An enlightening experience, a cultural exchange of song and dance.

That’s what Frances Lindland and her colleagues had meant their vacation to be. But almost overnight, their idyll became a rolling nightmare for the little group, caught in the throes of turmoil in a far-off land.

Lindland, her husband, Arild, and six belly-dancers representing two local troupes aren’t likely to forget their visit last week to Egypt.

They had come to learn more about the original Egyptian art from the country’s legendary dancers and choreographers, but ultimately left for home, profoundly shaken and disturbed by the sufferings of a people convulsed by national conflict.

What began as a carefully planned 10-day trip to the country was cut short by a revolutionary clash between pro-regime and anti-government protestors that led to widespread violence and carnage in the streets of Cairo.

Lindland and her friends saw it all happen first hand. At times, they feared for their safety.

“I didn’t feel like I was endangered, but you were afraid that at any moment things would change,” said Lindland, 56, a graphics coordinator for the Student Life Department at Green River Community College and a Tacoma resident for 28 years.

Lindland also teaches belly-dancing in the college’s Continuing Education Department and is part of the Sisters Diama (which means Sisters Forever), a Pierce County belly-dancing troupe.

Dancers from Puyallup’s Jeweled Scarab Dance Company made the trip, too.

The visit began peacefully and impressively.

The group toured the country’s “Great Giza Pyramids,” visited Tahrir Square’s Egyptian museum, home to many priceless antiquities, basked in the culture, sampled the fine food and embraced its caring people.

But conditions changed. Tensions ran high. Protests ensued. The city turned into a war zone.

“We were surrounded by people with guns, axes, pipes. We had fighter jets flying overhead,” Lindland described. “We heard about the violence. We heard there were prisoners who had escaped with … swords and were killing people. We heard there were bodies in the street.”

Suddenly, Lindland’s group was on high alert and on the last evacuation plane trip out of the country.

Getting to the airport meant passing through a difficult gauntlet of some 25 checkpoints, many hemmed in by angry protestors.

The Egyptian army manned one final checkpoint.

“They attacked the back door to our van,” Lindland recalled. “It was a scary moment. Our hearts were racing. But what they were telling us was to never open the door. They didn’t want to hurt us. They didn’t want anyone to hurt us.”

The group arrived safely home last Thursday – with a greater appreciation of and perspective on another part of the world in strife.

Lindland empathizes with the Egyptian people and the challenges they face.

“I still love the people. They were great,” she said. “I feel for the plight they were in.

“They kept apologizing to us, saying, ‘I’m sorry for your vacation.’ Amazingly, they were more worried about us.”

From her observations, Egypt needs change, reform, and ways to improve the lives of its hard-working society.

“The people have been so oppressed by a dictatorship,” Lindland said. “They’re starving, they are in poverty worse than America.”

Lindland will consider returning to a peaceful Egypt one day. It is land of many amazing things, she insists.

One of her favorite memories is going to class at a studio guarded by citizens amid the violence.

For three hours, as fighter jets flew over, dancers from two countries exchanged moves and smiles.

It was a beautiful moment for two groups sharing the peaceful art of dance in a land of conflict.