Category: Egypt

Here is the link to my latest blog post for Verge Magazine, “The Power of Choice” and some of the things I got up to in my first week back.

https://www.vergemagazine.com/work-abroad/blogs/2845-the-power-of-choice.html?fbclid=IwAR3LJH-IijinHP3RusGuotFHFKI3YyzoX0LDnxGaYMY5d0-M22bwoJX7HlU

My second article for Verge magazine has just been posted online. Here, I touch on some of the complex issues around TEFL, English and teaching and learning languages. These don’t get spoken about enough and I think they’re important!

Link below:

https://www.vergemagazine.com/work-abroad/blogs/2843-i-never-realize-how-complex-english-was-until-i-moved-to-egypt.html

The photo is from two years ago during my “I will get over him” phase – you can tell from the bright orange hair…

Happy New Year! after a very good rest I’m back online!

I’m a guest writer for Verge magazine this year. Anyone that knows me well, knows I have strong opinions about everything and I look forward to sharing them. It’s an opportunity to share my travel writing to a wider audience, and eventually I’ll add the articles here.

https://www.vergemagazine.com/work-abroad/blogs/2842-swapping-netflix-for-the-nile.html

“Hold on tight!” he shouted as the 4×4 reached the tip of the slop. It was a sharp drop down, I closed my eyes and grabbed the handle above my head, wondering what I’d paid for. Only a week ago, I’d been sat comfortably at home searching for something to do next week, when I read about the Full Moon White Desert tour on Facebook. Impending doom wasn’t the idea I’d had in mind. The 4×4 began to slowly tilt forwards till we were 50 degrees, the only sound the crank of the foot being lifted off the break and then we were off. “AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH,” our screams radiating across the desert, the wind flying across our faces. As the jeep reached the bottom, we all fell about laughing and turned behind us to catch the sight of the other half of the group approaching the edge, about to experience the terror and exhilaration of the drop and drive.

Away from the overcrowded tourist traps of the Rea Sea and the Pyramids lies Egypt’s best kept secret. Nothing compares to waking up to the radiant sunset of the White Desert. The White Desert had been suggested to me by a friend about five years ago, but as normal I ignored their advice. It was by chance one weekend that I discovered this fairly untrekked adventure. As someone who’s lived and worked in Cairo for three years, it seems absurd that this is one of Egypt’s least visited locations. This to me, is the real Egypt.      

We left Cairo on Friday morning (the first day of the Egyptian weekend) at 7am. Meeting outside Cilantro in Mohandessin, we took a small minibus to Al Hayz. Located Southeast of Cairo and situated below Siwa, Al Hayz and the surrounding area are populated by Bedouins and governed under Bedouin laws. The pace of life is a stark contrast to the noise, dust and tension to be found in Cairo. Here, life was surprisingly calm and quiet.

We stopped for lunch at a restaurant in the centre of the village, where we encountered another group also enjoying refreshment before they headed off on their big desert adventure. The tour started with a beginners guide to off-roading onto the Black Desert, named after the black volcanic rock, dolerite, which covers the surface of the hills. A short walk, a few pictures and a bit of rock collection were had, before we started the drive into the White Desert.

A convoy of 4×4 vehicles, with a pre-determined order and crammed with supplies and water, are needed even for a one-night trip, accompanied by eccentric driving which leaves one feeling both exhilarated and terrified. But it sure is worth it. Stopping at a peak to look out over the vast desert below, the sand changing colour from mustard to white, a feeling of aliveness creeps over you. The ridiculousness of everyday worries and concerns seems to wash away, with hair a mess and fresh air flooding your lungs.

The views were astounding, our surroundings getting whiter and whiter.

On arrival at our camp location, we sat and watched as the guys unloaded and began cooking. Listening to some of the jokes and comments directed at me, one of my fellow travellers asked if feminism had reached Egypt yet. “Yes,” I replied, “but you have to search for it. Egypt has a history of feminism.” A too great a topic to cover over a bottle of water and cigarette.

Setting up the camp was swiftly followed by the preparation of dinner. A small dining space was erected using traditional khayameya fabric and rugs, with a low-slung table everyone could sit around. Shoes were thrown off, followed by the communal sharing of salad, lamb, bread, a small feast divided between everyone. The sky was already getting dark. A fire started. Everyone sat around, sharing laughter and stories of past travels as koshari tea (named after the popular Egyptian dish ‘koshari,’ but here a mix of loose tea with sugar and herbs in the kettle) brewed. One small glass after another was consumed.

As is always expected at social events in Egypt, a tabla drum appeared from nowhere and entertainment abounded. Singing rapidly descended into dancing, everyone shimmying (or attempting) to the beats of the drum, on the still-hot desert sand, the dry air hanging thick. Having drunk copious amounts of tea and followed by all the dancing, I asked Abdu where I might find a bathroom.

“The desert is your toilet,” Abdu told us laughing, “go anywhere.”

Under the now full moon, the desert was completely illuminated. The towering, white sculptural forms shining with a soft, silvery glow. It wasn’t dark. Not now the moon had arrived. It was glowing, a night-time gallery that we could walk around, exploring the sedimentary rock formations. A good time to contemplate the effect of the full moon on our bodies and minds; how I can never sleep when there is a full moon.

Returning from my ponderous trip to the bathroom, everyone was still laughing about my dancing. We let the fire burn down and headed for our tents.

Emerging bleary eyed from my tent the next morning, I was met by the sun rising up behind huge white formations. The full and magnificent beauty of the White Desert became clear. It was pure white and sculptural, as if an artist had taken time to carve these works for display. It felt like we were in Antarctica or on another planet. The desert as beautiful at night as in day, but with completely different qualities.

Breakfast was flat bread, freshly made in front of our eyes above the fire, soft cheese, halva and tea. Sat on a rug around the table, we shared stories of the night; some people having slept under the stars whilst others walked for hours exploring this almost extra-terrestrial landscape.

After breakfast we headed to the New White Desert.

The New White Desert, discovered slightly later, contains well-known, and rock formations such as the rabbit, in the shape of … a rabbit, which have wire barriers to prevent them becoming eroded by too much human interaction. These formations all look like works of modern art; an open air art gallery in the desert. We also stopped by ‘the chicken,’ and a few comments were made asking for the egg. Whilst taking photos with the rabbit, we enjoyed a little rooftop dancing by our guides.

“Who wants to drive?”

I looked at Abdu. He had to be joking.

He wasn’t. One of my fellow travellers stepped into the driving seat. Whilst all credit for doing a good job on flat terrain, I didn’t feel safe being driven over huge sand dunes. I needn’t have worried, we were soon back to Adbu’s race track driving off sharp drops.

We had one last stop to make before heading back to Al Hayz. Crystal mountain. It’s not quite a mountain, a medium sized hill covered in calcite crystals. After, an additional quick stop by an old roman vineyard, where you can walk amongst hundreds of shards of ceramic pots, we were back at the house in Al Hayz, where we climbed out of our mucky clothes and jumped into the small drop pool, before enjoying one last goodbye lunch.

The White Desert affected me more than any other place in Egypt. It feels magical and reconnecting, almost pagan in my experience. The combination of earth, air and fire. My advice for Egypt – skip the tourist brochure and head straight to Al Hayz.