Farnborough & Windsor

I arrived in Farnborough just fine and my carer placement with my new client went very well. She was very nice and easy going. Couldn't have had a better first client. Over the next 2 1/2 months, I went to the gym during my breaks and went for walks around the town and in the parks. Not a very big place, and not a lot to do, but luckily I made a friend at the gym. Maxine moved to England from Algeria and we'd  meet up from time to time. He even planned a day for us to go to Windsor castle during one of my breaks. See the oldest and largest occupied castle. It's also where her majesty resides. Initially built in the 11th century, by William the Conqueror.
Maxine picked me up and we drove to Windsor, about a 30 mins drive from Farnborough. There was a long queue to the entrance, but I was impressed with how quickly it went. We both took audio guides for the visit to learn a little more about the castle. However, there we plaques at most of the listening stations and throughout the castle. So, you would be fine without one if you're not wanting anything to detailed. I have to admit, I zoned out on a lot of the history in the audio guides. Too much information for me at one time.
On our way from the entrance to the north terrace, we walked past the Round Tower. It had a lovely garden in front with a small pond and benches. The St. George's Chapel was closed when we arrived. Although, we enjoyed the sculptures on the outside of the decorative building.
Of course we had our picture taken beside one of the guards. They don't seem overly impressed with all the tourists photos though. Even in their stillness, I could see that. Poor fellows, guess it comes with the job.
We went inside the Queen Mary's Doll House. A gigantic dollhouse! Queen Mary, as a child, needed a ladder in order to play with it. It was a replica of an aristocratic home, complete with electricity, running water (yes, the miniature toilets flushed) and elevators. Yup, no detail was forgotten there. Barrels and bottles in the wine cellar, books in the library, framed photographs on the mantles and walls in the rooms. Anything you'd think there'd be in real life was there inside this modelled house. Very impressive work.
The State Apartments were next. It took a long time to go though all the rooms. We had to rush so I could see most of it during my short break. There were paintings, treasures, furniture, weaponry, armour, statues, engravings, huge intricately carved fireplaces, chandeliers, mosaics, tapestry, beautiful painted ceilings, wood carvings... and more. Many rooms had their own theme, and you could see the different tastes of art from all the numerous monarch's collection over the centuries. I believe 39 monarchs have lived at Windsor. There was a lot of red, gold and white coloured rooms. The sheer size of the rooms and halls were overwhelming in all their splendour. A breathtaking place to visit.
The Drawing Gallery changes different exhibitions. The one presently was of Queen Elizabeth II over the past 6 decades of her reign, portrayed by photographers and artists to celebrate the Diamond Jubilee. There were some very nice photos of her with a genuine smile. It was nice to see.
Windsor Castle is definitely worth a visit, and you get your money's worth.
Another event during my time in Farnborough was the airshow. It's the home of British aviation. Over the week before the international airshow, I could watch the pilots practise. And of course, hear it! My client's house was very close to the airstrip so all day long we'd see and hear the planes. They did amazing dangerous displays, had coloured smoke and huge airliners that swooped in the air at such a slow pace, I thought it was going to stall and fall on the house!
Another fun trip for me was to the Hearing Dog Society. My client was looking into one and it was really neat to learn how the hearing dogs were trained and how they worked with the hearing impaired. They were trained to all sorts of rings, alarms and household sounds. We had a couple demonstrations to see how they respond and interact with their companion. Incredible what dogs can do.
I have my last day today with my client and this afternoon I head back into London for a week break before heading to my next placement. Time to look up a new hostel!

