European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - January 24, 1991, Darmstadt, Hesse                                The atmosphere amid the a 134 towering columns at Carnali Temple in Luxor can be eerie. A lonely guide is dwarfed by these Gigantic a pillars of Stone. Crowds at the pyramids of a it it l \. / / Alexandria Sana Giza Ortr k Cairo %  desert a Luxor Egypt Lake. Nasser m Sudan a amps map touring Egypt in troubled times Story and photos by Leah Larkin features editor 7hey c Roc hed and crept a almost crawled Down a Steep planks through spooky dark passages into the inner Chambers of tombs that Are thousands of years old. They wandered through mazes of columns colonnades doorways walkways and rooms of temples that were built some 40 centuries ago. They Rode camels and donkeys through the desert and crossed the Nile in Felucca Small wooden sailboats and ferries. They bargained at the bazaars smoked water pipes and drank mint Tea with merchants Clad in Long flowing garments. While the 14 participants in this University of Maryland two week study tour to Egypt were being seduced by the wonders Egypt tensions were mounting in nearby saudi Arabia. For months fears of War had reduced the usual mass of tourists visiting the treasures of ancient Egypt to a trickle a and now to a virtual standstill. This was actually a Bonus for the study tour participants. There were no lines or crowds anywhere. The group eight. University students and six non student tourists from Europe met no other groups of american tourists and just a few French and German groups. The. Other groups were planning to leave the country before the an. 15 deadline but the University of Maryland group was not scheduled to leave until Jan. 20. Their Leader history professor Donald Thaler who Speaks arabic and has lived and worked in both Cairo and Beirut kept assuring them Quot you re Safe in Egypt. Nothing will happen . Indeed they were and nothing did happen. However after hostilities erupted last week it was decided to Cut the trip Short and head Back to Germany two Days Early. When they Learned that w a  out several students called Home. Two Young girls were in tears alter talking to their mothers whom they said were crying on the phone because they were so worried. All official tourist Sites in Egypt were closed Las thursday. The few hotel size cruise ships still shuttling tourists up and Dow n the Nile were called to Shore their passengers told to disembark. There w Ere reports that the Cairo Airport would be close cd that the train which was supposed to take the University of Mary land tourists to Cairo that night w Ould not he running. Flow would they get out of Egypt. 8 stripes Magazine january 24, 1991