Black and White Deserts
We left Cairo at 8 Friday morning in a microbus. With no traffic, we were out of town in less than half an hour. The trip to Bahariya Oasis took a little less than 4 hours. When we got to the oasis, the driver stopped in front of a house, pointed towards a door, and told us goodbye. We went inside to find a one-room house (we later found out it was the home of the owner of the safari company). No one was around, so we sat down on the floor and waited. About 5 minutes later, two girls, about 5 or 6 years old came in, greeted each of us individually in Arabic, and then left, returning a few minutes later with a tray of food.
We ate, and then sat for a few more minutes, waiting on a guide or anyone over the age of 10 to tell us what was going on. Then our guides arrived - Mahmoud and Mohamed. They led us out to the jeeps and we set out across the desert. We rode along for an hour or so before we turned off the highway into the open desert. We went about a mile across the sand (which you apparently use exactly the same rules for driving on that you use for snow) to some hills. I'm afraid to say that I'm unable to fully describe them - giant cliffs, of white, chalk-like stone. See my flickr page for pictures.
Next we headed to the White Desert, named for the white dune-like rock formations sticking up out of the sand, where we were camping for the night. Again, I don't think that my descriptions can do justice to the landscape - see my flickr page.
We hiked around the area, took pictures, and tried to decide what shapes the different rock formations resembled (similar to lying on your back and trying to decide whether a cloud looks like a rabbit or a freight train) while our guides set up our campsite. We came back to find that, not only had they built a fire, they had built a nice three-walled structure, complete with carpeting. The sun was setting, so it was time for out guides to break their Ramadan fasts. We had a nice dinner of chicken and rice (both cooked over the fire while we were out hiking) that was actually one of the better meals that I've eaten in Egypt.
Our guides had set up our sleeping bags in the shelter, but all of us decided that we would rather sleep out in the desert (we asked our guides, they said that there was no danger, but were still a little bit confused as to why we would want to do such a thing).
With a full moon, no clouds, and the white desert to reflect light, it never really got dark, though in the middle of the night the temperature plummeted. About an hour before sunrise, I woke up and decided to go for a hike. Even without the sun, it was pretty easy to avoid getting lost - I walked out to the giant chicken, then the mushroom, and all the way to Snoopy. I came back and found a nice boulder to climb and watch the sunrise.
A few of the other people I was traveling with had the same idea and ended up joining me. The scene could only be described by referencing the scene at the beginning of one of the Star Wars movies (I'm not sure which one, though it was one of the original three) in the desert where the hooded creatures are wandering around individually (most of us were wrapped in blankets to fight off the cold) in total silence (you could hear footsteps from a full hundred yards off).
After breakfast, we packed up and headed to the black desert - again see the pictures since I can't describe it. We climbed one of the hills, though I don't really know why - we all came down with numerous scratches and minor cuts and bruises, but no major injuries.
After another hour or so on the road, I was thinking about how hot and dry it was and how nice a swim would be, though how difficult that would be to arrange in the middle of a desert, when we drove through another oasis. Our guides stopped in front of a concrete irrigation pool and gestured at it, making swimming motions (supposedly they spoke English, supposedly we speak some Arabic, but most of our communication with them was through gestures).
Despite the fact that I had to spend the next few hours in somewhat wet clothing, it was a nice swim, though I hope that we weren't swimming in the town's drinking water supply - I followed the stream leading away from the pool for a ways and it looked like it went only to irrigating the fields.
After that, the guides took us back to our departure point, where the same girls gave us lunch again, we paid our guides, and got on our microbus back to Cairo.
In other news, I'm starting into mid-term season, so the week and a half left before my trip to Morocco will be busy. I'm also starting tutoring Sudanese refugees in English later this week, which I'm looking forward to.
We ate, and then sat for a few more minutes, waiting on a guide or anyone over the age of 10 to tell us what was going on. Then our guides arrived - Mahmoud and Mohamed. They led us out to the jeeps and we set out across the desert. We rode along for an hour or so before we turned off the highway into the open desert. We went about a mile across the sand (which you apparently use exactly the same rules for driving on that you use for snow) to some hills. I'm afraid to say that I'm unable to fully describe them - giant cliffs, of white, chalk-like stone. See my flickr page for pictures.
Next we headed to the White Desert, named for the white dune-like rock formations sticking up out of the sand, where we were camping for the night. Again, I don't think that my descriptions can do justice to the landscape - see my flickr page.
We hiked around the area, took pictures, and tried to decide what shapes the different rock formations resembled (similar to lying on your back and trying to decide whether a cloud looks like a rabbit or a freight train) while our guides set up our campsite. We came back to find that, not only had they built a fire, they had built a nice three-walled structure, complete with carpeting. The sun was setting, so it was time for out guides to break their Ramadan fasts. We had a nice dinner of chicken and rice (both cooked over the fire while we were out hiking) that was actually one of the better meals that I've eaten in Egypt.
Our guides had set up our sleeping bags in the shelter, but all of us decided that we would rather sleep out in the desert (we asked our guides, they said that there was no danger, but were still a little bit confused as to why we would want to do such a thing).
With a full moon, no clouds, and the white desert to reflect light, it never really got dark, though in the middle of the night the temperature plummeted. About an hour before sunrise, I woke up and decided to go for a hike. Even without the sun, it was pretty easy to avoid getting lost - I walked out to the giant chicken, then the mushroom, and all the way to Snoopy. I came back and found a nice boulder to climb and watch the sunrise.
A few of the other people I was traveling with had the same idea and ended up joining me. The scene could only be described by referencing the scene at the beginning of one of the Star Wars movies (I'm not sure which one, though it was one of the original three) in the desert where the hooded creatures are wandering around individually (most of us were wrapped in blankets to fight off the cold) in total silence (you could hear footsteps from a full hundred yards off).
After breakfast, we packed up and headed to the black desert - again see the pictures since I can't describe it. We climbed one of the hills, though I don't really know why - we all came down with numerous scratches and minor cuts and bruises, but no major injuries.
After another hour or so on the road, I was thinking about how hot and dry it was and how nice a swim would be, though how difficult that would be to arrange in the middle of a desert, when we drove through another oasis. Our guides stopped in front of a concrete irrigation pool and gestured at it, making swimming motions (supposedly they spoke English, supposedly we speak some Arabic, but most of our communication with them was through gestures).
Despite the fact that I had to spend the next few hours in somewhat wet clothing, it was a nice swim, though I hope that we weren't swimming in the town's drinking water supply - I followed the stream leading away from the pool for a ways and it looked like it went only to irrigating the fields.
After that, the guides took us back to our departure point, where the same girls gave us lunch again, we paid our guides, and got on our microbus back to Cairo.
In other news, I'm starting into mid-term season, so the week and a half left before my trip to Morocco will be busy. I'm also starting tutoring Sudanese refugees in English later this week, which I'm looking forward to.
posted by David at 8:22 AM
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