The first thing I noticed about the room we’d taken in the International Hot Springs Hotel was that, despite it having no air conditioner, it was actually pretty cool. Looking around, we were in a clean and basic hexagonal room with windows situated in just the right position to get a good throughflow of air. “These desert people certainly know how to design a cool house”, I thought.
“These desert people” were in fact Peter, a middle aged German man with a penchant for traditional galabeyas and his Japanese wife. They had come to the village of Bawiti some 14 years ago, set up this hotel- come expedition base camp and had run it ever since. I guess running a hotel anywhere must pretty quite hard work. To set up a hotel in the middle of a desert in a foreign country however, requires a level of drive few of us have. Peter and his wife employ a large staff of local people, both in the hotel itself and in the desert excursions they also offer. Listening to Peter talk about the area, looking at the postcards created by his wife and the camel blankets he himself sells, you can see a driving passion for the desert and its people. His Arabic might be a bit broken and spoken with a German accent but this man seems determined to take his place as part of the fabric of local society- attracting much needed money to the area, employing local people but taking pains to respect the local environment seems to be a pretty good way to achieve this.
The village of Bawiti is found close to the Bahariya Oasis towards the easternmost extreme of the Western Desert and is about a four hour drive from Cairo. Walking around the place, we felt well and truly taken back in time. The village is very hot and dusty, with low built houses cramped up against each other. The only real hint of modernity came with the numerous offroad vehicles which shared the narrow lanes with the far more traditional mules and carts reflecting the way the tourist industry shares pride of place with traditional pastoralism here. After about twenty minutes we sought shade by heading into the oasis itself. When thinking of an oasis as a child, I always imagined a small lake surrounded by a dozen or so palm trees such as is seen in cartoons. Actually a real oasis is much bigger than that. We found ourselves walking through a large forest of palm trees. Apart from the respite from the heat, we took in the fact that this place was replete with food- every tree had something edible hanging from it. At first we minded our manners- respectful of the fact that our guide was fasting for Ramadan. However he insisted we try some of the fruit and soon enough we were working our way through some of the sweetest, freshest dates we’d had in a long time. Kieran found a lemon tree and, inexplicably started on a couple of lemons too!
Kieran and I coming out of the Baharya OasisAfter much walking, we eventually emerged from the oasis, slightly tired and very full. Kieran announced he wanted a piggy back so we took that as the cue to head back to the hotel.
Sunset came soon enough and Kieran and I climbed to the top of a small hill behind the hotel called Gebel al Ingleez (the English Mountain). The name comes from the fact that in times past, the occupying British forces had a base on the hill to keep an eye on Senussi tribesmen coming through from Sudan and Libya. Kieran and I watched the sun go down over the oasis and came down for a visit to the hotel playground and dinner before bed.
Day 2
Unusually enough, I woke up before Kieran did- although not by much. After about five minutes, he woke up, got out of bed and trotted over me and asked if he could go to the playground. I told him that today was a very big day and he needed to keep his energy for exploring the desert. Soma and Rohan joined us soon enough and we headed to the playground for a pre- breakfast go on the swings. Breakfast was basic but very good- local balady bread, cheese and eggs along with the traditional foul dish so loved by Egyptians everywhere.
At 9.30 we met Peter in Reception where he gave us an introduction to the desert. We were to leave the hotel and drive through the Black Desert. The Black Desert is approximately 40 million years old, dating back to the Cretaceous Period. At that time, the continent of Africa started to split in an East- West direction (apparently it is still doing so at about a centimeter per year). This split created massive geological upheaval resulting in a lot of volcanos spewing up a lot of lava- this lava is what makes the Black Desert black. We would then head into the White Desert which, apart from being white, is even older still. Dating back 70 million years to a time when only one continent existed, the White Desert is the fossilized remains of a seabed. All interesting in theory but we were anxious to see it all.
