The White Desert

Well folks we camped out in the White Desert in western Egypt and survived. I used my uncanny ability to find food and water, to locate the stars and navigate home and to avoid dangerous animals in this unforgiving environment......Okay i didn't; we hired a tour guide and he took care of us, but I can do all that stuff if I really tried (I'm the Indian version of The Discovery Channel's Bear Grylls (Man vs. Wild))

We left Cairo at about 8:30 AM on a bus bound for Baharia in the western part of Egypt where we would start our journey into the desert. The bus ride lasted around 4 hours and was one of the most uncomfortable experiences of my life...sweaty and sticky seats with a plethora of flies buzzing around is not fun, trust me. We finally arrived at Baharia where we met our guide for the evening Samy Kotary. Sammy, a portly gentleman with a Santa Clause smile (and belly to match) asked us if we wanted to bring some beers into the desert for a little partying. Of course we obliged, being 3 recent college grads who would rather drink beer than water. We told Samy 3 beers a person would do just fine and he insisted on having more. "I have at least 6 beers a day" he told us in his broken English. Probably why he had that massive belly.

Along for the 2 hour ride into the desert was another driver/cook Mohammad and a local police officer who acts as private security for tourists during the camping excursion. He had a sub-machine gun so we felt pretty safe that if anything came at us at night we would be fine. Samy assured us this was just a precaution and that nothing bad happens out in the desert. People mind their own business and the only animals you encounter are beetles and small foxes. Well Im not scared of foxes so lets saddle up and do this!

We drove for about an hour when the convoy of two 4x4's (there was a Canadian couple that came with us) stopped by a local eatery to have lunch. On the menu was flat bread, babaganouj, chips, and tuna fish. I know, where in the world do Bedouin people get tuna fish in the middle of the desert? They probably bought the cans at the local market so of course we knew it was the freshest (sarcasm in my voice and in my writing). Surprisingly the food was pretty good and after loading up on our lunch feast we headed out further into the desert in search of our camping spot.

Where we ate lunch.

On the way the scenery was absolutely amazing and you cant help but wonder if you somehow left planet earth and are now on an alien planet. Black rocks and sand along with jagged mountains stretch as far as the eye can see. This is a harsh and unforgiving place where only the strong survive and where Samy and his bedouin family apparently reside and make a living. Dont be fooled ladies and gentleman, beneath that soft facade is a tough desert man who could put Bear Grylls to shame.

After some time our convoy stopped at Black Mountain which is a popular spot with the many tourists who come through the area. Samy told us we could climb it so Colin, Chris, and I took off up the mountain's narrow winding path. It looked to be a fairly easy climb but believe me it wasn't. By the time we reached the top we were sweaty and tired with our lungs and legs burning. But the view from the top was worth the exhausting climb. We could see for literally miles and miles over the barren landscape. Wow!

Cautiously we descended from the heavens and climbed back into our 4x4's and headed off into the unknown. The sun was setting fast so we hurried to our campsite which was still about 45 minutes away. Along the way we spotted a flashing red light off into the distance and when we approached it we saw a backpacker. Apparently he was part of a larger group that backpacks through the entire desert, walking around 30 km a day. And its not like Egypt is hot or anything! How they do this I have no idea but we left him and found our campsite. It was set in the middle of salt deposits that just from the ground to form what looks like mushrooms. This particular one is called Mushroom Chicken...see picture below. Kind of makes your hungry, lol.

The guides then set up camp by positioning the cars in an L shape and covering the side with a giant canvas to block the wind. While they were doing this and also cooking our meal for the evening I walked out away from the camp and just admired the scenery. It was absolutely breathtaking to see the landscape and to think that right now we are in a desert in Africa! I returned to the campsite after my revelation and after using the bathroom facilities....which meant under the stars. This was my first time "going" outside (i dont think my neighbors would approve) so it felt very liberating. So after that experience I rejoined the camp and we ate a delicious dinner made up of rice, potatoes, vegetables and beef, all cooked to perfection. It was finger-licking good and filled us up very nicely.

By the time dinner was done with it was around 830 ish and we spent the next hour next to the campfire smoking hookah, drinking beers and singing with Samy. Well Samy was singing we were just keeping the beat by clapping our hands. Then at 9:30-10ish we all got ready for bed. Our sleeping arrangements consisted of single sized mattresses and a very heavy and warm blanket to shield us from the cold night. I lay awake for about an hour just looking up at the stars and wishing I could share this moment and this view with people back home. What a sight to see. With no light pollution from nearby cities and no smog from cars the sky was crystal clear to see the stars. It was truly magnificent. I actually woke up late into the night, around 3 am when the moon had gone down and without the light from the moon there were even more stars. Im talking about thousands upon thousands of stars just littering the night sky. It almost didnt look real.

