After my days in the desert, I took a day for laundry and coming up with a plan. The travel warning of demonstrations did not amount to anything on Wednesday, but apparently el Sisi announced his inevitable run for President that day. Friday is usually the day of demonstrations and since we don't know how big they will be, I don't want to be cooped up in Elisabeth's house, driving her nuts while she tries to work. So I ruled out staying in cities such as Cairo or taking the train alone to Alexandria, and booked a flight and hotel in Sharm el Shiekh, the super touristy south end of the Sinai Peninsula. Elisabeth and I grab a delicious dinner in what will likely be my last night in Cairo, and meet up with another of her friends for shisha and coffee.
Head to the airport the next day for the 45 minutes flight to Sharm from Cairo. I get in an argument at the airport trying to catch a taxi to my hotel. I usually copy the pages of the guidebook for places I think I will be going so I am mire prepared and can chuck them out after I visit a place, making my backpack lighter as I go along. And since I didn't think I would be coming here (I originally wanted to go diving here, but my broken face is still not healed enough to dive), I have no information on the area. So I get to the airport and there is someone inside for taxis to different hotels, but it seems very expensive. Walk outside for a minute and a taxi driver approaches me and tells me it is 150 Egyptian pounds to get to my hotel that is less than 10 minutes away (in Cairo, that would be less than 20 pounds). Went back inside and asked at the stand and he said 125. Walk outside with him and the other guy starts yelling at me and tells all the airport can drivers not to take me, running behind me and yelling. I grab my pack and just walk out out of the airport to get away from him. Luckily, an older taxi driver waves me into his cab and drives me for 50, apologizing for the others and saying something about Mafia? But he keeps asking me about my relationship status and whether I have babies as he tries to kiss my hand. He received a solid reproach as I finally arrived at the resort. At least the resort is nice, has a big pool, and my room is huge and super clean.
The tourists are mainly from Russia, Germany, and England. Still no Americans to be found here, but maybe they are at the Hilton or Hyatt (the Hilton just lost their license for the rape of a British woman by a hotel security guard last week so I opted for elsewhere). Everyone seems to fly directly here and then fly home. Everyone is on the all-inclusive package and they spend their days getting drunk and getting sucked into events like dancing on stage or learning how to salsa dance by these persistent, bubbly young adults in "Follow Me" t-shirts that make up the "Animation Crew". I am surrounded by leathery skinned men in banana hammocks and women that lay about topless, even though the hotel has specifically asked that they not. Many of the girls/woman dress in outfits that would make strippers blush when they head into town.
If this had been the only Egypt I had seen, I would hate it with a passion. I am the only solo traveler with most others being couples or groups of drunk guys leering at me, so I have kept mainly to myself. I am a bit lonely and VERY out of place. At least an older English couple snuck me drinks and I met a sweet Egyptian couple who speaks no English but invited me to sit with them and let me try some if the snacks they bought in Naama Bay. I don't think I will ever be an all-inclusive resort type of person, but I guess I got to see another part of Egypt and avoided getting caught up in the protest areas. But I really miss the desert campfires under endless star-filled night skies with people who are real, genuine, and honest and not just seemingly existing to see how much money they can get from tourists.
Finally all checked out and can't wait to get out of here. I have a midnight flight to Cairo and will sleep for a few hours at the airport (already scoped out the terminal that doesn't have armrests between the chairs so I can stretch out) before Elisabeth, Muhammed 1 (I am now keeping track of them by the order in which I met them), and his friend arrive for our 5:30am flight to Luxor. Likely won't have much (if any) Internet access for the week, but will send another update when I can or when I leave Egypt and arrive in Amman on April 6th.
