Paradise Found

Day 98

We've been in Bohinj, we've been to the Island of Miljet, and we've been to Cappadocia, but this past weekend we traveled to what may be my favorite place of the whole trip. Get ready for pictures...

Siwa Oasis is 10-12 hours from Cairo, depending on how long it takes to change buses. After arriving in Marsa Matruh, the last town on the coast before Libya, a four hour drive across the desert is needed before reaching the Oasis. In the desert, there is almost nothing to see except the occasional radio tower, a scattered building here or there, and (once) a herd of camels.



Of course, we only were able to get the true feeling of the desert on the return trip, because the four of us (Kathy Ann, Max, Morgan and myself) took the dreaded night bus from Cairo. Nevertheless, we were treated to a brilliant morning in the oasis, and Max and I acquired some fresh "bred" and falafel while we waited for our hotel to open up.



After we got settled and had taken a nap, we went out to explore. We rented bikes for the second half of the day (less than $2 each), and headed into the palm groves. Here is where I started to fall in love with the place. The oasis is almost entirely lakes and palm trees, with space for a town carved out of the middle. Slowly riding down the winding roads, in and out of the shade of lush palm trees, was a serene experience.



When we reached the Oracle of Amun, and climbed to the top for a panoramic view, the effect was complete. We could see both salt lakes, the town, and any other piece of land that had chosen to separate itself from the oasis and jut out of the groves towards the sky.



The oracle itself was pretty impressive as well. Physically, its in pretty rough shape. But when you stop and think about Alexander the Great crossing the desert and climbing up the same hill, it's pretty cool. I was unable to content myself with simply climbing the hill.



We spent the rest of the afternoon cruising along one of the salt lakes, and then making our way back to a local swimming hole, Cleopatra Spring. These springs are the lifeblood of the oasis, and simple irrigation canals keep the date palms in good shape. The warm, clear water is also a great way to beat the heat! The following day, Max and I rode to the more remote Fatnas Spring on the other side of the oasis. We were ready to take a dip, but were a little sketched out by the lack of exit flow and the algae on the surface. You could still see straight through the clear water to the bottom, but we decided to pass.



The joy was in the ride anyway. We grabbed a seat at the nearby cafe and enjoyed the view over one of the lakes. It was straight out of a Corona commercial.



I was sad to leave a place where cars take third place to donkey carts and bikes; a place where children shout "Hello!" and wave at you as if a tourist is something special and unique. In the evening, Max and I played chess at a coffee shop on the square while the ladies shopped around. Everything was low key and relaxed in my mind, and it was nice to have that matched by the nature of our environment (a big change from Cairo!). Outside of the main square in town, the entire oasis is still operating as an oasis. It has not converted itself into a tourist destination, and one would hope that due to its remoteness it will stay that way. I don't know if I'll ever return, but I am very thankful for those two days.