We met our guide, a local man called Arif. We packed our belongings into an already full Landcruiser and headed through Bawiti into the desert. As promised, we headed first of all through the Black Desert and it certainly lived up to its name. There was very little sand- it was mostly very dry, very hot black volcanic rock. After half an hour we did manage to find some real sand and accelerated the car to the top of a large dune from which we could see a very impressive black panorama. From here we had our first experience of the sounds of the desert- absolute silence!
Half an hour further on and we stopped at a small volcano. This was clearly a regular stop as other trekkers were already there. Soma helped Rohan totter about while Kieran and I made a bid for the top. In fact we got about halfway up before he asked for a piggy back. That being the case and the fact that the way up was becoming steeper and less clear, we decided to stop there and take in the view. “Kieran” I said, “this is real desert!” Kieran’s response, logically enough was “was the desert before a pretend desert, daddy?” Stumped by this, we sat together for a while, headed back down for more water and continued on our way.
Sunset came soon enough and Kieran and I climbed to the top of a small hill behind the hotel called Gebel al Ingleez (the English Mountain). The name comes from the fact that in times past, the occupying British forces had a base on the hill to keep an eye on Senussi tribesmen coming through from Sudan and Libya. Kieran and I watched the sun go down over the oasis and came down for a visit to the hotel playground and dinner before bed.
Day 2
Unusually enough, I woke up before Kieran did- although not by much. After about five minutes, he woke up, got out of bed and trotted over me and asked if he could go to the playground. I told him that today was a very big day and he needed to keep his energy for exploring the desert. Soma and Rohan joined us soon enough and we headed to the playground for a pre- breakfast go on the swings. Breakfast was basic but very good- local balady bread, cheese and eggs along with the traditional foul dish so loved by Egyptians everywhere.
At 9.30 we met Peter in Reception where he gave us an introduction to the desert. We were to leave the hotel and drive through the Black Desert. The Black Desert is approximately 40 million years old, dating back to the Cretaceous Period. At that time, the continent of Africa started to split in an East- West direction (apparently it is still doing so at about a centimeter per year). This split created massive geological upheaval resulting in a lot of volcanos spewing up a lot of lava- this lava is what makes the Black Desert black. We would then head into the White Desert which, apart from being white, is even older still. Dating back 70 million years to a time when only one continent existed, the White Desert is the fossilized remains of a seabed. All interesting in theory but we were anxious to see it all.
We met our guide, a local man called Arif. We packed our belongings into an already full Landcruiser and headed through Bawiti into the desert. As promised, we headed first of all through the Black Desert and it certainly lived up to its name. There was very little sand- it was mostly very dry, very hot black volcanic rock. After half an hour we did manage to find some real sand and accelerated the car to the top of a large dune from which we could see a very impressive black panorama. From here we had our first experience of the sounds of the desert- absolute silence!
Half an hour further on and we stopped at a small volcano. This was clearly a regular stop as other trekkers were already there. Soma helped Rohan totter about while Kieran and I made a bid for the top. In fact we got about halfway up before he asked for a piggy back. That being the case and the fact that the way up was becoming steeper and less clear, we decided to stop there and take in the view. “Kieran” I said, “this is real desert!” Kieran’s response, logically enough was “was the desert before a pretend desert, daddy?” Stumped by this, we sat together for a while, headed back down for more water and continued on our way.
Panorama of the Black Desert, taken from halfway up a volcanoWe stopped at about midday for lunch. Arif needed to go to his Friday prayers so we took lunch in a very nice tent structure attached to a small restaurant. The food was basic but good- more balady bread and various salad items were served along with some juices for the boys and mint tea for us.