Love,
Betsy
Met up with the two girls and jumped on the bus for Bahariyya, a small, friendly, dusty town near the Black Desert. They seemed nice enough. One had traveled quite a bit but the other seemed out of place for Egypt, as she wore a silk blouse and dress pants and shoes to walk around and sleep in the desert. They were probably a bit disappointed in me as well, as they were told they would be in a group with some German and Italian guys. The bus ride took about 5 hours. During the ride, the shady person I originally had booked my trip through kept texting me. I made the mistake if telling him I had already gotten on the bus and even though I said I no longer wanted a tour and had booked through someone else, he said he would send people to meet me at the bus. I warned the other girls that there might be a bit of trouble once we got there. Luckily, our guide Wagdi was there that Ali had set up. As we were loading stuff in the 4x4, some really sketchy looking dudes with a car approached me and asked if I was Betsy. I just shook my head and said, "nope... Elizabeth" knowing I had a passport to back it up. They looked confused and I hustled everyone into the 4x4 and got out of there.
Unfortunately, what the English girls were promised by Ali, was not actually possible (they were trying to get directly to Luxor from Bahariyya) and when calling Ali, what was promised was different. The two girls were upset, but said they would think about what to do next. So we went and picked up a friend of Ali's named Mohammed, who had a wonderful smile and face that I instantly liked, and headed for the desert. First came the Black Desert. 
The sandy hills are regular sand colored, but are topped and sprinkled with black rocks. We went off road with the 4x4 for a bit and got to run around and take a few photos. After that, we went to a place called Crystal Mountain where all the rocks have crystals inside them and the ground is littered with sparkling crystals. It is fun looking at all the different sizes and shapes of the crystals.
Finally, we get to what I had been waiting to see... The White Desert. There are more tourists here than I have yet see in Egypt. It is pretty spectacular (which means, like, 5 people). Everything is white and almost look like the ground is covered with snow. There are strange outcroppings and mounds in shapes that some say look like the Sphinx or a chicken or a mushroom. It used to be part of the ocean floor eons ago when erosion created all these shapes. 
We play around there for a bit and then head to a secluded area where Mohammed and Wagdi set up camp. It is amazing to be all by ourselves in this desert playground. Wagdi and Mohammed started dinner and we run to find isolated perches to watch the sunset, as the pinks and purples bounced off the white desert.
Our camp was wonderful. Colorful blankets and mats, a table, and a bonfire to make tea and dinner. We had a potato soup, cucumber and tomato salad, rice, and chicken. Turns out Mohammed is a Bedouin musician and has toured the US and Europe. He plays us music. I convinced the two girls to head to Siwa with me instead of Luxor. We agreed on a price for Wagdi to drive us and have two more nights of desert camping, food, and tours and sandboarding in Siwa.
Set out out mats as the night got cooler (I was thankful to have a hoody and sleeping bag and sleep sack) and saw bagazillions of stars. Fell asleep to several shooting stars as the moon rose and made the white formations almost seem to glow.
before dark. The sunrise was absolutely spectacular and I laughed when I saw little desert fox prints that wandered up to my head and then away, wondering what he had done while I was sleeping. The car wouldn't start, so someone drove out to help from a neighboring camp so we would get it fixed in town. We also borrow a satellite phone, which is apparently needed to apply for the military permit to drive across the Great Sand Sea. 
The permit turned out to be costlier than any of us had figured, but at least they got it done quickly (especially shocking as "Egyptian time" is slower than molasses). Wagdi and I had a small argument when he was taking his sweet time, chatting under the hood of the car instead of fixing it when I wanted to get going to reach Siwa before it got dark. But at least that gave us a bit of time to wander through Baharriya some more and we finally got off and made up later that day, with the help of always happy Mohammed.
The desert trip was beautiful. I love unspoiled sand dunes and the waves in the sand. The trip took longer than we thought with at least 20 military checkpoints were they examine your permits or search the car or just wave you through. There are some checkpoints where you can actually turn around and see the last checkpoint... and it is just a lone road in the middle of desert and we are the only car. Not sure what could have possibly occurred that they wouldn't have seen from the last checkpoint. Some of the checkpoints, we have to honk and wait as everyone is off napping or working out or whatever they are doing. But oh well, we finally arrive in Siwa right before sunset.