London

I arrived at Heathrow airport late at night. My flight was a little delayed. I called Kiran as soon as I collected my luggage to let her know I made it and was going to catch the underground train (UG) to the station by her place in Plaistow. It was really easy to figure out the UG. Once I arrived, her husband Kam met me at the station as Kiran was still on her way home from work. 11 pm, and only just getting home. Poor girl was exhausted! We only chatted for a short time and decided to have a proper reunion the next day. They had a spare room for me so I blew up my air mattress and with blankets and a pillow, fell fast asleep.
I spent just over a week with them. They both were working, so during the day I'd get on my computer and apply for jobs. In the afternoons, I'd go out for a walk around Plaistow and walk to Stratford where the big shopping centre was. I needed some warmer clothes for the UK and something other than backpacking clothes since I'd be in the country for a year.
Many foreigners in the community. Mostly of Muslim religion, so lots of halal butcher shops, burka/sari stores and street markets. Very colourful and lively in the neighbourhood. The fabrics were beautiful!
Kam usually got back from work in the early afternoon so I'd come back from my walk then.
They also had an evening where they had a party. It was a lot of fun meeting their friends. They're all social, full of life and outgoing. We played a game called Mafia. Strange game, we all draw a piece of paper out of a bowl, saying whether you were a suicide bomber, town's person or the Mafia. Then one person is the town judge so they control the game. We all close our eyes and the mafia points to a person who then is dead. When we open our eyes, we all have to guess who the mafia person is. Once accused, you get the chance to defend yourself. Everyone votes on who you think is the mafia you're sentencing to death. If your right, you won. If wrong, you either killed an innocent towns person (game continues)  or a suicide bomber (who gets to take someone with them when they die. Best to pick who you think is the mafia so he/she doesn't win the game). It's tricky, and doesn't make a lot of sense, because there's no reason to pick anyone. You have to just guess,who you think it is. With your friends, you can read them and know if they're lying... things like that. I only just met everyone, so I found it difficult. But, it was fun.
I got an interview for a carer position to care for the disabled. It went very well and I got the job. Not bad for one week of job hunting. It was a live-in position, so I didn't have to worry about rent, food or commuting. No expenses. The catch was that because it was live-in, your always on the job. Work 7 days a week and only get 2-3 hours off a day. After a full 6-8 hr day, your on call. So it can be isolating and exhausting, depending on the clients needs.
I had a 5 day training course to do. Kiran and Kam had been so kind to open their home to me, I didn't want to overstay my welcome, so we said goodbye with plans to meet up again soon and I headed to Woolwich and stayed at the Antigallican Hotel for 3 nights before starting the training.
It was a really nice hotel. Great atmosphere and lots of character. There were 2 dorm rooms for 8 people. When I got to my room, there was only 1other person (the receptionist!). I pretty much had it all to myself. It also had a full kitchen upstairs in the lounge which is not easy to find in London. I was really happy with this place. It was one of the cheapest places too. What a find!
Over the weekend at the hotel, I walked down the main road to Greenwich to see the park, National Maritime Museum and Queen's House. I went into the Queen's House first. It was an art gallery of all the centuries of royalty. There were sculptures, paintings, portraits, furnishings and carvings. Some original, others replicas. The Classical style house was built initially for King James I's consort Anne of Denmark, back in 1616. But Anne died 3 years later. Then, 10 years later, King Charles I gave it to his wife Henrietta Maria so that became her home. The Tulip staircase was the first unsupported helical stairs built in England and it was stunning. I don't know much about art or architecture, but this house was really nice. Worth a gander!
I popped over into the rest of the Maritime museum and read about all the star charts, navigational tools over the eras, boats, reading the seas and maritime history (like captain James Cook).
Across from the museum was the Old Royal Naval College. It was very pretty and I could see why this location is used so often for movies.
After, I strolled up to the park (I took too long in the house and museum so the observatory was closing. Had to save for another day). They were using part of the park for the 2012 Olympics so the area right before the observatory was closed. Not a problem though, it's a big park. I was able to walk to the ponds and see the flowers.
The next day I went to the Tower of London. I walked across the Tower Bridge to get over the river Thames. What a pretty bridge. It had the Olympic rings decorated on it that were able to fold up when boats passed though the risen bridge.
The Tower was really neat. There were free tours with the Yeoman Warders (also known as Beefeaters) who actually live in the barracks on site. They told us about some of the history, like how it used to be a prison and some people were tortured. However, most of the executions occurred outside the tower up on Tower Hill. Graffiti can be seen up in Beauchamp Tower from the prisoners that were held there from 1532-1672. He spoke of the ghosts that have been witnessed around the tower. Like the story about the 2 young princes who disappeared, speculated to be murdered but the bodies never found. Also the menagerie where the exotic wild animals were kept, the chapel, the armoury, the crown jewels, Traitor's Gate and the Ravens. Superstition from the mid 1600's that if the ravens flew away, the tower and monarchy will fall. I noticed all the clipped wings on the ravens. Think that still counts then?
His stories were very captivating.
The crown jewels were spectacular. Crowns, rings, swords, sceptres, golden weaved robes, orbs and more. Couldn't believe the size of the diamond there. Wow! The sceptre was beautiful and my favourite crown was the Imperial State Crown. It wasn't all the glittering diamonds that attracted me (although impressive!), but all the colours of the gorgeous gems. Even had the large Black Prince's Ruby (size of a chicken egg), that was brought to England back in the 14th century, attached to it. That crown has a lot of history built into it. Many sapphires, pearls, diamonds and rubies to make 3,000 gems in all. Crazy that it's only decoration for the royal ceremonial coronation. It's just a showpiece otherwise.
Seeing the military and armoury side of things was interesting as well. There were tons of knight's armour with the swords and shields. Henry VIII's armour was pretty funny. He felt he was so blessed that he needed all this extra space down in front. Made me laugh. Also was a dragon statue that was made up entirely of weaponry. Now that was really creative.
After the weekend, I had to head up to Hatfield just north of London to start my week of training. The agency had a rooming house they'd let me stay in and would pick up the trainees from the house to the course and back. Worked out well. Even had free breakfast and lunch. Just had to arrange my own dinner. Perfect!
There were 5 of us and we all got on well. 2 of the girls, Ashley (from New Zealand) and Cass (from Australia) were just a little younger than me, so we got on quite well. After the end of the week, we all exchanged emails and phone numbers to keep in touch. The training itself was fine. Learned the basics of caring for people, the agencies policies and how to use hoists and transferring aids. We even had a driving test to make sure we were smooth drivers. Didn't want anyone driving people with brittle bones or little muscle control to swing around corners too fast or slam on  the breaks. I get that.
After the training, I just had to wait for a position to be arranged, so I headed over to my cousins to stay with them for a while Plumstead.
I hadn't met Elizabeth (Lucy), Rodger or Rebecca before, but it didn't matter. As soon as we saw each other, it was like we've been close family right from the beginning. I love my family! We're all so close and loving, I'm very lucky :)
When I got to their house, I had a room all to myself. The huge window overlooked the small green field out front. Very nice and lots of light. Beautiful home, especially the backyard. They have a nice long garden with a small pond.
My first night there, we were in the living room and heard a strange sound, then a horn going off. We poked our heads out the front door, and 3 doors down, at the end of the terrace, was a car on fire! Someone must have stolen it and set it on fire when they dropped it off. Lucy called the fire department, who arrived quite promptly. Wow! That was a sight to see. I could feel the heat of the warm glow on my face since we weren't far away. No one got hurt and the fire was controlled and out in no time. There was our little bit of excitement! That was a first for me.
Over the next few days, we went on a few walks. We watched an Olympic marathon trial. The elites ran in the beginning, then there were registered runners. And many runners in costumes. Dressed from roman soldiers, fairies, storm troopers clowns to even grand (and awkward) outfits like a rhino and the Eiffel tower. They also took me to their local pub and I met some of their friends (one who got his wallet stolen from a gang of kids on his way home from Lucy's house. Really the neighbourhood isn't that bad! Just a few unfortunate incidents that just happened to occur while I was there), and also went to a few tourist spots.
The first was Eltham Palace and Gardens. It was once King Henry VIII's childhood home, then bought by a wealthy family that filled it with 1930's deco art. I really enjoyed the wall mural made up of different kinds of coloured wood to create the image of trees, with multiple buildings and 2 large guards standing on either side of the door entrance. Also, the family had a pet lemur, so it was neat to see the primate's quarters and how it was a part of their family. The gardens and moat was nice as well.
The second was Cutty Sark. It had just been opened the day before by the queen. It was the fastest ship of it's time and imported tea from China to London and wool from Australia to Britain. It's one of 3 clipper ships left in the world still whole with the iron frame and wooden hull. It's now a museum ship in Greenwich. I learned a lot about tea. Didn't know that green tea is made by drying the leaves quickly and black tea by bruising the leaves and letting them ferment before drying. Funny to learn that people on board took up roller skating, bicycle riding and dog breeding aboard the ship. Kept things interesting on those voyages!
I checked out the Greenwich Observatory after the ship. It was filled with all kinds of clocks and was built right on the Prime Meridian. To think I could stand on both the East and West hemispheres at the same time.
Thirdly, my cousins took me to Waltham Abbey church. It was very old, built in the 7th century. Over the centuries, kings had made additions to the church. At least 5 times anyway. A mixture of different rock and patterns can be seen. From fishbone type patterns, to medieval stones. Most of the design is from the 12th century now. The grounds were quite large and had a stone wall all around the outside of the abbey, graveyard and gardens. It was very peaceful.
We stopped for lunch at a pub  in Chingford, and checked out the royal hunting lodge right beside. The Queen Elizabeth Hunting Lodge is surrounded by Epping forest where many dear, pheasants, rabbit and fox live. I only saw a Kestrel hovering in the sky when I was there though. The area was only hunted by the royals (as it is proclaimed a royal forest) and both Henry VIII and Elizabeth I are believed to have hunted here.
Inside the Tudor lodge were replicas of food  and kitchenware so tourists could have an idea of the food made in the kitchen. Old clothes for the kids to play dress up in were upstairs.
Lastly, we went for a drive to Whitstable where my cousins had a beach hut. On our drive there, we had a cyclist up ahead of us who lost control of his bike, going so fast up to a corner in town and he hit a curb, flew over the front of the bike going over a railing. We pulled over to check and see how he was doing. A bit shocky and a sore thigh, but he was ok. He had a friend with him so we kept them company until the ambulance arrived. We carried on to the beach after everything was sorted with him.
When we arrived, we had the beach all to ourselves. The beach was made up of pebbles and shells, just like home. We had a nice lunch, walked their dog Eric on the beach and strolled through the town and fishing harbour. We were lucky with the weather. Though the clouds were around, we had lots of sun.
Today I'm just relaxing as I'm off to Farnborough, Hampshire for my first work placement.