Another hour of driving in the afternoon found us in the White Desert and never has a place so fitted the name! This was not just pale sand but absolutely brilliant white rock for miles around. Out of this brilliant white landscape protruded hundreds of the strangest rock structures we’d ever seen. This was truly the most unearthly landscape any of us had ever seen! Driving offroad was much easier as this was not so much sand as rock so we were able to go at some speed. With no other car for miles around and a perfectly flat, infinitely wide “road” we must have hit 100mph- it felt almost like high speed ice skating! We ended up at one rock structure known in the area as the Chicken and the Egg- it apparently looks like one although Soma had her doubts. According to her, trying to give shapes to these structures was like a Rorschach test, you could ascribe meaning to anything- spoilsport!
The White Desert As the shadows started to lengthen, we headed back into the Black Desert and, after an hour, found a suitable dune to camp under. Soma headed off onto it with the kids while Arif and I set up camp. We set up a big tarpaulin against the side of the car and put down some rugs. That half box was our kitchen. Given that sunset was imminent and Arif was desperate to eat we decided dinner should come before the tents. The two of us sat down and started chopping and peeling. Dinner came along with nightfall and we sat down under the stars, with just headlights and a fire for light.
Rohan and Kieran were starting to yawn so we put up the tents and put them to bed. Rohan fell asleep immediately but Kieran kept poking his head out, presumably to check we’d not left him alone in the desert. After a bit more gazing at stars and taking in the sheer silence, we too headed to bed.
Day 3
Unbelievably, for a second day running, I was awake before Kieran! This time, though, I had to wake him too. He was almost awake and I needed to go pee! I didn’t want his first memory of waking up in the desert to be marred by panic over where his Dad was, so he got up and came with me. Fascinated by the concept of “going” in the desert, he too dug a small hole and had his morning pee! Soma and Rohan were by now awake but, not wanting to wake Arif, we headed over to the next dune to play and to watch the sunrise. The pre dawn was light enough but, at six o’clock, the sun finally came over the dune- a magical moment with a reddish orange light mixing with the other- worldly blackness of the desert floor.
Rohan and Kieran were starting to yawn so we put up the tents and put them to bed. Rohan fell asleep immediately but Kieran kept poking his head out, presumably to check we’d not left him alone in the desert. After a bit more gazing at stars and taking in the sheer silence, we too headed to bed.
Day 3
Unbelievably, for a second day running, I was awake before Kieran! This time, though, I had to wake him too. He was almost awake and I needed to go pee! I didn’t want his first memory of waking up in the desert to be marred by panic over where his Dad was, so he got up and came with me. Fascinated by the concept of “going” in the desert, he too dug a small hole and had his morning pee! Soma and Rohan were by now awake but, not wanting to wake Arif, we headed over to the next dune to play and to watch the sunrise. The pre dawn was light enough but, at six o’clock, the sun finally came over the dune- a magical moment with a reddish orange light mixing with the other- worldly blackness of the desert floor.
Our camp- taken just after sunrise on Day 3Sitting at the top of “our dune”, I felt extremely fortunate to be where I was. We were the only people for miles around; the kids had unlimited sand and rocks to play in; the air was pure and, for the two hours straight after sunrise, the temperature was very pleasant- the desert chill had been tempered by the sun but the sheer dry heat of the day had not yet arrived.
Arif awoke soon enough and, conscious that we wanted to be away before the real heat set in, we had a simple breakfast, packed up and headed back to Bawiti. After lunch in the hotel we met up with Mohammed and began the long drive home.
Our weekend in the desert was perhaps one of the most magical experiences any of us have had. To spend a day taking in the sights of these geological wonders was amazing; to be allowed to spend a night and to wake up in such an environment was a privilege. Speaking to my Egyptian friends and colleagues afterwards, I was amazed that none of them knew much about the desert areas and nobody had thought of visiting them. Part of me was disappointed that 99% of the people had not seen what constituted 90% of their country, especially given the sheer beauty of the place. On the other hand, perhaps an invasion of the masses is the last thing the place needs. I’d heartily recommend to the five or so readers of this blog that you go visit Bawiti, pass on my best wishes to Peter by all means- just don’t tell too many people how good it is!
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