Siwa is a lovely, relaxed (although very conservative) desert oasis close to the Libyan border, known for olives and dates. People speak Arabic and also a Berber language. Cars, trucks, motorbikes, and donkey carts all mosey along the dusty streets. We were put up in a Bedouin tent for the night. The English girls were not happy as it was a little dirty and had lots of flies. I agreed it was not what was promised, but it was totally livable and I slept like a log except for the two puppies trying to root into out tent. There was also another discussion about the cost of the trip, which we thought was already sorted and agreed upon. So there was another discussion in the morning, which included one of the English girls bursting into tears. Luckily, once we got it sorted, we actually had a pretty great day.
We checked out the tombs and wall paintings at the Mountain of the Dead and the Temple of the Oracle (Temple of Amun) with views if the city and surrounding areas. Legend had it that at the Temple of the Oracle, Alexander the Great was told by the Oracle whether or not he was the son of Zeus. He then went out and conquered everything, but no one know what the Oracle told him. 
There are lots of hot and cold springs around Siwa and in the heat of the day, and I grabbed a lemon and fresh mint juice at Cleopatra's Bath. No swimming since women aren't allowed in some and if they are, they have to have their arms and legs covered. Since I only thought I was going to be on a one night trip which turned into five, I hadn't packed much of anything like a extra (or even a change of, for that matter) clothes or phone charger.
After dropping our bags, we grabbed delicious falafel and foul (fava beans) sandwiches and pickled vegetables for a picnic under the date and olive trees. It was nice and cool and we all had a chance to relax and forget our moments of annoyance we had all had with each other throughout the morning. Ahhh, traveling in groups :) We head out for the sand dunes in the cooler part if the afternoon for sand boarding and a sunset dinner. 
Sand boarding was fun, although my favorite part was when Mohammed signaled for just me to come over and one of his friends let me sit up front in his 4x4 and went flying up, over, and down a super steep sand dune, as a "special treat" (I think for being more laid back and less of a pain in the butt than my travel companions). Sunset was gorgeous from the top of a sand dune ridge, and Wagdi cooked up yet another delicious Bedouin dinner.
Later, we were invited by some guys for a motorbike ride to watch the sunset over the water. We head off on the back of the motorbikes to an isolated area of beach amongst grass and old palms. They treated us to snacks and we made a fire for tea. Super nice way to end our trip. Headed to the night bus where Wagdi and Mohammed came to say our goodbyes. Sad to leave, but I have been living for a while now on my supplies I had for my "one-night desert trip" so I should probably go shower and change clothes and it is probably safer to take the night bus with others.
Spent another day walking around Cairo by myself. Which means most of the day I spent chatting with local shop owners and vendors. I was actually trying to head to the Islamic Art Museum and a mosque, but they told me saved me a trip since the mosque would have been closed at that time for prayer and apparently, there was a bombing not too long ago so the museum was still closed. Drank some tea with them and talked about the hardships many are having since business has been so low due to lack of tourism. He invited me to his daughter's wedding the next day. He said there would be camels and horses and free food and drinks, but sadly I had already had plans. They thanked me for just sitting and talking with them and I bought a very small amount of lotus oil perfume because I liked the smell of it and it is my middle name. I headed over to the Egyptian Antiquities Museum (with the tip from the shop owners that my student ID that I always carry gets me in for half price, saving me $5).
Wandered the streets again past the Revolution graffiti near Tahir Square around the American University of Cairo. Stopped in for a cup of coffee and ran into a man for the day before who owned a shop right above the coffee store. We chatted for a bit. He was a medic in the army and use to be an ICU nurse before studying history and opening the shop. He had also done quite a bit of traveling. We ended up walking around to check out all the street vendors setting up stands for the night dinner rush (Thursday night is the start of weekend here as Friday is a big prayer day). Lots of people out and about. Stopped in for a drink at a place called Horriya that was full of locals, ex-pats, and embassy workers. Met Elisabeth's friend who works downtown for a Human Rights group and he drove me back to Nassr City to grab Elisabeth for a late supper. We wanted to go to a Syrian restaurant, but it was closed so we ended up at the second largest shopping mall in Egypt at 11pm where I had a dinner of Indian tandoori at an Italian restaurant. Ha! Not generally my style (we all know how much I hate shopping and malls), but do like the Egyptians do, I suppose. Found it interesting that the malls have really tight security (check cars at the parking garage with dogs, scan bags, and enter through a metal detector).