Dahab & Cairo

After my much needed nap, I met up with Jimmy and he walked me over to Aqua Divers down the road from Bishbishi Garden Village Hostel. I arranged for 2 dives the next day and then went into town to have a look around. I had a falafel wrap for dinner and with a full stomach, checked out all the shops. Nice thing about Dahab, the merchants are used to so many tourists that they don't pester you. They give you plenty of space and still keep their friendliness and warmth about them. It was perfect. If you needed them, they were beside you at a drop of a dime, otherwise they are either relaxed or trying to keep busy with small tasks not to scare you off.
I found some nice belly dance costumes made by a man and his wife. He also gave dance lessons. I tried on a few for fun and while in the change room, he insisted I practise my dancing to fully appreciate the outfit. It was a lot of fun. He would make a move and I had to copy. Good times.
Didn't take long before I was tuckered out and ready for bed.
I headed over to Aqua Divers first thing in the morning and met my dive master Milad. With all our gear loaded into the jeep, we headed to our first dive site, Moray Garden. There was a fair amount of wind so I picked sites not to be too affected by it. Didn't want to waste my air supply on exertion from swimming against currents! We had a lovely shore entry and there was no current. Perfect! The visibility was great and it wasn't long before I spotted my very first stonefish. Ended up seeing 2 of them! Very cool! They really do camouflage brilliantly and I can see why they're so dangerous. Also saw the usual tropical coloured fish (butterflyfish, danselfish, anemone fish, etc.) a masked pufferfish and whitespotted pufferfish, 2 common lionfish and a clearfin lionfish, shultz pipefish and various parrotfish (bicolour, steepheaded, bluebarrad, swarthy & rusty). The coral was nice as well. Not as impressive as the GBR, but not to be missed. The Red Sea has so much to offer. I'm looking forward to returning in the future to explore more of it.
My second dive site was Um El Sid and it was another shore entry. Slight to medium current here, so we made our decent as quickly as we could to get out of it. Glad my equalizing wasn't any problem that day. On our second dive, we saw all the same marine life as above plus long nose unicornfish, needlefish, a pyjama slug and a really special fish... a Red Sea Walkman! It's a type of scorpionfish that has claws on the fins so it walks along the bottom of the ocean floor. It was a bright red colour as well. Stunning creature! My dive master was thrilled to have seen him. It was his first one, diving in Dahab in 4 years. After 50 mins, I was getting cold so we surfaced. And whoa! That wind was cold! We changed as fast as we could and got back into the jeep so we could warm up.
I kind of wished I did rent an underwater camera to get pictures of the stonefish and red sea walkman, but I just wanted to enjoy the dive this time around.
Once back at the shop, I asked if I could borrow the wetsuit for the rest of the afternoon as I was wanting to snorkel down at the lighthouse. They said not a problem and I could return it the next day. No extra fee. Nice people. So, after a quick bite, it walked to the other end of town and jumped into the water. I knew right away I wouldn't be in there too long. I was chilled to the bone from being in the water all morning. And there was a lot of wind at this point (which is why I elected not to dive here) which made it difficult to snorkel and free dive. Mind you, I found free diving difficult as it was, due to the high salinity. Felt like I was wearing a life jacket!
Too bad there weren't rocks nearby to use to get down. Only coral beds. Just had to kick really hard. Many people wind surfing. Fun to watch them do jumps and flips out there. They sure got a lot of speed with that breeze!
After my snorkel, I dropped off the wetsuit back at the dive shop and went for a shower in my room. I had my dinner and Jimmy came to see how my day was. We talked for some time and then he decided to teach me how to play backgammon. It was a blast. He took it easy on me in the beginning, but I'm a fast learner so by the end of 90 mins, he was putting more effort in. We agreed to a rematch the next day, after my camel ride out to the Blue Hole for more snorkeling (that he talked me into). He spent all that time with me, so I thought it only fair to support him and take one of the daily outings.
I was so cold throughout the night, despite the 18 C temperature, and I wasn't feeling all that well in the morning. He postponed my plans till noon, gave me a herbal tea with something that tasted like ginger ( his mother used to give it to him when he was ill. He swore by it) and went back to bed. At least I was warming up. When I got up at 11:30, I felt so much better. I had to check out but they were kind enough to let me keep the room until I had to catch my ride back to Cairo in the evening. It was slow in tourism, so they could spare the space. Again, what wonderful people, I was very happy with the service.
Jimmy drove me out to the local Bedouin man with the camels. It was a nice 30 mins ride. Enough blankets to keep me comfortable, but I think another hour and I'd be sore. It is possible to get a rhythm while riding though.
Once at the Blue Hole, I went into one of the restaurants where my snorkel gear was supplied. Then in I went. Not too windy that day, but there was a decent current on the surface so I had to mind my body at all times to avoid floating into anything. Can be challenging when you want to stay in one spot to watch something, but I managed. Saw more of the same marine life, but no stonefish. Not deep enough. I thought I was lucky to see the puffer and lionfish as is was, being so close to the surface. It's supposed to be a great dive site. Maybe next time...
Once out of the water, I went to the restaurant to dry and change and the owner joined me for Bedouin tea (hmm, so good with that hint of mint) and conversation. He was a bit of a flirt. Though, most of the egyptian men are... lol.
My driver picked me up and took me back to the hostel. So many goats roaming the streets in Dahab. You'd think to see cats scrounging around... here, it's goats. Free to roam as they please. I asked, "don't the owners ever loose them and have trouble getting them back or worry about them being stolen?" He said they always find their way back home and owners know which ones are theirs. Plus, Dehab is a small Bedouin community, so most people know each other and will bring the goat back to the rightful person. Very seldom is there theft. Goats are very special to the people and cherished.
After my shower and dinner, Jimmy and I had another few rounds of Backgammon. One of which I actually won! I was so proud, didn't matter that he beat me 5 times before. I was finally getting strategic!
I had a private van, that a bunch of other tourists were on, to go back to Cairo in. The manager offered me a seat as there was one left and said it would be faster and more comfortable than the public bus. The bus would take 10 hours, the van... 8 hours. However, our 8 pm departure turned into 10 pm. So it would be a 4 am arrival. Luckily, Brothers hostel arranged everything so they knew to expect me. Plus, the owner Mo and I kept in touch by email so he knew when I'd be coming home and were I was.
What a long night that was! In theory, it would be faster then the public bus, but with the convoys... that would be a big fat no! It was extremely disappointing how long we'd have to wait for our convoy. We'd sit at the checkpoint for 20 mins to as long as an hour for the military to get in their vehicle for us to follow. They'd drive for about 15 mins then wave us on and they'd go back. I didn't understand the point of waiting all that time for a convoy that only stayed with us for 15 minutes! What a waste of time. Even had one time where we had to pull over to the side of the road, to wait for another military vehicle to come... in the middle of nowhere. The guards stood on the side of the road with their guns, smoking, talking and laughing, completely a ease. Never mind the flashing lights signalling "Look! Tourists here in the van! Come get us!" And the vast desert completely ignored on our other side. I mean, if the terrorists were going to ransom someone, we were sitting ducks, with a bloody beacon signifying who we were, with guards on the wrong side of the vehicle to protect us and not paying attention anyway. Easy pickin's. Of course, we didn't have any trouble, but I was regretting not taking the bus. Blending in with the locals is fine with me.
There were 2 Brazilian tourists and their guide kidnapped by a Bedouin tribe up by the Monastery earlier that day. So I understood the "security." The Sinai is not without it's problems. Luckily, those people were released  within 24 hours, unharmed and with an apology from the tribal leader. I imagine they had an interesting tale to tell their family.
