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Post by onlymark on May 5, 2010 19:34:25 GMT
It’s just about at the end of the ‘riding around in the desert looking at things’ season, in fact I cut it so fine this weekend is supposed to be 42 degrees. So I thought I’d have a last ride round and look at something. About an hour and a half south of Cairo is a town called Fayoum. The town has one or two things to see but in reality it’s quite a smelly, dirty place. But nearby are several places of interest. The first is a protected area called Wadi el Rayan. Here there are two large lakes, a third since dried up. It is a very beautiful area and is very popular for a weekend trip – www.touregypt.net/featurestories/wadielrayan.htmI left the main road and headed off towards the lakes, first going past the construction of a new canal/drainage channel, probably to irrigate nearby desert in an attempt to make it fertile – Then I passed nothing more than a sign informing you of the park area – The road then carried on through the deserted desert – And on – Eventually one of the lakes comes in to view in the distance – As I stopped to take the photo I saw off to the other side of the road a nice little track into the sand. I wondered if I headed out that way I could cut the corner off the road and eventually hit the track leading to where I was initially destined within the protectorate, Wadi Hitan, the Valley of the Whales. So I turned off, past this nice little rock – A quick look back to get my bearings – Straight on, why not – Then heading for the big rock – And I thought, maybe turn left, ‘cos I can’t go straight on, and I hit the track – Continued on – Think to myself, this is nice – And eventually the entrance to the valley comes in to view –
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Post by onlymark on May 5, 2010 19:36:39 GMT
I paid the entrance fee, 15 Egyptian pounds and set off. For many years after the initial excavations here you could just drive round in your car and look at things. It took, allegedly, two car loads of Belgian diplomats to cock this up when several years ago they rode round and drove across some of the fossils caused what was estimated as several million Euros worth of damage. Now, and for the better anyway, you have to walk. But what is it? In simple terms it’s a dry valley with whale fossils. But in reality it is much more than that, especially if you have a sense of history, geography and biology. Initially part of an ancient sea, it began to dry out as more and more water became trapped at the Poles as the weather cooled. Marshes formed, the land appeared, beaches came and went, even mangrove swamps were there. Eventually the sea receded to the north leaving the area high and dry. Then it rained cutting into the rock, then when it decided to stop raining and the area dried up completely, the wind whipping up the sand etched it further. How come all the whale fossils in one place? No-one is sure. Some feel that the prevailing winds blew dead water life to the area as there are not just whales but turtles and many other sea creatures. They became lodged among the islands and swamps. Others think the area was very fertile and it had just a high population of marine life, so a proportion was preserved. Who knows. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wadi_Al-HitanOne of the attractions is not just the fossils, but the 4km walk through the rocks as well. Here is a selection of many photos I took and you’ll see not only the fossils but preserved mangrove swamp roots as well as some dramatic scenery –
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Post by onlymark on May 5, 2010 19:37:08 GMT
So after making my way, hot and tired back to the safety of my car, I set off for a ride around the area – Not a lot to see, methinks – Then I come across – I have a drive round it, start heading back to the main track after wondering, “Hmm, I wonder what it over there – But then, instead of looking in the distance, look at my feet. Oooo, what nice little rocks, volcanic methinks again – Now I’m getting pretty hungry, so I find a convenient parking spot and pull over. Fortunately unmetered and no traffic wardens anywhere – So it’s salmon sandwiches, cold coke and a packet of crisps. Luxury. And what a view point – I drop back across the entrance to the Valley, can’t be bad navigating then – Make my way to a nice camping area I’d spotted before and checked it out with a view to staying there – The day is still early though, so, back to the Lake – Found a nice spot to park up – And go for a walk in the sand –
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Post by onlymark on May 5, 2010 19:37:42 GMT
