Bahariyya - Oasis in the Sahara

My final excursion in Egypt proved to be a delightful one. I headed west into what is ironically enough, called the Western Desert. I decided to go against the grain and didn't book any packaged trip deeper into the desert. Sure, I probably missed some stunning scenery and a night out in the desert under the stars. However, it was wonderful to watch all the other tourists get hurried out of the village in jeeps while I was left there pretty much on my own to immerse in the culture. That is the one thing I missed while in Dahab, and was hoping to find in the oasis, a closer look at the Egyptian culture. In many respects I succeeded. I was able to spend about a day and a half in the village of Bawiti wandering the streets and exploring the surrounding desert.

Bawiti is the main town in the Bahariyya Oasis which is one of a handful of oasis scattered across the desert between the Nile and Libya. The bus ride out there was great. Once past Cairo the landscape turned into a stark, desolate desert. I will never forget the glow of the golden sand dunes against the deep blue skies. I was really hoping the bus would break down for a couple of hours so that I could get off and run in the sand. But unfortunately, no breakdowns, so I had to settle with enjoying the dunes through the dirty window of the bus. The oasis is what it is because it is fed by several springs that provide the essential water to sustain life in the desert. Without that water, I can imagine life would be tough. The air was extremely dry and the sun's rays pretty harsh. I could hang my laundry out to dry and in about 5 minutes it was ready to wear. Sure beats the drying machine. The village itself was fascinating; a mix of old and new. Of course there were modern, concrete buildings but down many of the backstreets people were still living in old mud-brick houses. During the middle of the day everything would become very quiet. Shops and restaurants would shut down during the heat of the day and I guess everyone would go take a siesta. The town would come back alive in the evening.

Bawiti - the new

Bawiti - the old

The outskirts of the village

Besides exploring the village I was able to get out and wander in the surrounding, empty desert. No big sand dunes though, it was probably more comparable to the moon. There was more gravel than sand but there were several hills to climb to the top of and small, sandy-bottomed canyons to get lost in. The best part about it, I had it all to myself. All the other tourists were off elsewhere getting guided around and I can't see any reason why any of the locals would want to go out there.

Sahara bliss

Hello...or is it good-bye?

I am getting out of Egypt just in time. Today is the start of Ramadan, which means fasting during daylight hours. That is terrible news for a growing kid who enjoys eating. I can't wait until the sun sets, then I can get some real food!