We didn't arrive in Cairo until 7 am. I was bagged! I managed to sleep 2 hours, but with all the checkpoints, it made it difficult to sleep. At least I had a bed ready for me. I only said a brief hello to reception, retrieved my large backpack from them and they showed me my bed at that was it. Out like a light until the afternoon.
When I awoke, I wasn't interested in doing too much, so I went out to get some food across the street at Koshary (nice dish of pasta and rice with dehydrated onions and lentils on top, covered with a tomato sauce. Onion lemon juice on the side.). I loved this dish, and so incredibly inexpensive! I actually ate there and the falafel stand a lot. Then I hung out in the lounge at reception and chatted with other guests and the staff. Ehab, Mo, Mohammad, Kareem and Emam were all interested to know how my trip went and if I was happy with it.
The next day, I had a new dorm room friend come in named Kris. He was from the USA. We got along and talked for hours. We also went for a walk in town, accompanied by Mohammad from the hostel. We went over two different bridges over the Nile. Qasr Al Nil Bridge had nice statues of lions on either side. We admired the Cairo Tower, but decided against paying the fees to go up for a smoggy view of Cairo.
So much traffic. We had to cross the highway at one point and there isn't a cross walk. Just run! Lol, not exactly safe, but the only way to cross it. Mohammad was good about leading the way. Though, he had a tendency to walk at an angle. Wherever his eyes went, his feet would follow. Not the most agile guy...
When we got back to the hostel, Ehab took us to a nice restaurant that he liked to go to so we could try some good local food. We ordered camel and chicken, grilled eggplant, dolmades, tahini sauce and a vegetable mix dip for our pita. It was really nice. Both meats were really well seasoned. Great spot.
After that, we walked some of the streets nearby the hostel, getting a few toiletries either of us needed to restock on and came across a young man that carried 2 glasses on his belt and a large jug of juice that had decorative flowers at the top. Kris decided to brave it and try a glass. Of course, this glass is used by many people, never washed but rinsed out with the juice, so that already had us grossed out, but he was a trooper. At first sip his face scrunched right up, saying the juice tasted like something the flowers probably grew out of. Ha! Priceless. I tried a sip, nasty stuff! Couldn't believe Kris managed to down the whole glass. Especially knowing how many other peoples spit lined that glass. Brave soul! Three men watching us got a good laugh. Another drank as well, to show how it's not so bad. "Put hair on your body," he said.Well, at least we know not to try that again. I took him to a drink stand a few doors down from the hostel and bought him a sugar cane drink. Nice, natural, sweet pressed sugar cane. Helped to get the bad taste out of our mouths. It's really nice.
Once back at the hostel, I convinced him to join me the next day for a tour of Old Cairo so I didn't have to go alone. 2 others were going to join us as well. A really nice asian couple.
We shared some beers in the evening, watching a movie in the lounge and I also played some backgammon with Emam and Kareem. I was getting pretty good. Emam taught me 2 other versions of the game. Fun.
The next morning, Ehab was our guide for our tour. Our first stop was the Citadel of Salah Al-Din. This citadel is seen on all their currency. It was a magnificent building. We were permitted to go inside (taking our shoes off at the door) and there were glowing orb lights in circular patterns hanging from the ceiling and beautiful golden arabic writing in corners of dome archways. Breathtaking. Outside along the citadel was a great panoramic view of Cairo. So many satellite dishes! I still can't get over that!
We walked through the military museum on the grounds as well. Learning some of Egypt's history. Different uniforms through the era, statues of pharaohs, tanks, planes, etc. It was interesting seeing the models of old Persian war catapults.
After, we went to a few other old churches. We saw the Church of St. George and the Babylon Fortress. The Hanging Church (Coptic Orthodox church), which dates back in the 3rd century AD, being one of the oldest churches in Egypt and built over a Roman Fortress gatehouse. As well as the Ben Erza Synagogue built in the 9th century. Many Roman fortifications here. It was really neat.
After that, we stopped into Khan-El-Khalili Bazaar to wander the alleys and stop for falafel. We took our falafel to a tea shop to eat it and had some tea and Sheesha. Apple flavoured tobacco this time. I could taste the apple, though faintly. Then, we headed back to the hostel. Ending my last activity of my tour.
I spent the next couple weeks staying at Brothers hostel, updating my resume and looking for a job in England on the internet. In my spare time, I hung out with the staff. They made me feel as part of the family and we all shared meals together, watched movies, socialized, went shopping and more backgammon. I had such an amazing time with them.
I had a couple outings with other backpackers travelling through. Seeing different areas of town. I spent 2 days getting 2 new belly dance costumes as well. I ended up getting both at the same store, Mahoud abd el Ghaffar, on Gawfar El Qayid st in Khan-El Khalili. They had 4 floors of costumes and tons of accessories, wings, coin scarfs, veils and props. I was in heaven. All the fitting is arranged with them at no extra charge (costumes were 700 EGP each, ~ CAD$115) so my bras fit perfectly. I just picked it up the next day. And seeing how I just had to walk 5 mins from the hostel to Al Opra square, then catch a minivan taxi over the bridge to Khan El Khalili for 1 EGP, it was easy to do.
I also spent another day at the Cairo Egyptian Museum. The building is a rusty red colour and has a dome on the top. It's not a tall building compared to it's neighbours in the area, but the colour makes it stand out. It has a garden area around the outside with a few statues and monuments of the pharaohs. Once inside, there are two floors. It was actually a very big museum and took me 5 hours to go through. On the ground floor were numerous pillars, colossal and regular sized statues, an extensive papyrus collection, coins from historic trade, tables, granite slabs with hieroglyphics and granite statues and sarcophaguses. Upstairs were many wooden coffins (wooden shelves lining the walls with glass window casings for viewing, layering up to 4-5 coffins) and 2 different royal mummy halls.
I went into both and it was incredible to see how well preserved the bodies were. They even had their teeth visible. The royals had their arms crossed, were some of the nobility didn't. The bodies were enclosed in glass cases that controlled the humidity and temperature for preservation. It was very well kept. Even saw mummified animals in with one or two. Canopic jars containing organs from the dead were present as well. I found them so interesting. Four organs were removed, each one in a particular guardian jar. The intestine would go in the jar of the falcon, the liver in the human, the stomach in the jackal and the lungs would go in the baboon. The heart is left in the body, as the Egyptians believed you thought, felt and ruled with your heart (your soul) so the brain was discarded.
There was another display with mummified animals. A lot of Egyptians mummified animals that sybolized their deities so many goats, baboons, falcons, cats, dogs, a cow and crocodile were displayed. However, some people made fake mummies, placing just fur or feathers in a linen wrap. They way they could tell was by radiographs, to tell if thee were bones. All very interesting. I was amazed at the cow and crocodile mummies. Also, to think all those years ago, they still had animals in Egypt... before the land dried up or were sacrificed. The royals did a lot of trade as well, bringing larger beasts from East Africa into their kingdoms... like lions or hippos.
Also upstairs were thousands of artifacts from tombs. Little figurines (that represented servants for the deceased in the afterlife), jewelry, tools, papyrus scrolls, alabaster vases, shrines, carvings, magnificent gold beds and chests, the black Anubis statue of the jackal, and of course the famous artifacts of Tutankhamun. Such as the great golden mask that was found over the wrapped head of the young king, which weighs up to 11 kg (~ 24 lbs). and his beautiful golden sarcophagus. So much gold... lots of exquisite jewelry (ivory and gold bracelets, necklaces of beads, gold and gems) and many weapons. Astonishing up on this floor. So much to see and appreciate from both Ancient Egypt and Middle Kingdom dynasties. Shame no photography was allowed. But, understandable.
Now, I'm waiting to catch my flight to Heathrow in London, England where I'll then be staying with my new friends, Kiran and Kam. They're the lovely couple I met camping out in the desert here in Egypt and they have invited me to stay with them. I'm looking forward to seeing them again!