I was too excited to sleep before my visit to the pyramids and maybe got 3 hours of sleep. Elisabeth's friend woke up early to drive my out to Giza. The aggressive people banging on the car and windows at the gate had me a little worried to be spending the day by myself. But one minute stepping into the gate to see the size and closeness of the pyramids made it more than okay. I got hassled quite a bit, but only threatened a few times to lose my temper and managed to escape most of them. They are apparently the only people that speak English. I walked around a bit on my own. And then a man with a camel approached me and he was not pushy and we had a good conversation, so I hired him and his camel, Oscar, to give me a quick tour. He was knowledge and fun and it helped get my bearings as it is pretty spread out. I realized that I don't think I have ever seen a camel, not even in the zoo. But Oscar seemed nice and it gives you a nice high vantage point. But camels are not the most comfortable ride, so I doubt I will be doing again any time soon.
My camel driver finished my tour and he went and got me tea. We chatted some more about Egypt and how the lack of tourism has hurt him. he used to have three camels, but sadly had to part with two. While chatting, he found out I liked koshary. He asked if I liked it spicy and skittered off for a moment and came back with a container full! Turns out a place in Cairo brings it up to sell and he just happened to be there today. It was a nice treat. We then parted ways and I headed off to explore on foot alone. Seeing the pyramids and Sphinx in person was almost too much. It is shocking to see them standing there, so close to the modern civilization. An there shear size is breathtaking! It still amazes me that they are still uncovering new things to this day.
Trying to navigate a bus/taxi/subway back to Cairo to get a taxi back to Nassr City, I met two guys who were heading in that direction. One was a very sweet 19 year old student from University of Cairo studying computers who spoke Arabic and some English. The other was a guy who spoke Turkish and Arabic. They were great company (even with the triangular translation issue) so we all went for coffee and then decided to head back to the market in the beautiful Islamic quarter for coffee and shisha. It was hopping! So many people out and about on the weekend. I noticed what I assume was a bomb sniffing dog walk past us once, but people were all friendly and felt very safe. Then, my post-excitement no sleep/exhaustion set in and I headed back to Elisabeth's.
We then just walked and got lost in the central downtown area, enjoying some interesting revolution graffiti, getting dried mish mish (apricots) at a spice stand and stopping for koshary, a local Egyptian dish of chickpeas, lentils, tomato sauce, and spices over rice and pasta. People on the streets seem friendly enough, but Elisabeth is trying to train me to stop smiling so much and chatting on with everyone that come up to talk to me that just want me to visit their store (which I don't mind so much as I have nowhere set to go). Another of Elisabeth's friends (yep, his name is also Mohammed) happened to be in the downtown area not far from us and he picked us up to drive back home.
We changed our minds after dropping of his dad and headed back downtown to the old town of Khan el-Khalili, a marketplace in the center of the Islamic area of downtown. It is entirely built between these fort-style walls, with a beautifully lit mosque and narrow, winding streets full of shops and apartments. We were the only foreigners for most of the time we were there, with only a handful seen in a famous coffee shop we visited. We then started back out of the city, through a graveyard that people also live in and we stopped on the bridge over the Nile to watch the twinkling lights and lit-up party boats. Mohammed is luckily a very good driver, as traffic is organized chaos and a crazy test of reflexes. The lanes appear to be mere suggestions, fitting in as many cars as possible so you are squeezed in as close as possible. Cars merging in an out, people randomly walking in and out of traffic, and headlights at night? Totally not mandatory.