Day 20 – Siwa Oasis

We awoke early to see the sun rising. When we arrived last night, it was dark and we could not see the area. The beach looked very nice. Kim wanted to take a walk, but there was a problem with the door’s lock last night and all we had was a latch. If both of us went out and the door shut, no one could get into the room. Kim loves to collect beach glass and was in a hurry to look for some. I sat up in the balcony to watch her while she went walking. I remember reading that it is never good for foreign women to walk alone. They could get molested or raped. After a while, I could not see Kim. I started to get concerned. About 40 minutes later, she comes walking into the apartment complex. She did not find any beach glass. Perhaps the Egyptians do not throw their trash out into the environment.

Salma recommended a beach for us to see. It is a valley that empties into the Mediterranean Sea. There were steep walls on either side. You could walk out on a ledge around the base of the cliffs. After we had a few pictures taken of us, people came up and wanted pictures with us. It was like we were movie stars. Salma explained that having your picture taken with foreigners is something to brag about. It shows your friends that you have acquaintances from around the world and that you can speak other languages besides Arabic.

We went back into Marsa Matruh to get Kim’s glasses fixed and to look for another bag. Kim has bought so much stuff, that we have filled our two suitcases and still have stuff leftover. Both Kim and I tried to blend in and look like locals. I think they could see we weren’t. After we hit the market, I spotted some olives. Salma helped me get a small bag for a snack. Whenever she gets a chance, Salma wants us to try local foods. There was a vendor selling a sugarcane drink. It is crushed sugarcane without added water. It looks like a grey, green drink served in a plastic bag. We were hesitant to try it, but it wasn’t bad. It took a few sips before you could get used to the flavor.

On the way to Siwa, we drove into a sand storm. It reminded us of a white-out in winter. It was one of the few times we saw our driver slow down. It didn’t last long, but it was interesting to see it.

We both slept on the way to Siwa and missed a lot of the desert. However, we were both awake when we drove into the depression. Siwa Oasis is situated in a large depression in the desert. This depression is below sea level. Siwa is at the bottom and the water pools in its lakes and springs. Thousands of years ago before there was a shift in the earth’s axis, all of northern Africa was a lush savanna. After the shift in the Earth’s axis, the savanna dried up and turned to desert.

Even though we had read about the size of Siwa, it was still amazing to see the size of the oasis. As we got into town, it was evident that this was not a typical tourist destination. Only in the core down-town location could you see tourist shops. Our hotel was the Siwa Safari Paradise Resort. It was situated down a dusty back alley. We thought that our driver had made a wrong turn. The signs out in front were dusty and faded. After our time in the Sinai, I was afraid that Kim would be very unhappy in anything other than a 5-star hotel. Once through the gate, my fears were gone. It was like a tropical paradise inside. Our room was not exactly swanky, but it was still nice. Since we were here during the off-season, the pool was closed. However, the manager said we could go in. It was refreshing and for two days we had a private pool.

Salma asked us if we wanted to go to a small café to watch the sun set. We were keen to get a few good pictures. It really wasn’t a typical café. There were some chairs and tables at the water’s edge. It was very beautiful.