Luxor

 In the morning, I decided to explore a while. I went to the town centre to check out the stores and markets. Within 2 minutes, I ended up having a man follow me around and had to tell him 4 times not to follow me or walk with me. He kept saying he was walking home, that he lived this way, not trying to bother me. But, then he kept trying to ask me questions. I kept a weary eye on him at all times and was glad to not have anything on me but one bill of 20 EGP tucked in my bra. Nothing to steal. As soon as I ducked into a store, he'd be right there beside me. *Sigh* I wasn't sure what he wanted, but the fourth time I was getting angry and told him if he didn't want any trouble, he'd better leave now. That finally got through his think skull and he wandered off. Great start to the day, ha!
I bought some snacks of nuts, fruit and biscuits and them headed to the Nile to see the bazaar down there and fancy hotels. Busy place. So many horse carriage rides around. I found one street just lined with carriages... wow, I mean, wow, there was a lot. I was able to see Luxor temple while walking along the street. It had a fence around it but I didn't want to spoil the surprise for later so I turned around and head back towards my hotel, going into more stores to window shop and drink tea (as tradition, most stores offer guests welcome tea).
After my snack lunch, I was picked up by my tour. A minivan with about 6 other tourists and our guide. Our first stop was Karnak Temple. It was huge! On the way to the entrance, there was a row of ram headed sphynxes, that looked incredible (and this wasn't the only row, there were a couple going to the sections of the complex as well as leading to Luxor temple). The deity Amun was identified with the ram and goose so that was why these sphynxes had the head of a ram.
Once inside the pylon entrance, there were huge pillars covered in hieroglyphics. The parts of it in constant shade still had it's original colouring. This was called the Great Hypostyle Hall and is the Precinct of Amun-Re. There are 4 main parts to this great complex, making it the largest ancient site in the world. However, only the Precinct of Amun-Re is open to the public. The others, Precinct of Mut, Precinct of Montu and Temple of Amenhotep IV, haven't been restored and some were used for buildings elsewhere from back then. There are even other smaller temples and sanctuaries outside the enclosing wall of the main city. Big place. Seeing how around 30 pharaohs have contributed to building it since the time of the Middle Kingdom (2055-1650 BC), I can see why.
There were a total of 134 columns placed in 16 rows. 122 were 10 metres high were the other 12 were 21 metres tall with a diameter over 3 metres. It was first built by Seti I and then completed by his son Ramesses II.  The outer walls have scenes of battles of both the pharaohs, though on opposite sides of the Hall.
Off to the right side of the Hypostyle Hall was the Temple of Ramesses III. There were large statues of the pharaoh and inscriptions of him slaying his enemies. Then it opens up into a court that has many doorways to walk through. Most of the areas were closed or partially closed off due to excavation, but I walked through the left side and came out to where the narrow court with the obelisks were. One was 21 metres high  and the other 30 metres. Up close they looked the same height, but as you moved father away you could see the difference. Neat trick of the eye.
I walked back and made my way to the Sacred Lake. This was where the priests bathed themselves before doing any rituals within the temple. Nearby was a huge stone scarab beetle. Rumour had it that if you made a wish and walked around it 3 times, your wish would come true. Lol, of course many tourists were walking in circles.
From there I walked back to the middle and went into the Festival Hall of Thutmose III. Many colourful inscriptions here. Amazing how long the original colouring from mineral paint lasts. Thutmose III collected all kinds of different plants and animals and the royal artists engraved the beauty of such things in the sanctuary. It was lovely.
There were many more temples, sanctuaries, chapels, pylons and statues. All walls were covered in hieroglyphics or scenes of offerings, battles or love stories. This great temple of Thebes was phenomenal. My favourite of the temples I've seen so far.

Our next stop was Luxor Temple. This one isn't as large as Karnak, but still nice. Sphynx Avenue was the ancient road between Luxor and Karnak temple and the way is still lined with the statues of sphynxes. What remains of this pathway is incredible. What a sight it must have been back in the time of the Middle Kingdom.
Before passing through the grand pylon entrance, a tall obelisk stood before it along with sitting statues of Ramesses II. Once through, more colossal statues of the pharaoh were throughout the temple, including his wife by his side and inscriptions. Below one of his seated statues in the central corridor, was a drawing of his battle victory with his prisoners bound by the arms. After passing that, a small modern Islamic mosque was built over a part of the temple that is currently used today by the locals.
The complex opened up to the large peristyle court of Amenhotep III where a colonnade led to the inner chambers. Many inscriptions and carvings of offerings and deities. And one of the walls of the inner chambers had a Roman mural that had covered part of the hieroglyphics. I reminder that in older days, kingdoms were conquered and old kings erased to show the valour of the new rulers.
As the sun set and we saw the lights shine upon the temple, our tour was concluded and was time to head back to the hotel. I stopped over at the market for some cool water and fresh fruit and then a good nights rest for the next day.

In the morning, I headed in my mini van tour to the West Bank. On our way to our first destination, we stopped at an alabaster factory to learn how alabaster sculptures and bowls were made. We even got to take a try at an old-fashioned grinder to hollow out a bowl. Many souvenirs with such beautiful work. Even had sculptures made of phosphorus that glowed in the dark.

Our first stop was where the massacre in 1997 occurred where 62 people, mostly tourists, died by the hands of Islamic extremists. Deir El-Bahari, the mortuary temple of Hatshepsut, the first female pharaoh from the 18th Dynasty in 1479 -1458 BC.
Her temple was built in a valley basin at the base of surrounding steep cliffs. It was a beautiful view. There were two staircases, one for each level of the temple that lead to colonnaded terraces. On the first level to the left was a complex that was attributed to Hatshepsut. Her face was carved in many pillars along with inscriptions and scenes decrypted to Amun-Ra. Many falcon drawings as well to honour the deity. A pictorial of her famous expedition to the Red Sea Coast "Land of Punt" was also etched. Showed her people out in boats to trade, bringing wealth to her kingdom. Plants were a big thing she received from her trades and many pictures of that was on the walls as well. Supposedly, she was the first to have recorded planting of foreign Myrrh trees by bundling the roots in baskets during the voyage. On the right side of the staircase were many colourful scenes of offerings (as in the shade, the sun hasn't diluted the colours).