Samy and Mohammoud singing by the fire

I awoke at sunrise which was around 6 am and slowly crawled out of my warm and comfortable bed. While the guides packed up camp Colin, Chris, and I watched the sunrise atop a rock formation and then we headed out back to Baharia.

Sunrise in the desert

The long ride back had me replaying that memorable night in my head and my one regret was not having a camera powerful enough to photograph the sky at night. That was my favorite part of the trip. Seeing all those stars makes you truly feel small in this giant universe. It was definitely something I will never forget.

Well my posts for Egypt are done and now I will move onto my travels in India. New post coming within a day or two so stay tuned!

Adventures in Aswan

Sorry to all my readers about not posting since the 21st. We didnt have internet access in Aswan or Luxor and I didnt bring my computer with me. But I am here now, so get ready for some interesting updates.

Since my last post about the pyramids of Giza we took a 13 hour train down to the city of Aswan on the Nile River. Once there we met our local guide Mahmoud who took us to our hotel and got us settled in. After settling down we took a small tour bus to see the Aswan Dam and then to the larger High Dam. Interestingly the High Dam was paid for by the Russians during the Cold War (basically to curry favor and to get Egypt on the Russian side) and provides electricity from Aswan to Luxor to Cairo. The total cost of the dam was around $400 million dollars...not a bad present just to pick sides! The dams themselves were nothing great to see but we enjoyed the scenery along the beautiful Nile River.

After the dams our guide Mahmoud took us to the Philae Temple which is located on an island on the Nile. We took a boat up to the temple and just marveled at the beauty surrounding the island and the island itself. The temple and the islands were the burial site of the god Osiris in Egyptian and Nubian culture. What we liked most was the ancient architecture that made up the temple complex. From the monuments and obelisks to the ancient hieroglyphic inscriptions on the wall the Philae Temple was absolutely beautiful.

Once we got back to the hotel we relaxed, showered and rested up for a big event which was to take place. At midnight we were to board a bus and take a 3.5 hour drive into the desert to an island where we would go the a temple called Abu Simbel. This temple was constructed for the King Ramses II and was completed in 1224 BC. Now the special thing about this temple is that twice a year the when the sun sets, the sun goes directly into the temple and shines on the statues of Ramses II which are located in the very back inside the temple. The dates for this phenomenon are October 20 (which we were present for) and February 20. Apparently these dates are the King's birthday and his coronation day, respectively.

Needless to say we were all very excited to see this phenomenon and gladly took the long and grueling drive to the site. Once there our group hurried to get good seats, actually standing spots, while 5,000 other people did the same. It was very surreal to see all these people running towards the temple and squeezing together to get a good vantage point. People were pushing and shoving, we even saw a Japanese tourist throw a German tourist down because the German apparently cut the line! You dont want to get in front of those Asians while they take their pictures. As for us, we stayed away from crazy Asians and line cutting Germans and eventually enjoyed a beautiful sunrise over the majestic Nile. Unfortunately we couldn't go inside the temple during the actual sunrise but we were allowed inside after. The temple was decorated with statues, paintings on the ceilings and hieroglyphics on the walls. Truly something special to see. We stayed a little longer to enjoy the scenery and then headed back to Aswan.

(Interesting note- In 1959 the temple was dismantled and moved from its original spot to the current location about 300 km from Aswan. The reason for this was because the original site was starting to flood due to the construction of the Aswan Dam.)

After a long and arduous tek back we arrived in Aswan at about 1 pm. Talk about no rest for the weary, as soon as we got back our Aswan guide Mahmoud took us to the local pier on the Nile River for a boat ride. This may not seem very tiring but 7 hours in a very uncomfortable bus with zero sleep can wear you out, believe me! Now today was apparently Mahmoud's day off (keep in mind today is now Thursday Oct 23) and he wanted to spend it with us, just hanging out. I guess our friendliness, charm, and dashing good looks eventually paid off for us. We took our boat ride up the Nile towards the High Dam and eventually parked it in front of a beach area. It was a hot day, as it usually is in Egypt so a swim was definitely in order. Can you name any other people that have swam in the Nile? It was very refreshing for all of us. And it also worked up quite an appetite for the group.

Mahmoud knew we would all be hungry and apparently set up a very special dinner for us. The beach we were at was part of a Nubian village along the Nile. In this village they speak Arabic along with their Nubian language is not understood by most Egyptians. The village consisted of stone and brick houses and had straw ceilings. The ceilings covered maybe 80% of the house, the rest was uncovered to allow light inside. The floor was covered in sand, the painted over with pictures of crocodiles and the gods and in the corner was a cage for baby crocodiles. Apparently the Nubian people raise crocodiles as pets and when they get too big they throw them into the Nile, on the other side of the Dam thank god!

