Siwa Oasis
Friday we went on the first of our weekend excursions. We departed from Alexandria early in the morning and headed for Siwa, an oasis town southwest-ish of Alex. I can’t even begin to describe how insanely incredible that day was. I don’t think I’m articulate enough to convey how filled with awe and inspired I was after that amazing trip.
The awesomeness began with what was labeled in our itinerary as a “Jeep Safari.” Not knowing what to expect we piled into five Toyota Land Cruisers and proceeded to the edge of town and into the desert. The jeep ride through the desert was incredibly fun. Our driver was a pro at navigating and essentially keeping at least two wheels on the ground at all times. The video I shot and the photos I took don’t at all convey how insane it was inside the jeep. There were no seatbelts in the car, and I was also sitting in the very back where there were no handrails to grab onto as we scaled and raced down these ridiculously steep dunes.
This was a little after midday so as you can imagine even the few minutes we spent outside under the desert sun was enough to completely roast us. So what does one do in such situation? The answer is quite obvious. One goes swimming. In a cold spring. In the middle of the freaking desert.
After an excellent swim, we went to a seabed filled with fossilized shells (the desert had been underwater thousands of years ago), an excellent dune to practice our sand-boarding skills with what looked suspiciously like a snowboard, and a hot spring where I was violently attacked by biting sand fleas.
This next bit is tied for my favorite part of the trip. After the hot spring we drove to an absolutely perfect dune, climbed it and watched the sun set. I won’t try to convey the feeling or inspiration I felt, but I will say that I felt very small, very humbled and very vulnerable. I wish I could be reminded to feel and remember those things every day, but it’s hard to capture the feeling and return to it.
After the sun had set, we went to the home of some “natives of Siwa” for a traditional meal. The reason for the quotation marks is not because their nativity is questionable, but because I’m a little confused as to what I should call them. For the sake of clarity I will say that they were Berbers, but “berber” is what the Romans called them and means “barbarian” so understandably the term isn’t really appreciated. They do have a name, though. I’ve just forgotten what it is at the moment. The dinner was fantastic, but I could hardly touch it. Let me clarify. I am an idiot. I went to the desert without any water. Granted, I thought I had water in my bag, but apparently I was already dehydrated and delirious because this assumption was false. Needless to say, after a day spent in the desert without any water I was parched. I couldn’t touch the food at first because it was quite salty and all I could think about was water. And they had none. Well no bottled water at least. Eventually, a man came out with a metal tin with water from a well. We passed the tin around and shared the water, sending that poor man back to the well several times for refills. It occurred to me that my gastrointestinal system would not be very happy with me for drinking this rather questionable water and would exact its revenge on me later, but I was willing to pay the price. Needless to say, later that night and almost all of the next day, I became the sickest I’ve ever been since coming to Egypt.
Favorite experience tied with the sunset occurred during the last ride back to the hotel from dinner. It was quite late at night at this point, and we were still in the desert. I opened up my window in the back of the jeep and stuck my entire head out and looked back. Again, I don’t think I can at all convey the magnitude of beauty and inspiration felt. The dunes were pitch black and imperceptible, and they merged seamlessly into the sky. And then, oh God, those stars. I don’t think there are words. I couldn’t see the ground, it was so dark, and I felt as if I had been dropped into the night sky and as if nothing existed but those stars.