On the second level were numerous standing statues of Osiris in front of the pillars with his arms crossed over one another. And off to the side was the chapel. Unfortunately, like many places, the temple has been vandalized. Many sculptures, statues, the sphynx avenue and portraits were destroyed by her successor, Thutmose III, after her death. I did see 2 sphynxes in an enclosed space outside the tourist area though. I wondered if they were ones discovered belonging to Hatshepsut's temple.
Next stop was the Valley of the Kings. This area consists of 63 tombs of the male pharaohs and nobles from  around 1539-1075 BC. Including the famous Tutankhamun. Long tunnels link many tombs together including the numerous chambers where riches, personal belongings, offerings and food were left for them to use in the afterlife. Of course, it's all been looted, but one can use their imagination.
Heavy security here forbidding any photography. And they mean it, if you sneak a camera in and take a picture, they'll take away either your camera, memory card or phone (if you used that). The reason behind it is that the tombs are only exposed to low light in order to preserve the natural colours of the inscriptions. And after going inside the tombs, I appreciated their effort in preservation. The colours were magnificent. We were permitted to see 3 tombs. There was the option to see 3 more but it cost extra, Tutankhamun being the most expensive (100 EGP). I didn't bother as I heard there wasn't much to see in Tut's tomb as it's all in the Cairo museum. But, I was very happy with the 3 I saw.
There were many pictures of the deities, Egyptian mythology, funerary rituals, the judgement in the afterlife and offerings. I now know where all the pictures on the souvenir papyrus came from. All those beautiful images are found here, in these tombs. I was so glad to have been able to see these images. I was in absolute awe.
After, we headed to the Valley of the Queens. Same idea as the Valley of the Kings, only here is were the wives of the pharaohs and their children lie. One of the tombs even had a fetus in a transparent box that was found herein. Again, we were permitted to see 3 tombs. I have to say, my favourite was still the Valley of the Kings.
On our way back to Luxor, we made a quick pit stop at 2 colossal pharaohs in the midst of being restored. Neat to see the process on how it was done. Sure is a lot of work.
I got dropped off at Sun Set Hotel were I quickly gathered up my belongings and met up with my agent so he could take me to my bus. Another long overnight journey. Heading to the Sinai Peninsula to Dehab for some sea air.
The bus was alright. I was the only tourist in amongst the Egyptian people but I was looked after. The assigned seat I had was broken and didn't recline, so the man sitting next to me switched seats so I could rest. When he noticed no one sat behind us, he moved back there to let me have the two seats to myself. I was the only female on the bus, and I had 3 passengers around me that appointed themselves as my protectors. They made sure no one bothered me. When we had a pit stop, they let me know so I could have a bathroom break. Very nice of them. Wasn't until we were at the Sinai border and had our police checkpoint (we all got sniffed by a police dog) that one other lone female got on the bus, and of course, sat with me. Yay, another female!
I was the last person on the bus when we arrived at Sharm-El-Sheikh. So, I moved up front to chat with the bus driver as he drove me the rest of the way to Dehab. My new agent picked me up at the depot and drove me to Bishbishi Garden Village hostel. It was nice outside with a covered comfy cushion square to eat, relax or play games as well as some table settings. After meeting the friendly staff, I put my belongings in my room and was so happy to see the bed. I was ready for a nice 4 hour nap. Figured, that would tie me through the rest of the day and then I'd just go to bed early. And, my lovely friend Ehab (from Brother's Hostel) managed to rummage through my large backpack back in Cairo, found my dive licence, arranged for the private mini bus driver of Bishbishi hostel to bring it all the way back to Dehab and personally place it in my hand, as I forgot to bring it. What service! I couldn't believe how wonderful they were to do that!
I talked with Jimmy here, and he told me he'd take me to the dive shop after my nap so I can arrange my day tomorrow. Yes, now for some much needed sleep!

Aswan

Surprisingly, I wasn't as tired as I'd thought I'd be, getting up at 2:30 am for the 3 hour drive to Abu Simbel. The plan was to arrive for sunrise, but I think they get used to starting out a certain time and not really checking the sunrise times. After spending 45 mins waiting for the convoy our buses needed, the sunrise occurred while we were driving along the highway in the desert. So, that was moot.
Abu Simbel was great though. It has been relocated from the original site in the mountain side due to the Aswan High Dam being built. The dam was built to create Lake Nasser, a water reservoir and it would have submerged the Nubian monuments. So, they created an artificial hill and moved it there in the late 1960's.
Ramesses II built it to impress (or intimidate) his southern neighbours back around 1264 BC. It was constructed to honour the gods, Amun, Ptah and Ra. The 4 colossal statues are of the pharaoh himself and by the legs there's a few statues of his wife (Nefertari), mother, first daughter and first 2 sons. Hieroglyphics surround the monument as well as falcon statues at the base. The falcons symbolize the sky god Horus, thus also the sun and moon. The deity Ra is carved right above the temples entrance.
Once inside, there were two main chambers. The main hall had hieroglyphs of battles with prisoners captured and 8 large statues depicting Osiris, the god of the afterlife. The second chamber had beautiful scenes of offerings to the gods on the four tall pillars. Three hallways stretched out through the temple, each with walls lined with more scenes and written language of offerings. It was an impressive temple. Shame pictures aren't allowed. Guards patrol both in and outside the temples, making sure no damage or photos are taken. Outside photos are ok though.
The second smaller temple was dedicated to Ramesses II wife, Nefertari and the goddess Hathor, goddess of motherhood, love, beauty and music. The statues on the wall were about 10 feet high of both the pharaoh and his wife. Inside, the main hall had 6 pillars decorated with Nefertari playing an instrument with the gods. The vestibule had engravings of the pharaoh and his queen giving offerings, like the papyrus flower to Hathor. Many show the goddess as a cow. A few smaller chambers branched off the vestibule with more drawings of Hathor, Nefertari and Ramesses II. Remarkable temples the two of them. It was nice to see a temple dedicated to a queen.
After enjoying the view of Lake Nassier, I headed back to the van to meet up with the other tourists. There was a foyer that had all the information of the temples relocation. Following that was the bazaar. With tourism being slow in Egypt, the salespeople were very persistent. I would have liked to take my time looking at things, but with their harassment and a tight time schedule, I speed walked through.
On our way back to Aswan, our driver stopped so we could look at a mirage. Really neat. Sure does look like water due to the refection of the hills.
Once I was back at the hotel I went up to my room to take a nap before dinner. Only, I realized my belongings had all been moved around. At first, I thought maybe just housekeeping but decided to check some of the hiding spots I hid some extra cash. I was nervous about taking it all on my person while out at the tourist sites and some of the security boxes at reception looked shabby and broken so I thought since I didn't have too much with me, I'd hide it in multiple spots. And every single place was looted. Only money taken, nothing else at least. I could always get more out and make more money working, but it would have been very inconvenient for any of my travel necessities to go missing.
