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You can lose everything, but nobody will take away what you saw and what you experienced...
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Apr 05, 2012 04:00 PM Heat, strong sun, dust - it is Sahara!
In the morning the smart receptionist from Hotel (funduk) Anwar was very sorry: -I told ypu yesterday that there are minibuses to Kharga Oasis every hour. But I forgot thet it is Frifay today - moslem Friday - no minibuses!
His friend with a taxi was waiting nearby to serve us. No choice - we organize a small group and departed around 9 am. Afrer hard bargaining the price was 300 EGP per car - good price for 200-km route with stopovers...
On the way to Kharga we visited old medina in Balat village - well preserved and still inhabited.
Then in Kharga area there was intersting Coptic necropolis of Al-Bagawat - well worth to see and the temple of Hibis. At Kharga it is even more hot
On arrival to Kharga Oaris at the checkpoint the officer said that the direct road to Luxor is closed. It is my rouse - the second critical segment... Should I believe?
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Apr 04, 2012 04:00 PM To Dakhla Oasis...
Farafra is small enough to walk around by foot.
There are only 2 public buses per day from Farafra to Dakhla. First at 2 pm. I came at 8.30 am to the "transport corner", woke up the minibus driver sleeping in his car and he agreed to go to Dakhla Oasis (some 300 kms) for 300 EGP with 4 passengers. I bargained so he agreed to stopover for 1 hour in Qasr where old citadel is located.
Very good price!
It was another hot day. Some nice rock formations on the route. Sand on the road. Military control points. Finally green oase of Qasr - pleasantly located under picturesque cliff.
Qasr old city - great labyrinth of mud-built houses, mosques, medresas. Best such a thing on this trip! Free of charge!
Bad news from the pilot of Brithish group: policle closed the new road from Kharga to Luxor due to the bandits activities in the desert. Tomorrow I will be in Kharga to check what is going on.
In the evening we reached hot Mut - the capital of huge Dhakla oasis. I was looking more then an hour to find the internet. Yes, lucky me, and the trip is great!
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Apr 03, 2012 04:00 PM Black Desert, White Desert...
I am already in Farafra Oasis, hamdul Illach!. It is high time to refresh my poor Arabic because in those distant oases very few local people speaks English...
We started early in the morning by 4WD car. Since the collapce of the tourist traffic it is easy to find such a transport with Arab driver. I decided to combine the visit to the famous Black and White Deserts and transfer to the next oasis: Farafra.
We spent all day on the trail. I loved the view of the Black Desert from the Hill - (some 20 min climbing) - wide panoramic view with many conic hills covered by black stones... Then some 50 kms onward - 45 kms before Farafra we turned lleft to the desert bumpy trail.
Can you imagine chalk-white mushrooms, pillars, 10-20 m high piramids - the huge gallery created by the nature? It is White Desert - surrounded by the yellow sands. You have to take plenty of water and you can spend there full day wondering hill to the hill.
In the evening we reached Farafra Oasis. Al Waha hotel is no-sheet hotel. :) So far we had one-sheet hotel in Siwa and two-sheets (luxury) in Bahariya. 50 EGP only.
A guy from the nearby mosque is singing loudlly for good-night. And full moon is visible over Sahara!
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Apr 02, 2012 04:00 PM A long way to Bahariya Oasis
It is Saharan evening already and I - hungry and tired after should rather go to take a shower and to prepare the meal for myself but the hotel manager gave me few minutes of his computer time so let you know what is going on.
We left Siwa oasis after long waiting at the intelligence post on the outkirts of the oasis at 8.15 am.
Then we drove about 200 kms on the good paved road. Sand on the road is present but the 4WD vehicle must just slow down. On the whole route - it is more then 300 kms you will not see any single settlement. But there are 7 military posts with obligatory control on every post...
After those 200 kms we moved to the old road. Much worse! Only remains of asphalt there. Humps, bumps, holes, sand. No signs at all so you dont know how far you are. Pure Sahara! Hot, hot...
I was happy when we reached post no 7 and a bit later I saw the Bahariya Oasis in the valley.
Bahariya is not so traditional like Siwa, but if you will go our of the main street you will see also the image of old oasis... Piles of dates on the little bazaar - one kilo costs 5 eg. pounds - less then a dollar.
Our driver "sold" us to the "Oasis Panorama" hotel - nice, but on the outskirts of the oasis. We are the only guests. I pay 100 EGP for the room with bath and breakfast.
So I did this first critical stretch! White Desert tomorrow!
An now I go with all my sweat and desert dust to the shower!
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Apr 01, 2012 04:00 PM Alexander the Great and big sand dunes of Sahara.
Siwa Oasis. I did not sleep because nasty mosquitoes. Why I did not take my mosquito net with me? So far I din not experience mosquitoes on Sahara...
Do not repeat my mistake! Siwa is different!
But it is also very interesting. People in traditional dress say: we are not Egyptians, we are Siweans.
In the morning I took a walk to the Cleopatra Bath - lovely place under the palm trees. The pool and two stylish mudbrick restaurants are there... Then it is 15 minutes walk to the temple of Amun, and another 10m minutes to the famous Temple of Oracle. Alexander the Great came here in 331 before Christ to confirm that he is the son of Zeus. Now I am here - paying 25 pounds for the entrance to contemplate the silence and the great view from the temple hill. The ocean of palms, the lakes om the horizon (yes, there are lakes at this season in Siwa Oasis) and rocky Jebels (hills)...
Only 50 kms to the border of Libia through the sand dunes on the western side!