The owner of the house Asmaa made us a delicious feast and Chris, Colin, and I all had our Anthony Bourdain moment. Its not everyday you can visit a local village and eat authentic Nubian food. Thank you so much Mahmoud. It was truly delicious.

I have to say that this entire day, Thursday was one of the best days I have every had. We swam in the Nile River, ate amazing food at a local village and just saw another side of Egypt that people don't really see. Aswan is a little slice of paradise and I would tell anyone going to Egypt to make time to go there. You wont be disappointed. Our guide Mahmoud was truly a good friend. We took many pictures together and will miss him alot. It really helps to have a local who cares to show you around. Talk about Egyptian hospitality. Congratulations to him as well for getting married on Friday, the day after our boating adventure.

Well its 5:30 in the morning Egypt time and I have to make some phone calls. Today we are traveling into the desert to spend a night under the stars. I will be back tomorrow evening and will surely update you all on that experience. Thanks for reading!

Giza

Today was a great way to fully start our tour of Egypt. We left our hostel at 8:30 in the morning with our wonderful driver for the day Egyptian Bob. Now I'm sure bob is not his real name, its probably one he tells foreigners so they dont butcher his actual name. As soon as we met him his first words were "Welcome to Alaska!" said jokingly with a big smile from ear to ear. All three of us knew this guy would be a fun guide to the city of cairo and Giza. As we left the hostel Bob told us a little about himself; he used to be in the Egyptian military and then after 20 some odd years he left and began doing driving tours for the same company he works with now.

The first stop Bob took us to was an Egyptian Papyrus company that makes paper using the papyrus plant, and then sells it to art institutes or individual artists for them to work on. Inside the company building we met Shareef who explained to us how they take the papyrus stems, filet them, and then press them for six days to get thin strips. These strips are then laid together in sort of a checkerboard outline and then pressed for another six days to become finished paper. Afterwards they are sent to the artists.

The papyrus strips being laid out. Very interesting process to make the paper, which is actually quite strong. Below is a finished piece of work.

This was one of my favorite pieces of work that was in the shop. It looks absolutely amazing and all of their artwork is for sale. You can drop some serious coin in this place, believe me.

After the paper company it was on to Giza to see the famed Pyramids. All three of us had been looking forward to this part of the trip since we booked our tickets. Bob suggested we take a camel ride to see them and we obliged. After bargaining with the tour company, and saving a significant amount of money we paid for our 3 hour camel tour to the pyramids. Each of us got our very own camel; mine was called Rambo, Colin's was named Charlie, and Chris' was named Michael Jackson...too soon. If you have never ridden a camel before let me tell you that its an experience in itself. They are much bigger animal up close and when you are sitting on top while the animal is standing you are at the height of seats in a greyhound bus....they don't have greyhound buses here but its a comparison. It takes a little while to get used to riding this beast and also takes some time to get used to its constant flatulence. Camels have really bad manners so you dont want to be directly behind one who is feeling how should i say, a little gassy? Other than that these creatures are strong and sturdy, trusted by the bedouin people of the desert for thousands of years.

My came Rambo...he had bad gas the entire time but lucky for me I was on top of him rather than behind him.

We rode our camels into the pyramid park and after going through security we were off on our tour. Our pyramid guide Hamdi took us through some desert area on the outskirts of the park and after a while we could see the famed pyramids in the distance. Our excitement only grew as we got closer to these engineering and architectural marvels. We all stood in awe, imagining thousands of slaves pulling and pushing stones that weighed on average around 2.5 tons, with some getting as heavy as 15 tons into place. The pyramids when completed stood nearly 50 stories high or around 480 feet but over time this number has decreased a little bit.

What a site this was. To see three pyramids next to each other was an impressive site and much better than seeing them in social studies books. One of my life goals and dreams was to come to Egypt to see these colossal structures and now I can cross that off on my bucket list.

Right next to the pyramids is the also famous sphinx which has the face of a man, head of a woman, and body of a lion. This was also an impressive sight but it was ruined a little because the sphinx overlooks a KFC and Pizza Hut in Giza, literally a football field away. Can you say commercialized area? Yea, I bet that view has Mr. Sphinxy feeling a little hungry.

After the pyramids and sphinx our driver for the day Bob took us to get some good old fashion Egyptian food, falafal sandwhiches. These were well received within the group but Bob had another surprise in store for us. He took us into downtown Cairo to his favorite cafe where he treated us to some shawarma sandwiches, tea and a little hookah. It was his treat to us in his effort to show us Egyptian hospitality. Bob you certainly are a very hospitable man my friend. Delicious food and drink, smooth hookah smoke and great friends made for a very memorable and fun afternoon. We did get some stares as foreigners from locals who were also enjoying the cafe and the great weather but I think it was more of an appreciation that we would go out of our way to really embrace the culture here.