So, I ended up spending the rest of the afternoon reporting the theft to the managers and them going through their staff. My room had a double lock, and with no forced entry and the second deadbolt not relocked, I knew it was someone with a key to my room. My suspicion was either someone in reception or one of the managers, seeing how it was someone who knew my schedule, but they blamed in on housekeeping. Claiming they're the only ones with access to room keys (what a load of crock!). I really didn't think it was housekeeping. Those woman were extremely distraught and I believed their story. Something about the manager though... he was slimy. He bribed me for my silence to not go to the police by giving me half the money I lost and buying my dinner. I thought, well, seeing how the police here are useless and they wouldn't get me any money back, I might as well take what the manager was offering. Of course, I told the staff at Brothers Hostel who arranged my stay there as well as their local agent Yassen so they wouldn't recommend the Nubian Hotel again. Yassen told me he had someone else robbed there too. Shame that. At least there was no violence. And, it was my first time having a theft like that. Have to experience that at some point travelling I suppose.
I ended up having my dinner in a new room (why I was moved... I don't know. I was already robbed so whoever did it took what they wanted) with a tv where I watched a movie and went to bed early.
The next morning, Yassen picked me up and brought me to Hammada, my Nubian captain of my felucca ride. Hammada was a tall, thin young man with a wife and 2 children. He took over his grandfather's boat, the Mona Lisa, and now has his own business giving tourists rides up and down the Nile. I had 2 nights sleeping on the felucca and 2.5 days sailing. I wished I wasn't alone, it would have been more fun with a group of people, but Hammada was great company. He spoke english quite well and taught me how to count to 10 in Arabic. He made wonderful food on the boat and gave me 2 cushions with blankets to sit and sleep on. It was surprisingly comfortable. Many bugs along the water. Good thing I brought my deet. Unfortunately, I can't reapply while sleeping so each morning I woke up with new bites. They were more itchy than mosquito bites back at home, but not even remotely as itchy as the mango rash. They were easy enough to ignore.
The wind on our first day was almost nonexistent, so we just followed the current till we found a nice spot to port for the night. He had a narrow plank of wood he used to cross from the boat to the shore of Elephantine Island so we could stretch our legs and have bathroom breaks. It was really peaceful. I spent a lot of time reading this amazing book called 'Tears of the Desert' by Halima Bashir. It was a true story about this young black tribal woman who wanted to be a doctor living in Darfur, Sudan and having to survive through the genocide. It was heartbreaking and inspiring. One of my favourite books I've ever read so far. I cried a few times, so I had to fill Hammada in on what was happening in the book so he knew why it made me sad. He couldn't read english yet, so it was easier for me to just share the story with him.
On the second day, the wind was gusty so we travelled back down and made a stop on the Nubian island across from the Aswan port. Hammada's family lived here on Elephantine, and he invited me to their house for tea and lunch.
There, I met both his parents, his bother and his sister. We all had tea and his mom made us some lunch of bread, fish, rice, chicken and seasoned mixed vegetables. They were very kind. Hammada showed me his old room which is now a lounge room. The house was nice and cool, made of concrete to keep the sun's heat out. Some decorative rugs were on the concrete flooring to liven the place up. Cozy.
After, we walked around his village, saying hi to people (they're all so friendly here), seeing the gardens and farming as well as the area the men build and repair feluccas. Two were in the process of being built when we were there. Then we passed an archaeological dig site some of the German archaeologists were working on. One of the temples of Khum, the god of waters and creation. He filled me in on the history of the island and of his Nubian people. Elephantine was once the border between Egypt and Nubia so there was a large fort here that could be seen on the nearby mountain.
He was proud to be Nubian and I was sad to see how little they fare to the Egyptians. He was telling me how he never ports his felucca across the Nile at Aswan, only here on the island. When I asked why, he said the people of the village are peaceful and honest. All family. No harm would come to his boat where as in Aswan, the Egyptians were "always causing trouble." I could understand that. He knows the families on the island so it was safe, where Aswan is a much bigger town, full of strangers and some corrupt people (like at my hotel...*wink*).
While Hammada went to pick up a few more food items and cast off the boat to roam again, I watched some woman do their laundry in the Nile and a really big man shovelling dirt into sacks on his donkey, whom he then rode to his dumping site. Oh, did I ever feel sorry for that over worked donkey. The dirt was fine, it was the man riding him! I was surprised the donkey didn't collapse! Stoic creatures.
Amazing how many temples were once on this small island. While we coasted upriver, he showed me one of the nilometers (to measure the water level of the Nile. Interesting that the Nile level is higher in the South than it is in the North). There was a stone staircase that led down to the river from a corridor and the rocks down to the waters edge had inscriptions. I believe he said it was the temple of Satis, the protector of southern Egypt. I wasn't expecting that so it was a nice surprise to see floating along.
Children were swimming along the shores as well as paddling along on styrofoam boards. Three kids grabbed on to our felucca to go against the current so they could float back. Fun to watch them. Hammada also let me steer the boat. He gave me some mini lessons and I was in charge of getting us back to our port site for the evening.
Such nice sunny days, but hot. Glad we had a covered area to have shade on the boat. Hammada sang some songs for me in the evening and we talked about our lives. He told me some of the harder times he had, with the police and how he was glad they weren't patrolling anymore. One police officer would come to him while he was sailing and ask to see his papers. Once he showed him, he'd want a bribe otherwise would fine him or arrest him saying he either didn't have papers or that they were false. He had no choice but to give him some of his money as the police were so corrupt there wasn't anything he could do to fight them. Then, father down the Nile, another police officer would come and do the same. He said he was lucky if he had a 1/3 of the money he was paid to do his tours. So sad. I'm happy things are better for him now. He can provide for his family. Just another story of the reasons to the people's rebellion.
Such a nice night with the stars and watching the lights of the city and cruise liners. Couldn't believe how many cruise ships their were! Dozens in such a small area with little tourists. Don't know how they afford it.
I was very glad to have my ear plugs with me. One thing about sleeping on the water, all the noise bounces and travels quite a distance. And early in the morning, with the multiple mosques starting up their prayers at 5:00 am, I was so thankful for the ear plugs.
After breakfast, Hammada let me sail the boat back to his port at Elephantine Island and we caught the water taxi back to Aswan. Yassen met me there. Hammada and I said our goodbyes, and Yassen took me to his office until my train departure. His "office" was a desk inside his shop of playstations. Kids (who should have been in school) were sitting playing video games while we discussed my last couple days and what was to come. His associates were there as well and were very hospitable. They bought me lunch with a soda and played some local music for me. A nice way to wait for the train. Yassen walked me right to my seat on the train for my next destination, Luxor. Another man would meet me there and escort me to my new hotel and give me my itinerary.
The train ride wasn't too long. Two-three hours. It was nice travelling in the afternoon so I could see the view. See the Nile and villages along the way.
Once I arrived in Luxor, Mohammad (yes, very common name, lol) met me at the station with a taxi and took me to Sun Set Hotel. This hotel was very nice, clean and had good security. A metal detector at the doorway with 2 relaxed guards. I liked it right away. I think I needed a place like that after my experience at the last hotel. My room was lovely as well. I really was surprised at how nice it was for my budget. After dropping my bags in my room, Mohammad and I went over my plans. I had the rest of the day to myself and would see the East Bank tomorrow.
So after having a small walk around and getting some dinner from the market across the street, I'm going to relax the rest of the evening with a shower and a movie.

