Before coming to Egypt we had no fixed plan. My principal contact was with Sekem. Before leaving New Zealand I thought perhaps we might spend some time in different parts of the Nile River and Delta. The Nile River is the life blood of Egypt, supporting the vast majority of the population. Instead, after visiting Sekem, I was compelled to travel into the Western Desert.
We spent 4 days and 3 nights in the desert. With our relatively limited time we only traveled to Bahariya Oasis, the closest of the oases to Cairo ... 360km and a 4 ½ hour drive. People at Sekem assisted by providing names of two people to visit. Being in the deserts of Egypt was such a powerful contrast to the mountains of Nepal ... but in some way there was also a connection, in the grandeur of the landscape and power of nature that both places conveyed.
At Bahariya Oasis we first met Ahmed Shawky and Corien Elstgeest from Elysium (see www.elysium.nu). Corien is from the Netherlands and moved to Bahariya 10 years ago. She is there is on a mission, working together with Ahmed and her partners in the Netherlands.
Ahmed Shawky and Corien Elstgeest, working together with a future vision for Bahariya Oasis.
A view of Elysium where Ahmed, Corien and others are working to realise their vision.
We were very grateful to meet these people who provided a welcome home for us in between our various activities and very kindly took us around Bahariya one afternoon.
Lena and Alice, enjoying some true relaxation time for one of the first times in the last 3 months.
Elysium is a relatively small initiative at present, but with a clear vision. They have developed a retreat where people can come and stay and experience the quiet and power of the desert environment. They also have aims to develop an educational and training facility to help develop sustainable future pathways for people living in the desert.
Another view of Elysium.
Life in the desert can't exist without water. At Bahariya Oasis we learned that there has been relatively little rain in the last 20 years, insufficient to recharge the groundwater that everyone relies on. At the same time there has been increased development and demand for water. In many places people are using pumps where they weren't needed in the past. People are digging deeper to get their water.
Ten years ago water was running freely from this well at Bahariya, as it had been for a long time before. Now this well is dry and has been replaced nearby by a much deeper well with a pumping station.
We also met We also met Mr Mohamed Rafaat, from Mendisha village, the son of ......... who have supplied Sekem with dates for the last 16 years. As he said, the desert is their home, it is their life. But everything they have depends on water. There is a very delicate balance here and evidence that it has tipped towards a situation of future water crises. In our short time with Ahmed and Corien we talked about the importance of acting now for the future and working to engage the community. This was a very good exchange, adding to our stories from different places, but also an opportunity to share ideas and encourage them in their work.
Views of one of the villages that comprise Bahariya Oasis.
.jpg)
Date palms are the main agricultural product from Bahariya.
On Saturday, our third day, we drove out from Bahariya to spend a night camping in the desert. We stopped in the Black Desert, where I climbed a peak to view an amazing scene of extinct volcanoes.
The Black Desert
Then on to a small oasis where we had lunch and a rest in the midday heat.
On the edge of the Black Desert, here your understand the true power and importance of water to life.
A modern 'mummy'!
In mid afternoon we drove on to a place called Crystal Mountain and then to the White Desert, where we set up camp for the night. Stunning, silent, beautiful starlit night. Marred slightly by obvious signs of human presence... plastic bottles thoughtlessly left in the desert sand... but a great experience to sleep in the desert under the stars. It was hard next day, driving back to Bahariya and then to the noise and pollution of Cairo.
How much do we care, with signs of our rubbish left everywhere?
Sunset in the White Desert.
A desert star!
A simple camp for sleeping under the stars.
In the end our time in Egypt seemed too short. There is a lot more that we need to know about changes happening in the desert, as much as in the mountains, with our rivers, our forests.
The greatest reward is the increased power we feel in sharing stories from other places and encouraging the people we meet to keep doing the good things they are engaged in. Making them aware that there are others in other places doing similar work is very rewarding.
We spent 4 days and 3 nights in the desert. With our relatively limited time we only traveled to Bahariya Oasis, the closest of the oases to Cairo ... 360km and a 4 ½ hour drive. People at Sekem assisted by providing names of two people to visit. Being in the deserts of Egypt was such a powerful contrast to the mountains of Nepal ... but in some way there was also a connection, in the grandeur of the landscape and power of nature that both places conveyed.
At Bahariya Oasis we first met Ahmed Shawky and Corien Elstgeest from Elysium (see www.elysium.nu). Corien is from the Netherlands and moved to Bahariya 10 years ago. She is there is on a mission, working together with Ahmed and her partners in the Netherlands.
Ahmed Shawky and Corien Elstgeest, working together with a future vision for Bahariya Oasis.
A view of Elysium where Ahmed, Corien and others are working to realise their vision.
We were very grateful to meet these people who provided a welcome home for us in between our various activities and very kindly took us around Bahariya one afternoon.
Lena and Alice, enjoying some true relaxation time for one of the first times in the last 3 months.
Elysium is a relatively small initiative at present, but with a clear vision. They have developed a retreat where people can come and stay and experience the quiet and power of the desert environment. They also have aims to develop an educational and training facility to help develop sustainable future pathways for people living in the desert.
Another view of Elysium.
Life in the desert can't exist without water. At Bahariya Oasis we learned that there has been relatively little rain in the last 20 years, insufficient to recharge the groundwater that everyone relies on. At the same time there has been increased development and demand for water. In many places people are using pumps where they weren't needed in the past. People are digging deeper to get their water.
Ten years ago water was running freely from this well at Bahariya, as it had been for a long time before. Now this well is dry and has been replaced nearby by a much deeper well with a pumping station.
We also met We also met Mr Mohamed Rafaat, from Mendisha village, the son of ......... who have supplied Sekem with dates for the last 16 years. As he said, the desert is their home, it is their life. But everything they have depends on water. There is a very delicate balance here and evidence that it has tipped towards a situation of future water crises. In our short time with Ahmed and Corien we talked about the importance of acting now for the future and working to engage the community. This was a very good exchange, adding to our stories from different places, but also an opportunity to share ideas and encourage them in their work.
Views of one of the villages that comprise Bahariya Oasis.
.jpg)
Date palms are the main agricultural product from Bahariya.
On Saturday, our third day, we drove out from Bahariya to spend a night camping in the desert. We stopped in the Black Desert, where I climbed a peak to view an amazing scene of extinct volcanoes.
The Black Desert
Then on to a small oasis where we had lunch and a rest in the midday heat.
On the edge of the Black Desert, here your understand the true power and importance of water to life.
A modern 'mummy'!
In mid afternoon we drove on to a place called Crystal Mountain and then to the White Desert, where we set up camp for the night. Stunning, silent, beautiful starlit night. Marred slightly by obvious signs of human presence... plastic bottles thoughtlessly left in the desert sand... but a great experience to sleep in the desert under the stars. It was hard next day, driving back to Bahariya and then to the noise and pollution of Cairo.
How much do we care, with signs of our rubbish left everywhere?
Sunset in the White Desert.
A desert star!
A simple camp for sleeping under the stars.
In the end our time in Egypt seemed too short. There is a lot more that we need to know about changes happening in the desert, as much as in the mountains, with our rivers, our forests.
The greatest reward is the increased power we feel in sharing stories from other places and encouraging the people we meet to keep doing the good things they are engaged in. Making them aware that there are others in other places doing similar work is very rewarding.
1 comment:
Well, my dear New Zealanders, it seems you had a great time in the desert. I'm a little jealous and wish I would have been able to come.
Have lots of fun in bella Italia and watch out for your car!! (-;
It was a pleasure to meet you all,
Much love from Cairo,
Selim
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