Siwa coolness
1 Comments Published by Tom Gara on Wednesday, November 17 at Wednesday, November 17, 2004.
Siwa was fantastic. Trying to describe it in words would not do it justice. Just an absolutely perfect few days away with a great group of people to one of the most amazing places on Earth. So I am back among civilisation now in Cairo, no longer kicking back in the sand dunes with the Bedouin and their trusty camels, but the feeling is still in me that I have experiences something special.
So imagine driving for about 4 straight hours into the Sahara desert, 4 hours of absolute desolate nothingness - just sand and the occasional rock. Then, out of the middle of nowhere, in the middle of all the sand and rock and absolute lifelessness, comes this:
It really is an oasis, just like you imagine it, palm trees and natural springs, in the middle of nowhere. The township itself is straight out wild west - you can imagine lone gunslingers arriving in town and kicking open the flapping doors of the local public house to down a cold beer. That is, except that you are in one of the most strictly conservative places in Egypt. You know a place is conservative when Egyptians call it "very conservative". The is absolutely no women to be seen, anywhere. None. We played spot the women for a few hours, and there just were absolutely no women in public. After a while I spotted a few women out walking in between houses - completely veiled, as in, totally covering their face, eyes and all. I have no idea how they manage to get around without bumping into everything - or how any religion justifies expecting such ridiculous codes of dress from women, especially one based in the scorchingly hot Sahara desert.
The closest I got to a Siwan woman was when a group of three ladies came past us on a donkey cart. It isnt the best close up portrait photo, but it is fairly symbolic of the situation with women there:
Anyhow, I will have a lot more photos uploaded over the next couple of days. In short, the desert was a beautiful place, and the sand dunes really reminded me of the scenery in the Nullabor Plains in south-western Australia - although with the added extra of the wonderful desert oasis areas, where palm trees and spring pools appear like magic in an ocean of sand. How this all works I don't know - any geologists or biologists or whatever care to explain in the comments?
I'll leave you with a couple of bonus photos, and a promise of more (and better) to come.
Boredom and desert and candles and herbal inspiration all combined in the ritual sacrifice of the lovely Purvi to the desert God(s).
Thea, who couldnt be more gorgeous if she tried, becoming at one with the desert.
And finally, what Egyptian desert experience would not be complete without the mandatory camels?
So imagine driving for about 4 straight hours into the Sahara desert, 4 hours of absolute desolate nothingness - just sand and the occasional rock. Then, out of the middle of nowhere, in the middle of all the sand and rock and absolute lifelessness, comes this:
It really is an oasis, just like you imagine it, palm trees and natural springs, in the middle of nowhere. The township itself is straight out wild west - you can imagine lone gunslingers arriving in town and kicking open the flapping doors of the local public house to down a cold beer. That is, except that you are in one of the most strictly conservative places in Egypt. You know a place is conservative when Egyptians call it "very conservative". The is absolutely no women to be seen, anywhere. None. We played spot the women for a few hours, and there just were absolutely no women in public. After a while I spotted a few women out walking in between houses - completely veiled, as in, totally covering their face, eyes and all. I have no idea how they manage to get around without bumping into everything - or how any religion justifies expecting such ridiculous codes of dress from women, especially one based in the scorchingly hot Sahara desert.
The closest I got to a Siwan woman was when a group of three ladies came past us on a donkey cart. It isnt the best close up portrait photo, but it is fairly symbolic of the situation with women there:
Anyhow, I will have a lot more photos uploaded over the next couple of days. In short, the desert was a beautiful place, and the sand dunes really reminded me of the scenery in the Nullabor Plains in south-western Australia - although with the added extra of the wonderful desert oasis areas, where palm trees and spring pools appear like magic in an ocean of sand. How this all works I don't know - any geologists or biologists or whatever care to explain in the comments?
I'll leave you with a couple of bonus photos, and a promise of more (and better) to come.
Boredom and desert and candles and herbal inspiration all combined in the ritual sacrifice of the lovely Purvi to the desert God(s).
Thea, who couldnt be more gorgeous if she tried, becoming at one with the desert.
And finally, what Egyptian desert experience would not be complete without the mandatory camels?
Tom, Thea Looks Radiant!!! Beautiful.. Amazingly Pretty! This picture makes me really miss her.... Thea I miss you!!! Love, Maria