Bahariya and Farafra Oasis

Tamer picked me up early in the morning and we caught the metro to just outside the city centre, where his assistant Iman met us in his jeep. Then we got some yummy falafels for breakfast and started the long drive to the Bahariya Oasis. Tamer has his own company called Black Tiger Safari and he was from Bahariya so it was great to have a local Bedouin guide. He didn't speak a lot of english, but Ehab said if I had any questions that I could call him anytime to answer or translate. But, Tamer was pretty good at explaining what he needed to say, so it worked out just fine.With him being a local, he knew how to drive in the sand properly and all the nice spots to go explore.
When we reached Bahariya, we went to his place for some lunch. He had a nice large room with a low coffee table and cushions all along the floor surrounding it. It was comfortable. Also had power points to charge up the batteries for the camera before heading out to our first destination... The Black Desert.
The Black Desert was amazing. Soft golden sand covered small mountains topped with basalt rock. To remind you all of geology, basalt is black volcanic rock formed from lava. This land of ancient volcanoes looked like black dusting on the hills. We stopped at The Rock Noss and I hiked up to the top to get a nice view of the land.
After that, we drove to the Bedouin village to see the hot spring and cold spring. We were able to have a dip in the cold spring pool, but seeing how it was not too hot, I wanted to keep exploring rather than swim. He showed me how the village used the spring with a pumping system to water the farming fields for vegetation. Lots of date trees out here.
Next, we drove out to Crystal Mountain in the Old White Desert. Crystal Mountain is a subvolcanic vault that erupted around 30 million years ago when the earth was having climatic changes. The hydrovolcanic solutions filled any cavities within the rock and once cooled, formed the calcite crystals. There was even a neat archway that was speculated as a cave that the roof caved in and eroded over time, leaving behind the arch. Crystals were embedded throughout the arch and all over the ridge. Sparkling in the sunlight. Nature sure is beautiful.
We jumped back into our jeep and continued to drive out in the White Desert. And was it ever white. The limestone and chalk formations were all unique. I felt like I was on the moon. We drove through the Garaway region to Agaload area to see a great panoramic view of the white rocks. The sun was getting low in the sky and shone golden on the limestone. We rested from all the bumpy jarring of off roading in the jeep and enjoyed the silence of the desert.
On our way to our campsite,we drove through Wadie which had many sporadic trees. We stopped at Garaween Oasis. It was a small waterhole (like a well) with trees in a circle. Would have been nice to camp here, but there were mosquitoes. So, we just looked around, saw the lone acacia tree with its tangled roots and watched the sunset.
We drove just a little further toward the New White desert and set up camp. I popped up my tent while the boys made on outdoor dining room. They put a large canvass along the jeep and then at a 90 degree angle out to the side to make a V shape. Then they placed a rug on the ground, brought out a coffee table and 2 long cushions to sit on around it. Nice set up. These Bedouin guys know how to camp in the desert! Tamer had 2 propane cans and started making dinner, while Iman made a fire to cook the chicken and tea.
It was a clear night with a full moon. No flashlight needed. We ate our delicious dinner, watched a small fox come by to scavenge chicken leftovers and then the boys taught me some arabic. I tell you, not such an easy language to learn! Then they sang me a couple songs and off to bed. I left my tent door open so I could pop my head out and look up at the stars while I fell asleep. So peaceful.
I got up early to watch the sunrise and let the boys sleep in.
Our campsite was surrounded by limestone formations and soft yellow sand. Not a footprint in sight (apart from the ones we made, and our fox visitor). It was neat seeing the ripples on the sand from the wind. The landscape was so different than anything I've ever seen before. Absolutely breathtaking.
After an hour or so, I could hear Tamer calling me for breakfast. We had fruit, bread, cake and spreadable cheese. It was filling.
After we packed up (looked like we were never there. They're good at keeping the area unsoiled) we headed back to the highway for Farafra Oasis making scenic pit stops along the way. One of those being a drop off for Iman. He was going to wait along the highway for Tamer's brother to pick him up as he had 2 tourists, while Tamer had just me. Made sense to help the brother out.
Farafra was a very small village. Many mud made houses with wooden doors. Even had big medieval locks on them. And so many motorbikes! That was their main transportation. And the decorations! All the bikes had a carpet cover on the seat and tank with either tassells, bells or ornaments of some kind attached to it. It was great!
There was a small lake, hot spring and palm trees (which I think were more dates). We stopped at a local's studio/museum that exhibited all his sand art. There were sand paintings, sculptures, ceramics and even a yard full of bizarre sculptures made from objects found in the desert. The walls of the building was sandstone that he carved many pictures into. It looked wonderful. Badr took much pride in his work, and gave everyone a personal tour. He was a very nice man, well spoken, and mingled just enough to make you feel welcome but not harassed. I enjoyed it.
Then, I popped across the street into a hotel for a much needed shower and then we hopped back into the jeep to see the Western desert, the sea of sand.
Golden sand dunes cut from the wind and giant monoliths of sandstone all throughout the drive. To think that all this land was once an ocean. Hard to believe. We drove to Aboo viewpoint to rest for a spell. Tamer pointed out the directions of Sudan and Libya, the 2 other countries that the desert is a part of. Can only imagine how far away they are from that point. He said there are tours to take you there, but it's a long tour. And the heat can be challenging. Hmmm, maybe next time.
We found a nice spot with some shade (which is hard to find at mid-day) and had our lunch of pita with egg, tomato mixed with feta and plain yogurt mixed with diced cucumber, salt and pepper. Simple, but delicious. I walked around a while and after finding a boulder to have a bathroom break, found shells. Many, many fossilized shells. So cool!
After, we headed back across to the other side of the highway to the White Desert. As we drove further into the New White desert, the landscape changed. Now it appeared as the moon. There was a flat of limestone covering the ground that looked like a wind chaffed ocean surface, rippled with frozen waves. Incredible. And the white chalk formations that were made by wind erosion from the reoccurring and frequent sandstorms, created interesting shapes such as a dog, sphynx, camel, rabbit, table, and the famous mushroom and chicken. There were many more too. Actually, if you spend enough time, you could make out the rocks into almost anything. They all had a unique shape. It was fun looking at them. The only one Tamer and I couldn't agree on was the snake. I couldn't see it, all I could see was an owl with a squished head, not a snake. Funny.
We set up camp here among the formations and Tamer got started on dinner, pasta. As we started dinner, his brother drove by with Iman to say a quick hello and let us know they were setting up camp nearby. Tamer and I decided that instead of making our own fire, we should go socialize with his brother's guests if they'll have us. So, we popped over and I met Kiran and her husband Kam. They were from England and on their holiday. They were a lovely couple and the boys all started singing and playing the drums around the fire. We had a fox come by who was braver than the one from the night before. He came fairly close, even with our Bedouin entertainment. Tamer and I danced together and we all had a wonderful time.
The next morning, I popped over to exchange emails with Kiran. Then Tamer and I headed off to see the extraordinary mushroom I somehow missed the day before and head back to Bahariya Oasis. This mushroom looked like a sliver of a neck was holding up the top. Of course, you have to find the right angle to see that. We made more pit stops along the way. One to visit camels, wash our dishes at a small spring and to look at all the different flower stones. The flower stones are fossilized plant material that have various shapes and sizes from coils, petals, spikes to shell looking designs. They also had a nice sound when long tube ones clanged together. I think wind chimes or a xylophone could be made out of them. One interesting thing about them is that they were always on the surface of the sand, rather than buried. I suppose, with their composition, they were lighter than the sand so they blew around easy.
Once we got back to Bahariya, Tamer took me to the Garden. It was more a farmland of dates and palm trees, but it's what they call the Garden. It was pretty. Mangoes, olives and guava were also harvested at the oasis. Donkeys carried big loads of produce, grass or a Bedouin man. From most of what I saw, they looked well cared for. That made me happy to see. Looks like they rely on their donkeys enough to keep them well. Motorcycles were also commonly used to get around in the narrow alleys of town. The houses were a mix of mud made houses and cement made. Iron ore mining was a major agricultural industry providing many jobs for the locals as well.
Then we went to the salt sea. A good sized lake that has a high salinity content. Next, was the Pyramid, a large rock formation in the desert that looked like a pyramid, and then his uncle's house. There, I met his uncle and horse. We had some giant green beans to snack on (I shared mine with the horse). I like that the Egyptians make houses for their farm animals. At first, I thought they were peoples houses, but Tamer explained that the rock and pebble walls with thatched roofing are the cattle quarters. I was impressed.
Lastly, we went to English Mountain were a ruin of an old fort was situated on a hill. Lovely view up there.
It was time to head back to town for lunch. When we got to his house, Kiran and Kam were there. We had lunch together while Tamer got our bus tickets back to Cairo. I was sad to leave Tamer, even though it was a short time, we had a lot of fun and bonded. He was my brother now. He gave me his email and I promised to email him some pictures so that he could use it for his new website and the 3 of us got on our bus for the long journey back to the city.
Kiran and I talked almost the entire way. I really like them and she invited me to visit them whenever I made it to London. Very kind couple.
Once back in the city, I was picked up by one of the staff at Brothers Hostel and brought back home. Mohammed even made sure Kam and Kiran got back to their hostel ok. Really nice staff.
I had 20 minutes to repack my small backpack and add a few extra items for the next part of my tour before heading off to the night train to Aswan. It was a long journey. About 14 hours long. I tried to sleep, but I was nervous about dreaming while my camera was unguarded. So I just rested.
It was a safe train. There is a tourist section where guards keep an eye on us. I needn't have worried.
Once I arrived in Aswan, I was picked up by Yassen and he brought me to my hotel (the Nubian Hotel. Not actually run by Nubian people though) and gave me a rundown of my itinerary. I wasn't going to Abu Simbil until 3 am and seeing how it was 11 am, I had a free day. I was too tired for anything else to do, so I checked into my room and passed out.
 Now that I'm up, I'm going to stretch my legs a bit and get some dinner. Then, have an early sleep because I have to get up early.