What we have heard from Bob and the two brothers running the hostel is that most tourists come and stay in fancy hotels, go on group tours all day in giant buses and then come back to the hotel to lounge by the pool or watch tv. They would rather eat the McDonalds or KFC in the area than get out of their comfort zone and explore the city. For us this is not the way to really travel. You need to stay in hostels, backpack around and get out and immerse yourself in someone else's culture. Embrace the sights they see from the markets to the cafes, embrace the authentic food they eat no matter how weird it may seem and above all embrace the life they live here in another country. If you dont then your are really just cheating yourself...and who wants to do that.

Well friends another post down but more importantly another day seized. We head to Aswan tomorrow for some interesting activities so stay tuned!

Day 1 of the Journey

I want to start off this post with a quote from "The Beach." Now I never read the book so I dont know if its in there but I did see the movie and the quote pretty much sums up my thoughts and feelings on travel.

"Trust me, it's paradise. This is where the hungry come to feed. For mine is a generation that circles the globe and searches for something we haven't tried before. So never refuse an invitation, never resist the unfamiliar, never fail to be polite and never outstay the welcome. Just keep your mind open and suck in the experience. And if it hurts, you know what? It's probably worth it."

There is something about this quote that just resonates with me and every time I read it I get a little more pumped up about exploring the world.

Moving on to the actual travel. We took off from JFK about 45 minutes late because of monstrous line on the tarmac. After finally taking off and getting settled I glanced over at my two companions and we all just gave a look of excitement. Excitement about what we will see and do but also about the unexpected. So much of this trip is unplanned and unorganized in the sense that we have a basic idea of what we are doing, but when it comes down to it we really dont know what we're in for. To me thats the best part. I know I will have a great time traveling and seeing certain places and things, but just knowing that around every bend and corner there is something new to see is the best part. The unknown is very appealing.

We finally reached Cairo at around 330 in the afternoon after many long and grueling hours in a cramped airplane with less than stellar entertainment and comfort. After we get through immigration we made our way to baggage claim only to find out that our bags, along with 1/3 of the other passenger's bags didnt make it. What a great start to the trip. Lost luggage counter was another hassle to deal with but we eventually made it out to the street where we were greeted by our driver Sammy who came to take us to the hostel. I have to say drivining through cairo is alot like driving through delhi. No one stays in their respective lanes and all you can hear is a symphony of horns from different vehicles. The rules of the road here are simple just like they are in India...the bigger vehicle has the right of way. Now im used to this since I have visited India many times but i could tell Colin and Chris were a little amazed at the chaos on the road. They were even more impressed with Sammy's ability to weave in and out of traffic, barely missing other cars by inches.

Once we got to our hostel we were shown to our room and the manager Mohammad asked us what our plans are for the 6 days in Egypt. We told him what we had planned on doing and felt proud that unlike most tourists we actually had a plan for day to day. Mohammad just laughed and said silly Americans, you do not want to do this plan in the order you have selected and with the groups you have chosen. I will take care of your entire trip, you pay me upfront and you dont have to worry about anything but entrance fees, food and tips. Any other time I would be hesitant to pay someone $400 for one week of activities upfront but Mohammad came highly recommended from the website Hostel World. We also spoke with another guest named Allan who said Mohammad knows what he is doing and will take care of you. Well, here is $400........

I will update the blog during the week with what is included in this $400 payment. Trust me, this will be something you dont want to miss....

As for the rest of the night in Cairo we went out to dinner and ate kushari, which is a delicious mix of pasta, rice and lentils that filled us up for only $2 US. Did I mention we got the large size?...gotta love the weaker Egyptian pound.

After dinner we went down a side street not too far from our hostel, sat down and smoke some hookah while enjoying the scenery and people watching. The hookah was very smooth and it was nice to enjoy that while sitting in very comfortable weather. Cairo weather has been good so far, and lets hope it continues.

Im finishing this post at 8 am on Tuesday morning as we get ready to travel to Giza to see the pyramids. What a day this will be.....

Until next time...

Trip Overview

For those of you who don't know my Journey of a Lifetime departed from the US on October 18, 2009. Im going to Thailand to teach english for one year with my friend Colin Sperling. Our friend Chris Pennisi is coming on the traveling part of the trip and will return to the US before thanksgiving. Our trip will consist of a 7 day stay in Egypt with stops in Cairo, Luxor, and Giza. After Egypt we will travel to India where we will spend 10 days with my family and travel around to see places like the Taj Mahal. After India we are taking a 5 hour flight to Bangkok where we will spend 6 days before traveling down to beautiful Phuket. Yes, you should be jealous.

Ill keep updating this blog as often as possible to let you guys get a glimpse of what I will experience. The countries, the people, the food and the overall lifestyle of people who are so different yet very similar. Stay tuned!