(Written: 10-8-08)
Most recently we returned from spending two and a half days in Siwa Oasis 11hrs away from Cairo by bus. This was definitely a highlight of my time here so far! If you’ve read the Alchemist – bizopt (exactly)! If not, picture the Sahara Desert (dunes and all) and an expansive oasis of date/pomegranate trees, palm trees, reeds etc. In this oasis there is a village – what you would picture of Egypt in antiquity, this is it. Homes made from mud bricks and dried palm fronds, donkey carts everywhere, once central midan with shops that look like they manifested from the Disney movie Aladdin, etc. The local culture is mainly Berber which is….well, probably best to Google it if you’re interested…
We stayed at a gorgeous “hotel” called the Desert Rose and our group was its sole occupants. They served us breakfast every morning of eggs, bread, cheese, cucumber, tomatoes, shay b-lebin (tea with milk – for me :o), fig jam, etc. The main building (freestanding) was octagonal with one main door leading into a circular courtyard with about 7 rooms leading off it – this is where the girls stayed. From this inner courtyard there was a set of stairs leading up to the roof set with more beds (for sleeping under the stars) and chairs.
I spent the whole of the first day wandering through the village with a couple other MESPers and ironically enough ate some of the best pizza I’ve ever had at a café called Alexander’s Palace. Toward the end of the day we entered a shop where the shopkeeper emphatically explained that he sold antiques – needless to say we were all a little skeptical. Sure enough he brings us over to a couple of large tin buckets filled with junk :o) He explained that many of the items were found in the desert. To my surprise after sifting through I did end up finding some cool stuff. My bartering skills are developing quite nicely –what some call “ruthless” I smile and call sport :o)
Later that night after an evening around the campfire (outside the main hotel building) a group of traditional Berber/Siwan musicians showed up and began to play for us. Every so often one of them would jump into the middle to dance and before long they started pulling some of us up as well. I can now officially say I’ve danced with a Bedouin under the stars and very laughingly but poorly at that!
The next day (Friday) we loaded up in jeeps and headed out to the desert for our Desert “Safari” Adventure! God has a sense of humor because despite the fact that I was one of the more nervous students at the prospect of “hurling off” 10 story high dunes I ended up in the lead car! God knows me though and it turned out for the best and was a Wonderful day :o) After dune-riding for a bit and looking at a fossilized area from where there obviously once was a large body of water we stopped at a place to sandboard (basically snowboarding on sand but with less control). Once we finished boarding we flew down one last dune in order to enjoy a fresh water desert spring as the sun was setting *sigh* really Amazing. That night we stayed at a camp out in the desert and after gazing at the stars for hours I entered the tent and fell asleep to the rhythms of tribal music.
The next morning our jeeps pulled in and we rolled out to pack up and head home - of course that was after one last refreshing dip in the hotel pool (I have never craved to be in water as much as I have in Egypt!)…
Robbina ma’ac
(something akin to “Our Lord be with you”)
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