A night under the stars
Trip Start
Jan 07, 2010
1
50
60
Trip End
Jan 06, 2011
Al Bawīţī, Al Jīzah, Egypt
Thursday, September 9, 2010
As we drove further into the desert the surroundings changed considerably. The usual yellow sandy surface had changed to a dark black burnt looking soil. Because of the concentration of black rocks this area was surprisingly labelled the Black Desert. We stopped at the base of a large hill that was called Black Mountain and made the climbed to the summit. Waiting for us at the top were Jacob and Mathilde as their guide had stopped to offer the same photo opportunity as us.
The view was spectacular! It gave us an overlooking perspective of the surrounding area. Jutting up from the ground like volcanoes were similar black mounds of rock and sand. The surreal scene looked like it belonged to a Sci-fi movie. It was an environment where nothing would grow and nothing could survive. After taking some photos off the view and the gang (and a rock that looked like a bird) we scaled back down the unstable path to our car where our guide was waiting for us.
After a short stop at a cold water spring (cement pool with a water pump) we grabbed a refreshing drink from a lovely lady who owned a little shop in the middle of nowhere. Her husband had died the year before and she was now looking after 4 children on her own. She was a real 'mamma' and took us all in and wanted our e-mail addresses and nationalities. She called her 8 year old son to play his drum and we were amazed by his rhythm and skill. She wanted Kailey to dance and with that, our guide grabbed her hand and as they danced to the drum and mamma’s singing. It was a special moment even if it was extremely embarrassing for Kailey.
After a short stop to play in the sand on the side of the road, we made it to Crystal Mountain. This was a small rock face that was made mostly by quartz crystal. The ground surrounding shimmered as the small crystals caught the light from the afternoon sun. Nearby we crawled through a cliff though a small cave and scaled the other side to reach our car. After we watched the sun set over the distant sand dunes and rock faces, we continued on to the mushrooms.
The mushrooms were beautiful. Sandstone that has been carved over time by the powerful Sahara winds to create mushroom like figures that protrude from the earth like fossilised trees. With the setting sun below the horizon, the mushrooms made striking silhouettes that proved to be very photogenic.
By now the sky was becoming quite dark and the first of many stars began to shine as we drove quickly though the rocky and sandy terrain to set up camp for the night. Once we arrived, our guide Achmed lay down some rugs, secured a wind breaker and then built a fire. We were told to sit and relax which we were happy to do after a big day on the road. There were a number of little foxes that began to investigate our camp and became quite confident. One stuck its head into the kettle and drank most of the water out of it. We could not blame it for having a drink as there is no water to be seen out there. Who knows when the last time it had had a decent drink?
As the day became older, the stars became more obvious and soon enough we were totally in awe of the sight that lay above us. No words can describe the beauty of a clear night sky in the desert. With the only light pollution being the small camp fire, you can only imagine the sheer magnitude of sparkling planets and stars, thick detailed milkyways and endless constellations.
We eagerly ate the campfire cooked dinner that was prepared for us as we shifted our focus between the faxes, the fire and the stars. After such an exciting day we were all tired and ready to fall asleep happily under the night sky. Achmed was keen to venture over to a camp in the distance where drumming could be heard from. So as Mike and Jordan head off to bed, the three of us visited a circle of people who proceed to break out into a drum and chant chorus lead by Achmed. He got up and danced with Kailey again much to her delight in front of a group of strangers. After a few songs we made our way back to our blankets to rest for the nights. We gazed off into the abyss of space until our eyes finally gave in, the last image before we fell asleep being one of the most incredible sights that we have seen.
Throughout the night we woke a few times to sounds of the foxes that tiptoed around out camp. Some came close enough to smell them and wake me from my sleep to see a pair of eyes staring at me. In the morning there were footprints up to our pillows and Mike felt one brush right up against him though the night.
I woke a few minutes before sunrise and got the camera ready for a predictable amazing colour display. As the sun submerged from the horizon the landscape was washed with a warm orange glow that brought the surroundings to life. We had arrived at the campsite at night and were unaware of the lunar like environment that we were surrounded by. Crisp bleached white chalky mounds poked up from the orange sand and resembled scenes from Antarctica. As the sun continued to rise, the shadows that it cast upon the site created great contrast between the earthy tones.
We all gazed into the distance in astonishment not only thinking about where we were but still visualising the images of the sky from the previous night. We piled into the car feeling so lucky to have experienced what we had as we made our way back to the oasis.
Back at the guesthouse we said goodbye to Jordan and Mike and had a good nap before lunch with Jacob and Mathilde. In the afternoon we went to the oasis, the hot spring (cement pool with a pump again) and Pyramid Mountain before heading back to chill out for the rest of the evening. We chatted away with Jacob and Mathilde until bed finally called us. In the morning we were to catch the bus back to the hustle and bustle of Cairo.
Comments
Wonderful pictures and story. Loved the Sahara Desert, really amazing and the mushrooms were incredible, and the little fox with such big ears, so what is the white stuff with the sand, could not figure that out. Love m