Tuesday January 25, 2011: Siwa Day 2

A karst's reflection in the salt sea.

The Sahara is AMAZING!!

I knew before I left NY that I was excited for this part of the trip. We would be done with the hustle and bustle of Cairo and our energy would start to settle after being on vacation for 5 days and it would be the only time we were completely out of touch and in total technology deprivation, but I did not expect the beauty of the desert that I experienced today. It is awe-inspiring.

View at breakfast, peaceful way to start each day.

We started the day with a multi course breakfast, which seems to be the way here with all the meals. The foods of course were delicious; their version of jam is really stewed fruit even so the dates, figs and plums were fantastic.

Old City of Siwa.

Oracle's Temple

Then it was off to see the historic sites of the town, the old city, the Oracle’s temple and Cleopatra’s spring. The last one was essentially a swimming hole in the middle of a couple of tourist café’s, however the waters come from a natural hot spring. The Oracle’s temple and the history lessons were very cool! And the old city is a mixture of Egyptian and Grecian decaying architecture that some Italians are funding the restoration of. I loved them both.

Traditional Siwan wedding garb.

The butcher shop, love the hooks.

Lunch anyone?

After some shopping around the square it was back to the hotel for lunch and a little R&R before heading into the desert in a 4x4 with our newest friend Abdullah. 

Abdullah driving, he is a GREAT driver!

First, Abdullah has been to the US a few times, the last invited by the UN for his contribution to raising the income and quality of life for all of Siwa. Here unlike Cairo, the Siwan people all recycle, compost and teach about the environment.  He started many of these programs and was chosen to represent Egypt at the UN.

He is a character. An amazing man. Someone you can learn a thing or two from about how to live a fulfilling life. Not only does he start programs to better his town and peoples lives, but he is passionate about gardening and the desert. He drives people around in the desert like us, giving a memorable once in a lifetime experience. He did tell us that Prince Charles stayed here at the Adrere and wouldn’t go for a ride with him, what an idiot!!

He took us 4-wheeling up and down the dunes, which are nothing like the dunes of East Hampton. They are huge mountain like structures that change day to day with the wind. Some parts are soft sand that your feel sink into, others hard like cement. Some as tall as 6 story buildings, other parts flat.

See the misplaced sand on the left? We just drove down there!!!

We stopped at an area that used to be the ocean floor, now it is completely fossilized. We say fossilized oyster shells, clam shells, fish, an animal rib cage and GML took home a piece of fossilized coral. It was stunning. Everywhere I looked the sheer beauty of the desert shocked me.

Breathtakingly beautiful.

Fossilized fishy.

One of the highlights was snowboarding, or I should say sandboarding down the dunes.

Gab on her belly.

Give that girl a push.

It was amazing. Think of a mountain as steep as you could possibly imagine going down and then tilt another 15 degrees. Steep as you can possibly imagine and flying down, we opted for lying on our bellies since standing was just freaky, although GML vows to try standing tomorrow. See Facebook for a video.

We also found a hot spring in the middle of the desert, well, Abdullah took us there and we all took a dip. It was so delightful, just hot enough although we all smelled like sulfur for the ride home after a gorgeous sunset accompanied by freshly brewed hot cups of sweetened white hibiscus tea from dried leaves grown in Abdulla’s garden. Divine!

Showers, dinner and after dinner tea and drinks in front of the fire. Now in bed with my warmed sheets and a little fire of olive wood embers in what looks like a gigantic mortar.

Sweet dreams.