In the afternoon I found the company to rent 4WD and we went to the sand dunes. Local young driver wanted to impress us going up and down steep, 50 m high dunes. A lot of adrenaline... But also great views of the ocean of sand. Finally we saw a freshwater lake in the middle of the complex of the high dunes - hard to believe! They call it Bir Wahid. Great chance to swim in the cold, fresh water enjoying the sandy hills around...
Tomorrow I have first critical segment of this trip: I found 2 people to share the cost of 4WD car to the Oasis of Bahariya (they charge 1400 EGP per car). We have more than 300 km to drive through the desert. Hope that everything will go well... Yalla!
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Mar 31, 2012 04:00 PM To Siwa Oasis
There are 3 buses per day from Alexandria Mawas "Terminal" to Siwa... 8.30 11 am and 3 pm. It is better buy the ticket (45 EGP) day ahead - buses are full.
It was not was to find the bus - they have only info in Arabic. OK. We started on time and then it was 3,5 hours drive to the first stop in Marsa Matrouh. Then they called me out Mister,mister!! and said: lunchtime 1,5 hour!
I used that time to go by city minibus to the shore to enjoy the view of the beach, the blue of the bay and sky... Wow! Marsa is important coastal resort, Now empty, but sunny...
Then our bus turned to the desert road. Flat gravel desert - more then 300 km - no settlements, but military control points - they search also the luggage! First, second, third, fourth...
At 5 pm we reached Siwa - the most isolated oasis of Egypt. I found a cheap room in the conveniently located Palm Trees hotel - for just 35 EGP. Siwa - this place has the atmosphere! Very few foreigners, Donkey carts, sand, dust and palm trees around, It reminds me Agadez and Timbuktu... One more dream came true!
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Mar 30, 2012 04:00 PM El Alamein...
Do you remember this name from the history? The desert Battle of El Alamein was one of the most significant events during the second world war... Allied troops stopped here nazis on their way to the Suez Canal...
El Alamein lies only 100 kms west of Alexandria. In the morning I took the microbus to Mawas bus station (1 EGP) and then in the back of the station I found microbus stand for El Alamein. No timetable. They depart when they are full.
The fare is low - 7 EGP per person, but you travel squeezed with the Arabs... Ufff! Local drivers are crazy, nobody respects traffic rules, fortunately it was only 1,5 -hours drive...
On the way from the distance you will see blue Mediteranean See but the highway never goes to the coast. Another surprise was that they built along the coast many big and fenced resorts - so the acces to the beached is limited... At this season all resorts are completly empty!
In El Alamein I visited excellent war museum (entry 20 EGP and another 20 if want to use your camera). Then there is a Commonwealth cemetary with 7200 graves in the sand. Impressive! Finally I took few pics of the lovely lagoon...
I was hot a hot day.
Back in Alexandria I took a walk to the Roman theatre. Crowds of men were sitting in the sidewalk cafes. No ladies there! But Alexandria have pleasant atmosphere of the mediteranean cities.
Boys sells Arab newspapers with the big pictures of demonstrations in Cairo. But here it is quite...
And tomorrow I will take a bus to the Siwa Oasis in the desert - I will be very far from the noisy world.
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Mar 29, 2012 04:00 PM Egypt - Alexandria...
I landed in Cairo at 3 am. They issue tourist via on the spot. What you need is to buy the sticker in the bank window and ti fill the entry card.
There are comfortable banks in the arrival hall so you can sleep till 5.30.
Then for the backpacker there is free shuttle bus "Terminal1" going to the bus station. At 6 am I had the direct bus from there to Alexandria (45 EGP).
On the way you will have a free tour to the cantral Cairo - I have been there twice but it is still worth to have a look through the window.
We took the desert road to Alexandria - 3 hours drive. The bus terminal in Alex is on the eastern outskirts of the city. Nasty taxi drivers will offer you the ride to the Corniche for 20 EGP. But there is also a minibus for just 1 EGP!
Queen hotel bookable through Hostelworld.com has grea location on the 7th floor just on the Corniche. I have a terrace with the nice view of the bay. They serve nice breakfast - it is included.
I took a long walk to the old fort where ancient lightouse of Alexandria was in the past. Then to the brand new Biblioteca Alexandrina.
A now I think then Alexandria is nicer then Cairo!
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Mar 28, 2012 04:00 PM To the Oases Trail...
Sometimes the low price of the ticket can encourage me to take the new voyage. I know Nile Valley and Sinai, but I haven't been to the Egyptian Sahara.
When our airline introduced promotional price for Gdansk - Warsaw - Cairo route I said to myself: it is time to go! The situation in Egypt is... Well, we will see... I will try to stay away from the big cities.
Spring is still cold in Poland so it is good time to warm up for two weeks! My backpack is almost ready... Let's fly!
I am sorry that nobody from GS wanted to join me...
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Mar 09, 2012 08:00 PM Namibia on a cheap?
It is the time for the little summary: Is this possible to travel around Namibia on a cheap?
Yes, I confirm! But you must be well- prepared and ready to travel in the non-a/c car. It cost us 500 euro per 22 days with basic insurance. Small car means low fuel consumption and lower cost.
Bringing your tent from Europe you can reduce the cost of acommodation: campsites (private and state-owned) are plentiful and charge only 100 - 150 NAD per person per day. Almost always you will get 240V power outlet at your site - bringing with you tea/coffee maker you can easily cook your breakfasts and soups.
South African canned food is available in the supermarkets. Beans costs 1 USD, the meat or fish - 2 USD per can. Better to buy it in Windhoek - in the province or parks it is up to 50% more expensive.
So book, pack your backpack and go! And enjoy the beauty of Namibia!
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