JOIN USI decided to visit Egypt along with a friend for a couple of weeks because the political turmoil there had somewhat calmed down, and the perception of the situation had lowered the prices of air ticket. We landed in Cairo and took a bus to Heliopolis, the area of our stay.
On the bus, we asked a lady about our stop, but since she was getting down, she took us to the driver, told him our destination, and requested him to drop us at a place closest to our address. While leaving, she asked if there was anything more she could do for us. This was our first taste of Egyptian friendliness and we knew we were going to love it here.
Say Al Qahira, the exotic Arabic name for Cairo, and I picture busy bazaars, spicy souks, a thousand minarets and of course, pyramids. This bustling metropolis of over 15 million is the Arab world’s largest city. With its terrible traffic, crowded markets and busy streets, I was reminded of India more than once. In fact, I warmed up to the city quickly and felt much at home.
We planned to visit the pyramids and ancient Egyptian temples, but one of the highlights of our itinerary was to visit an oasis and spend a night in the great Saharan desert. We took a bus from Cairo and arrived in the Bahariya oasis at around noon and were welcomed by our host and guide Hamada Kaddora, who waited with a broad smile and glasses of freshly squeezed lemon juice from his organic garden. We were joined by his cousin and our driver, also named Hamada, with whom we enjoyed a huge platter of delicious home-cooked food.
They served us flat bread with meat and vegetables, a baked pasta dish, pickled vegetables, sweets and crunchy, succulent fresh dates. With our stomachs full and our jeep loaded, we set off for White Desert National Park. As we drove through the desert, the landscape gradually became hilly. We approached one of these hills to realise that it was covered in black metallic shards not unlike ashes from burnt paper. These iron-like pieces were scattered on the golden sand. The entire region is made up of such hillocks as far as the eye can see, thereby earning this place the name ‘Black Desert’. We climbed up the sandy mound to contemplate this fascinating scenery.
Under the stars
We drove further and soon the sun dipped below the sandy horizon while white-and-brown mounds began to appear in the distance. At twilight, when the sky was a dark blue with a hint of orange, we arrived at a clearing in the middle of mysterious silhouettes that were hard to discern in the darkness. Hamada’s uncles and cousins from Cairo joined us. This was the site of our camp, and while they set it up, they refused our help and instead asked us to lie on the sand and watch the enormous sky that was lit up with billions of shimmering stars — a rare sight for city folks like us.
It was relaxing to let my toes sink in the cool grains of the sand. Several shooting stars later, the kitchen got busy and this time we joined our hosts in the cooking. The smell attracted a large-eared fennec fox and in a matter of minutes we could hear a few more of them nearby. As the meal got prepared, the moon rose and eclipsed all the stars in its brightness. Our sumptuous dinner included roast chicken, rice, salad and some more dates.
We ate like one big family and despite the language barrier with Hamada’s family members, we didn’t have any difficulty connecting with them. They played music and sang songs; we played cards together and ended our delightful evening with several cups of tea, boiled over the same fire that we sat cosily around. Even though there were tents, I decided to sleep under the open sky, huddled comfortably in my warm blanket.
Sand surfing
I woke up at dawn to realise that the silhouettes from the previous night were in fact bright white chalky structures emerging dramatically from the sand. A few moments later, the sun rose from behind these limestone statues, turning the sky into a blaze of orange. This was one of the most breathtaking sights I had ever seen. We drove around this unique desert admiring this natural museum of statues shaped like chickens, mushrooms and cobras.
The White Desert of Farafra is certainly one of the most incredible landscapes I have seen. A few hours later, we drove out to see the Great Sand Sea, where one realises the enormity of the Sahara desert. We ran up and down huge dunes like excited children and climbed back up for some exhilarating sand surfing on a wooden plank before driving back to Bahariya.
Egypt, unfortunately, is going through some troubled times and tourists are avoiding this country, making life difficult for people in the travel business. Our experience was nothing like the stereotypes propagated in the news. And everyone we met there asked us to go back and tell the world what the situation really is. The fantastic natural beauty, the rich history, and of course, the amazing people and their legendary hospitality made our trip to Egypt truly unforgettable.
Fact file
Currency: Egyptian pound
Language: Egyptian Arabic
Getting There: EgyptAir has direct flights from Mumbai to Cairo. Getting around the country is possible by bus, microbus (a minivan that leaves
when it is full) and train.