Dear Quest News Subscribers,

We at the NY Open Center would like to update you on the current situation in Egypt as it directly relates to our upcoming Esoteric Quest for Ancient Alexandria: Greco-Egyptian Birthplace of the Western Mind, June 12th to 17th 2011.

We’re sure many of you were glued to your television screens during the Egyptian Uprising as were we. Those scenes from Tahrir Square in Cairo were some of the most gripping and dramatic images of the last twenty years, and the victory of the democracy activists is clearly an event affecting the whole of the Middle East, perhaps for years to come.

Below you will find links to a series of articles, audio and video clips that convey the mood of a liberated Egypt, freed from decades of dictatorship. Our friends and colleagues in Alexandria have spoken to us of their pride, optimism and celebration of this new world in process of emerging.

Our intention is to proceed with the conference and the post-conference journeys as planned. It should be noted that the British Foreign Office and many other European countries no longer advise against travel to Egypt. The U.S. Department of State has also lifted its travel warning but continues to alert U.S. citizens to defer non-essential travel to Egypt. We hope the United States will follow the European lead in the near future. You can find more information regarding travel advisories at http://www.familyadventures.com/blog/destinations/egypt/us-dept-of-state-lifts-travel-warning-for-egypt

This is a moving story, forwarded to us last week, of an American visitor whose group found itself landing in Cairo just as the Uprising broke out.

Magical Egypt
                                                                                               
Our group returned to the US last night incredibly inspired by a magical 18-day trip to Egypt. We arrived in Cairo on January 28, just as the unrest was gathering steam. Soon after we got off the plane, we met lots of Egyptians who enthusiastically welcomed us, translated the news to us, and communicated their excitement and pride in the unfolding events. They spoke of their dream of a free society with free and fair elections, freedom of speech and the press, and the opportunity to control their own destinies. My deep belief is that they are not going to surrender this newfound precious freedom to radical groups, or to anyone (or anything) else. And the women are strong.
After an initially tense ride through early morning Cairo past numerous neighborhood “checkpoints” (described in the news media as vigilantes, but actually courageous men protecting their homes — with smiles and peace signs exchanged between us and them when they figured out who we were), we flew to Luxor. As the days went on, we couldn’t imagine leaving. People would yell “Welcome to Egypt!” as we walked through Luxor and Aswan. As we moved past fear and into trust, it was clear to us that the Egyptian people’s revolution was intelligent and targeted. I never felt in danger, but we were constantly aware that we needed to be sensible and stay out of the way! We were quite a novelty, though, since in most places we were the only tourists there. It’s a sad time for the Egyptian economy, of which tourism is a huge chunk. We were able to walk around the empty sites, pray, climb into tombs, feed the temple dogs and cats, and visit sites that have been closed to tourists for 20 years.  The Egyptian people are well aware that they are the guardians of these world treasures brimming with powerful energy. As our tour guide said, “Egypt is beyond time and space.”
We spent our next-to-last day at the completely empty Great Pyramid. Later that day, Mubarak resigned. When we got back to our hotel to eat breakfast, a HUGE double rainbow broke out over Cairo, and a few hours later Mubarak peacefully left the city. Our Egyptian tour guide told us she had NEVER SEEN A SKY RAINBOW BEFORE — (it almost never rains in Cairo).
So pack your bags and go to Egypt now before the tourists go back. I will never forget the sight of thousands of Egyptians, just standing there in the Square. I will never forget their generosity and kindness to 16 stray American, Canadian & New Zealand tourists whom they allowed to watch their poignant, elegant, restrained revolution. Our return flight was cancelled, so we decided to go to Tahrir Square as a group on Saturday. We bought Egyptian flags as we drove through downtown Cairo. When they saw us waving them, people reached out their hands to clasp ours at red lights. When we got out, they crowded around asking us to be in pictures with them!! It was overwhelming. We will never, ever forget it. Though masses were still celebrating from the night before, many in the crowd had donned rubber gloves and carried trash bags and brooms. They were cleaning up the square, just like they cleaned up their government.

Here is an article from the New York Times by a writer who visited Egypt recently and found that Tahrir Square has replaced the Pyramids as the place most tourists want to see first. As Quest faculty member David Fideler says, “For anyone who is excited to learn about other cultures and people . . . I believe this is the best and most privileged time to visit Egypt.”

Tahrir Square, Egypt’s Newest Tourist Draw

Here is a National Public Radio segment on the reopening of our conference’s home, the Bibliotheca Alexandrina or Library of Alexandria. Ismail Serageldin, the distinguished director of the Library, speaks in glowing terms of the achievement of the activists and the new Egypt that can now arise.

Egypt’s Jewel Of A Library Reopens, Thanks To Demonstrators

Dr. Serageldin also offers on the Bibliotheca’s website his own inspiring salute to the youth of Egypt who led the Uprising.

A Salute to the Great Youth of Egypt

This is a short video of Mohammed Nazmy from Quest travel in Cairo who has worked closely with us in organizing the pre-conference day around Cairo and the post-conference journey to Luxor and beyond.

Egypt’s Tourism Industry Devastated

EGYPT IS BACK!! This is a brilliant article that opens up a new level of understanding about modern Egypt. It reveals how the Revolution was about the rebirth of Egypt as the true center of Arab culture with rich traditions and an avant-garde, a position it held from independence to the Eighties. Dignity has been the watchword of the successful Uprising.

Egypt has returned from the cultural backwaters

And finally this, sent from a colleague in Alexandria on the day of Mubarak’s resignation.

“My dear Ralph
This is a GLORIOUS event
The unanimous celebration of 80 million people
…We are on the threshold of a new era
THE DRAGON HAS AWAKENED
See you in June!”

I know from many journeys to Russia and Eastern Europe in the early Nineties in the aftermath of communism that to visit a country liberated from decades of dictatorship is one of the most memorable and unforgettable experiences anyone can have. My feeling is that Egypt too will offer us something truly extraordinary.

Our Quest was always going to be an exceptional experience. After all it is perhaps 1500 years since an international group came to Alexandria to explore the full spectrum of the ancient city’s unrivaled legacy of philosophy, spirituality, culture, science and art. But the new and inspiring circumstances in which the Quest will now take place promise an event beyond our finest expectations. We look forward to seeing you there.

We continue to monitor the US State Department advisories and other sources and will update you when changes occur.

If you have any questions or concerns, feel free to call or write our registrar Andrea Lomanto at 212 219 2527 ext 101 or quest@opencenter begin_of_the_skype_highlighting     end_of_the_skype_highlighting.org.

With warm regards,

Ralph White, Director

With Carrie Wykoff, Coordinator and Andrea Lomanto, Registration Director

UPCOMING QUEST CLASSES AT NY OPEN CENTER