Egypt > The medieval town of El-Qasr

Egypt - Our overnight spot with the chalk hills of the White Desert in the background

The new day breaks early. Even before the sun has fully risen, everyone is already awake. In the sleeping bag, it’s still nice and warm. I enjoy a beautiful sunrise just above the sand. Meanwhile, the Bedouins prepare breakfast. Once all the luggage is packed and stored in the bus, we take a walk toward the mushroom-shaped rocks. The bus follows behind with those less enthusiastic about walking. At the rock formations, we all get back into the bus and drive toward the oasis town of Farafra. Al-Farafra is the most remote oasis town, with many houses still built of clay and beautifully painted. In Al-Farafra, we visit the village museum, which houses sculptures depicting life in the oasis by the local artist Badr. In the gallery, he also offers artworks for sale. After the visit, we have a drink at a terrace across the street.

Egypt - The mudbrick houses and winding streets give AlQasr a medieval character

There is also the opportunity to stroll through the village. The clay houses, sandy streets, and sun give Al-Farafra a simple, rustic appearance. Around eleven o’clock, we get back in the bus to continue our route through the desert. Along the way, we stop at a viewpoint to take a photo of the true desert. Unlike the earlier Black and White Deserts, this desert consists of golden-yellow sand — just the way we Dutch imagine a desert should look. In the small town of Minqar, we stop at a resthouse for a drink and to buy some snacks. Mohammed warns that lunch will be very late today — not until around four o’clock. So we enjoy chips, cookies, and chocolate at the resthouse. We continue driving about 200 kilometers through the Western Desert toward the oasis town of Dakhla. Just before Dakhla, we visit the old medieval town of El-Qasr. El-Qasr consists of narrow, winding streets and clay-brick houses and retains a medieval character. The narrow streets and alleys are mostly covered to keep out the heat. Ingenious ventilation systems act like a kind of air conditioning. We visit the old mosque of El-Qasr and a milling facility for grapes and grains. Finally, we visit the school of El-Qasr. From the roof of the school (madrassa), we have a beautiful view of the picturesque town.

Egypt - A beer in the pool near Dakhla the warm water comes from the spring oasis

On the way back, we also discover a room with fairly large bats that loudly attract attention. Shortly after visiting El-Qasr, we reach our overnight site with the Bedouins. We sleep in small reed huts. The beds are concrete boxes with a mat and a pillow. We arrive shortly after 4:30 p.m. and quickly sit down for a late lunch. After lunch, we unpack our swimwear and drive with the bus to a nearby hotel. This hotel has a large pool filled with warm spring water from the oasis. The water jet is wonderfully warm, though it smells strongly of iron. We swim laps and drink our beers in the water. Showers are available on the side. It’s a relief after two days in the desert. On the terrace, we enjoy a drink by the pool — it’s wonderful to have no rush to go anywhere. Back with the Bedouins, it’s strangely already time for dinner. It’s now half past nine in the evening, and we’re hungry again. The rice and chicken taste good. Around eleven o’clock, we crawl into the huts.