courtesy photo: Amy Jackman, right, and best friend Jessica Chizek of Omaha enjoy a camel ride during a recent trip to Egypt.

by Stephanie Croston

    When Amy Jackman learned of an opportunity to go to Egypt and get college credit, she jumped at the chance.
     Jackman, a sophomore at Dana College and 2005 Seward High graduate, visited Egypt as part of a Discovery Term class called The Legacies of Egypt, offered in January through Dana. She and 16 other people spent three weeks overseas.
     "It was awesome. It was amazing," Jackman said.
     Although the trip was for credit, the students didn't attend any actual classes, she said. Instead they chronicled their experiences-what they learned and reflections on what they did-in journals, which were graded.
     Among their stops was the Valley of the Kings, where many of Egypt's pharaohs are buried. Jackman said it was interesting to learn more about the kings.
     "King Tut wasn't that important," she said, adding that his fame came because his tomb was found intact.
     They also visited the pyramids and got to climb inside one. Jackman said a tunnel led to a big square area, but added that people who are claustrophobic should probably avoid that particular activity.
     She said she was impressed with the size of the pyramids and the thought that people actually made them.
     "How did they do it? How long did it take? How many people were there?" she said.
     The 10-hour flight went from Chicago to Istanbul, Turkey, where the group spent one day. From Istanbul, they flew to Cairo, Egypt, where they took a train to the Nile where they boarded a cruise ship for a week.
     Another stop during that time was Alexandria, where they visited the city's famous library and saw the Mediterranean Sea. Jackman said the library included a lot of art, which was interesting to her as an art major.
     "That was why I wanted to go, to see all the inscriptions in the temples," she said.
     However, the trip did not include much time for drawing, she said. Photographs documented her activities, instead.
     She said Egypt's climate featured temperatures in the 50s and 60s primarily. In the middle of the day, the temperatures were hot, while jackets were needed in the mornings and evenings.
     "You had to put a lot of clothes in a tiny suitcase," Jackman said with a laugh.
     In addition to the learning about the Egyptian culture, Jackman had the opportunity to ride a camel, which was "really scary," she said.
     She and her friend Jessica Chizek of Omaha rode together.
     "It went up right away, and I was not expecting that," Jackman said. "It was like riding a horse, but it makes weird sounds and spits."
     She and Chizek had their picture taken on the animal, and she said the photographer asked them to put their hands in the air and say "aloha."
     "I don't know why he did that," Jackman said, laughing. "Maybe he thought all Americans say that."
     Although the group was near the Middle East, Jackman said they didn't hear much about the war in Iraq. They traveled with an armed security guard and were escorted everywhere, she said.
     "The people said, 'Make sure to tell Americans we're nice. We won't hurt them,'" she said.
     Jackman described the trip as "a huge eye opener. To see how other people live-Cairo was really dirty. There were no trash cans anywhere."
     She recommended taking advantage of any opportunity like this that may arise.
     The trip to Egypt was not Jackman's first overseas experience. She toured Europe three summers ago with her sister, visiting relatives in Belgium. She said she would still like to go to London.
     "That would be amazing," she said.