Albabenshal Siwa

... big bags and didnt want to cart them around for a day in the heat. Also, we had had enough of Egypt and just wanted to get out.<br><br>We made a schedule for the next 20 hours that planned activities for each hour before the plane took off. This included repacking, sewing patches on to our bags, journaling,napping (obviously in shifts)., bananagrams, a whole hour of finie, yoga and grocery shopping. We had 40 pounds, and one ripped 20 pound note that had been rejected everywhere ...

... on that bus to Dahab, and if it wasn't 24 hours away we would have. All though through the whole debacle we recieved some great presents, such as "sorry you got harrassed by the local crazy" necklaces, "sorry you got harrassed by the local crazy" postcards, and "sorry you got harrassed by the local crazy" free dinner. From then on we known as the australians who got harrassed by the local crazy. <br><br>That night with our personal bodyguard Fethi, brought us around town. We ...

... for a few days of peace. Be interested to see how I feel going back to Cairo which couldn't be more different from this place. I hope that tour groups don't start coming here in big numbers and ruin it for other travelers, or more importantly, for the local population. I imagine it will be one of those places that quickly becomes a tourist trap and is completely changed and ruined. But I guess I'm contributing to that in a small way.

... bricks and most of the inhabitants had gradually left over the previous ten years. Today it acts as a kind of open air museum, to show the traditional way of living. From here we began our trek out into the White Desert. The desert gets its name from the white rocks spread out throughout the desert and forming many different and interesting shapes. The sunset over this landscape was particularly amazing and in the ...

Today was a long day even though we didn't do much. We had a later start than usual and before we started our drive to Siwa we stopped off at Cleopatra's Beach. We walked across some slippery rocks, I almost stacked it but managed to stay out of the water, to a small rock formation where we climbed through a hole to stand inside a cave. There was a small tunnel in the cave which you could walk to the end of and stand as the waves came ...

... From the hotel, we had a short drive to Cleopatra's cave where we took a short walk and paddle to a rocky outcrop near the beach itself. There was not much there and I am not even sure of the significance of the place. On the way back Calvin, a slightly overweight member of our group, slipped on his back and cut his head. Of course there was quite a lot of blood from the wound but it was nothing bad and he felt ok in himself. We wrapped an Arab tea towel round his head (I ...

... smoked a sheesha (cappuccino flavor), and watched the sun set. Cisco went on to Israel, while I made my way out west to Siwa. I've always wanted to see an oasis, and this one didn't disappoint. After the eight hour bus ride from Alex, the approach is barren desert, then all of a sudden, acres and acres of palm trees. Siwa is pretty off the tourist path, and I count about twenty others in town. It's a ...

... many old tombs and some which were highly decorated in the most amazing heiroglyfics I had ever seen. It was a shame that we were followed into the tomb and not allowed to take photos. Another day we went out in a 4WD vehicle into the sand dunes to see the cold and hot springs and to see the sunset. I had a swim in the cold spring half clothed before we had dinner overlooking the pool. Then we went onto the hot sulphur ...

... he actually had just lit something on fire and was swinging it at anyone he could reach, sparks and embers flying everywhere. Truck # 5: The married women, sombre and sullen, giving no indication they believed this to be a joyous occasion, let alone a solid long-term plan. Celebratory gestures limited to occasional spitting. One of the really nice things about Siwa is that it has a number of attractions in the town itself, as well as several more within walking distance. On ...

Attended the Festival of Peace which celebrates the end of a series of long ago hostilities between two warring Siwa factions. The highlight is a dinner for all of the Siwan community and their guests. Afterward the men of the community go through a ritualized prayer and dance ceremony. The pictures and video shoud explain better than my words.