Smiles

Egypt’s White Desert National Park is a highlight of our trip. About 6km off the road, we were in a world of our own. Peace, quiet and haunting beauty, with thousands of limestone outcrops, wind-sculpted phantasmagoric mushroom shapes. An unforgettable night sleeping wild under zillions of stars, the only company a curious fennec fox who persistently circled our sleeping bags. Finally a cool breeze.

Egypt’s roads are impressive. Driving is bliss.

At Bedouin Camp outside Dakhla Oasis, a lovely example of desert architecture with domed roofs, we opted for a traditional shala (R200) instead of the campsite (R90). A firm mattress on a concrete base, crisp cotton sheets, en suite bathroom, fan and breakfast included – what a bargain.

An early morning swim in the hot spring alongside Bedouin Camp. Sulphurous water gushes out of a pipe into a small concrete reservoir, from there a canal distributes it to the surrounding farmlands.

Tears

The four oases in the Western Desert boggle the mind, but Jannie is disappointed that most of the agricultural pursuits appear to have floundered.

Countless roadblocks with cops asking to see passports. What a nuisance. Because they don’t speak a word of English, they merely hand the passports back and wave us on with good cheer. We have not encountered any ill feelings and a few of them can even say: “Welcome to Egypt”.

The most boring road in the world from Bahariya Oasis north to Cairo (even worse than Calvinia to Bitterfontein). We pass through oil fields, with lots of tankers, but we don’t complain, because the surface is good. The housing developments in the southern suburbs of Cairo are even more vast than what we saw in China’s big cities. High rises as far as the eye can see, packed like sardines. No wonder folks get frustrated.