Arrival in the Desert

Desert Egypt:

I walk a bit through the sand – and suddenly sink knee-deep.
As I try to free my foot, one of my shoes just gets stuck.I dig, I search – nothing.

Welcome to the desert of Egypt.
A few days earlier, everything had started quite harmlessly….

“Finally!” exclaims Susi, a fellow traveler in our 4×4, as we turn off the paved road and the offroad ride begins.

After just a few kilometers, the city feels far away.

“Aiii, oops!” Susi adds shortly after, as our car jumps over a bump and we are all shaken a bit.

That’s part of it – we have arrived in the Egyptian desert.

This time, we are going with a small group into the Abu Mohareq Dunes, the longest dunechain in the world, stretching for hundreds of kilometers and constantly moving. For us, it is an area full of opportunities to discover.

Soon we find old World War I canisters and large rusted iron spikes that once held railwaytracks together. Today, only the railway embankment is visible, and the canisters are rusting away – they could surely tell many stories from the past.

Offroad Adventure in the Dunes

We first let some air out of the tires. This is supposed to help prevent getting stuck – though there is, of course, no guarantee. “Hold on!” shouts Tarek as he climbs a dune. You can feel the power of the vehicle: it struggles, hums, pants – and stops just before the dune crest.

Carefully, reverse is engaged, another attempt is made – and this time, whoops, we are on top.

The view is always fascinating. From every dune, the landscape looks different: endless dunechains, suddenly dark spots, stones, or bushes. Like painted by a brush, some areas shimmer pink or yellow.

Team Spirit in the Sand

In all our excitement, we don’t notice that another car has not yet reached the dune crest. So we turn back.

Indeed, we find the vehicle a little further along, people busily shoveling the tires free. Anyone who played in a sandbox as a child will enjoy this perfectly.

But digging alone is not enough. The sand mats are placed in front of the tires – and then it is:push together with all your strength! Somehow it is a thrilling feeling to realize that a heavymetal box is slowly moving. “A little more!” calls Jonathan, a fellow traveler. The car is free– we are sweaty but satisfied.

Camping Under the Starry Sky

The first day quickly comes to an end, and we look for a resting place before the sun sets. Everyone fans out to find a suitable spot for the igloo tent. “The ground must be even,” Tarek advises the group, some of whom are in the desert for the first time.

In time, before the daylight disappears, everyone has set up. We sit at the table and drink sundowner tea. “Who wants nuts or dried fruit?” asks Ibtehal. In the coming days, we will realize that her care and provisions seem endless – like Mary Poppins, she has everything for any situation: wet wipes, Voltaren, fruit, sweets – and in the morning, even filter coffee.

When I groggily crawl out of the tent, the smell of coffee is already in the air.

The group quickly finds its rhythm; the hours flow timelessly, living in the here and now.

Soon comes a little incident: as Ibtehal sits down, she gently plops backward into the sand – chair and all. Luckily, it is soft. Laughter is allowed. “I felt like a beetle on its back,” she says, laughing.

“And I still have sugarcane sticks (Assab) too!”

Chewing sugarcane is new for me: it extracts the juice and simultaneously works as a natural tooth-cleaning method.

Full Moon Over the Egyptian Desert

“Tonight is a full moon,” notes Hany, one of our local drivers and cook.

After dinner, we sit by the fire and wait for the moon to appear. First only a golden glow, then the celestial body rises and illuminates the surroundings. Flashlights are unnecessary. The wind of the day has calmed, and the world is silent.

Sometimes, there is nothing to say, only to feel and experience.

Djara Cave Exploration

Time flies. The last day of our tour begins. As a highlight, we visit Djara Cave, a stalactite cave in the middle of the Egyptian desert. In the half-dark, the climate is pleasant, and with flashlights, one can admire the impressive spikes.

Back in daylight, we drive toward the asphalt road, when all of a sudden two cars get stuck deep in the sand.

“Ah,” says Tarek, “this is fish-fish – a special type of sand.” Quicksand-like, powdery, and treacherous. Pushing and sand mats do not help; only the single car that has not sunk can pull the vehicles out with a rope.

I walk a bit – and suddenly I sink knee-deep myself. And when I automatically try to pull my feet out of the sand, one of my shoes gets stuck in it. I then try to dig, because I’m actually sure where it should have stayed – but it’s gone.

Swallowed by the sand, it seems. Hm. Suddenly all the holes in the sand look the same, and I’m no longer sure where exactly the shoe might be stuck. “One day, a group here will find a single shoe,” Tarek mocks, “and then wonder what happened to its owner…”

But then he takes pity and starts digging on a large scale. Stones, sand, more stones – and then – indeed – my shoe!

Its appearance is celebrated like the arrival of a good friend. Now we are satisfied.