Deserted

Sorry for my somewhat lengthy neglect, but I've been rather preoccupied with vacationing. I returned to France just last night (after one taxi ride, two shuttles, two flights, an 8 hour layover, and two bus rides home) where I promptly indulged myself in a 12 hour night's sleep. And so, I begin in retrospect to finally recount my adventures in Egypt.

On Saturday I returned from an overnight safari in the desert with my Egyptian friends and I know of no way to adequately describe it to you. It is a place that belongs most closely to satellite pictures of distant, rocky planets; a place other-worldly. Heba, Mahmoud, and I all left Friday morning from our hotel in the small oasis village of Bawati for our one night safari in the desert. Since we had arrived at the hotel in the middle of the night, it was surprising to wake up to the sound of roosters and the utter barrenness of the surrounding desert. At the hotel we were joined by our very Bedouin guide and another American tourist named Zach (who looked alarmingly like my father in his teens). It took several hours to drive the 190 miles into the bowels of the Black and White deserts and our guide made several stops to let us climb large dunes, collect crystals, wash our faces in mineral springs, and rest under a palm-shaded oasis.

Cruising over sand dunes and past bizarre rock formations at speeds reaching nearly 80 mph, we finally found ourselves deep in the heat and solitude of the New White desert. Our guide began to set up camp with the supplies he had brought while we watched the sun set against the contrast of thousands of chalky, white rocks. It was so peaceful, that evening, listening to the music of my friends' Arabic fall around us, magnifying the utter silence of the desert. After our guide prepared an absolutely exquisite (and yet incredibly simple) meal over the campfire, we stretched under our blankets and slept under the vast desert sky. At one point in the night we were awakened by a strange chirping sound. As the moon was nearly full, we were able to see the silhouettes of two slim desert foxes enjoying the remains of our meal, scampering through camp in celebration of their fortunate find. Eventually, the weight of the blankets and our meal put everyone into a deep and contented sleep.

Around 6:30 the next morning I awoke suddenly to an unknown but albeit odd sensation. I sat up abruptly only to find everything completely as we had left it the night before. When I laid back down, the feeling (similar to a cat dancing up and down my legs) recommenced. So again I sat up to find nothing but my sleeping companions. By the third time, I was completely alert and decided to approach the problem more stealthily. As I slowly emerged from my blankets, I saw at my feet a desert fox (presumably one from the night before) staring at me. And so my friends, I have been pranced on by a fox in the middle of the desert. Erwin Rommel, I have met your namesake. In truth, I didn't really mind that the little guy felt like scampering on my torso at 6 in the morning, but I was a little scared that he wanted to nibble on my face. So after a few more kicks of my feet, he finally left.

Several hours later, we packed up the jeep and began the 3 hour journey back to the hotel. The wind was strong that afternoon and we eventually found ourselves in the middle of a sandstorm. At several points in the trip the air was so dense with sand that it was impossible to see the road. Although I was certain that our guide knew the road and the weather well, I am still surprised that we survived the journey home. Between swerving cars, huge sand drifts, and reckless speeding there were times when I feared that I had survived Cairo on my own only to die in the desert. Fortunately, that was not the case.

Although I've seen pictures of the desert my entire life, the immense reality of the place cannot compare to any representation. It possesses a beauty and strangeness I have never before seen; an atmosphere which I will forevermore respect and remember.


The beginnings of sunset


The camp


The white desert


The sandstorm