace intrigues, attempted assassinations and executions cheerfully grace both films. MPAA Ratings: R and PG-13

GERMAN REFORMATION: Luther

Biography of the 16th-century German monk who vows to rid the Church of papal scandal and corruption and touches off one of Europe's greatest religious movements. MPAA Rating: PG-13

THE FRENCH REVOLUTION: Marie Antoinette

Sophie Coppola's biographical film about the iconic Queen of France who reputedly said of her lowly subjects, "Let them eat cake." The film traces Marie from her marriage to Louis XVI to her reign as queen and ends with her fall during the French Revolution without showing the nasty guillotine blade. Kirsten Dunst plays the staring role as do lots of opulent costumes and lavish sets. Filmed at Versailles. MPAA Rating: PG-13

NAZI GERMANY: Schindler's List

Based on the true story of Oskar Schindler, a German capitalist turned humanitarian who witnesses the atrocities of the Nazi regime and realizes he can save the lives of his Jewish factory workers by claiming them as labor essential. The Nazis buy this story, and Schlinder eventually saves over 1100 Jews from extermination. MPAA Rating: R

WORLD WAR II FRANCE: Saving Private Ryan

Academy Award winning film about the rescue of a young American soldier lost in Nazi-occupied France. The film does an absolutely stunning — and horrifyingly graphic — job at recreating the brutality of the Allied Invasion of Normandy on June 6, 1944 and offers an accurate portrayal of trench warfare and the final stages of World War II. MPAA Rating: R

Contact us today to help you organize a student tour to many of these amazing places.

Multicultural Corner

Students and Seniors Share Common Threads

In April, Culture Quest's non-profit sister organization, the Multicultural Youth eXchange (MYX) began its very first intergenerational program with middle and high school students from local Philadelphia schools and residents of NewCourtland Elder Services, a network of seven nursing homes in Philadelphia. The 10-week art-based, MYX workshop is designed to help participating students and elders explore each other's generational identity and help the young people become more sensitive to the nature and culture of their senior peers.

For one hour each week, pairs of students and elders collaborate on individual quilt squares which will be assembled into one final panel. Entitled "Common Threads," the quilt will explore the hopes, issues and concerns that transcend age groups. Additionally, the finished quilt squares will be photographed and organized into an online, "virtual quilt" with each square linked to audio interviews made by the students and the elders.

Contact MYX to find out more about this unique project.

© Copyright 2008 Culture Quest Tours. Please report any broken links or other site problems to webmaster@cqtours.com.