The reason for the walk was to do an ‘anorak’ thing called Geocaching. I’ve mentioned it before but simply it’s like a treasure hunt. Someone will hides a little container, put the coordinates on a website, and you have to find it. They are all over the world and I bet one is near you. You put a little thing in, take something out, log your visit and re-hide it. The fun is in the finding. Here is the one nearby – I made my way around the lake to where it is close by a second lake. The second one is at a lower elevation than the first and this has resulted in a couple of small waterfalls. These are famous as a rarity in Egypt and have been the setting for numerous scenes in films, usually where they need a romantic moment between the leading man and his lady love. Unfortunately they are popular tourist spot. Egyptian tourist spot – The local diving champion was practising upon my arrival – But, and this is the bane of my life, wherever there are people they have a habit of despoiling the land. No wonder I prefer the desert. We are usually taught not to drop litter. My question is, are Egyptians? Or are they taught but can’t be bothered? If I turn around from taking a picture of the falls, what do I see? – Litter everywhere – A beachside cafe looks quite attractive – Until you see just at the side of it – And around it – I beat a hasty retreat. There is a ‘visitors centre’ as well. But after finding all the doors locked, I decided a cunning plan. If I drove just out of the protectorate, the other entrance/exit wasn’t too far away, I could have an early dinner at a convenient restaurant down by another part of the lake, then slip back in again and drive smartish back to the camping site before the sun set. But, as usual, I failed to account for the variable restaurant service taking up precious time. I ended up sitting though in a very nice spot, trying out my sunset picture skills overlooking the lake, then just as it disappeared I paid the bill (barley soup, Arabic bread, butter, tomato/cucumber/lettuce/onion salad, tabbouleh, tahini, rice, French fries, half chicken, coke, two lemon juices, fruit salad, Nescafe with milk) 55LE, approx 7.60 Euro and slipped away back to the desert – A lot of them. Wasn’t there? I had nothing else to do but wait for my food. It was pitch black when I got back so I quickly bedded down and drifted off looking at the stars. Or at least those I could see between the canyon walls.
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Post by onlymark on May 5, 2010 19:38:20 GMT
The next morning saw me up bright and early, kit packed away, quick cup of coffee and away before it got too hot again. I was aiming to get to one place, but as it is here, there are that many ancient sites it is easy to drop across one you, and most people, have never heard of. It could well be a place that in many other countries would be fenced off, preservation notices, tour guides, postcards, the full nine yards. But part of the Egyptian mentality is playing it cool - sort of – ‘Oh yeah, we’ve got one of them. It’s around here somewhere. If you find it just have a walk round, it’ll be no problem.’ So as I’m slipping around a few desert tracks I see off to my right a building. Thinking it’s not much I ignore it until the method of building suddenly hits me. It’s of big stone blocks, so I turn up the path towards it and stop – Oh yeah! They’re big stone blocks right enough – But round the front they are even bigger – The one to the immediate left of the doorway, above the first foundation level, is about two metres tall and at least three metres long and about a metre or more thick. That’d hurt if it landed on your toe. Amazing how they cut the stones to fit – So, I went inside and saw there were about seven small rooms, a bit like a monks cell – Even a secret passage – One of the abandoned stones gives an idea as to the construction technique. You see the odd shaped slot? – A corresponding one would be in the stone next along and a metal piece, shaped like a bow tie, would be placed in the adjacent slots tying the two stones together. It is very rare to find the metal tie as after many thousands of years they’ve just rusted away. The size of the stones and the construction method told me this was a very, very old building. Nice view they had from here though, down towards the lake, too far away to see now though – The most info I could find, after finding out the name of the place, is here – egyptopia.com/Qasr+el-Sagha+Temple_30_100_26_11564_1962_en.html“Although its date is not yet identified, the temple's plan indicates that it was erected at the Middle Kingdom” That’s between 2080 BC and 1640 BC. It’d be old then. So, I found another one of the ‘Geocache’ things out there, so someone must’ve found the building before me – Saw this hill nearby. Had a quick look round in case I missed John Wayne or the Lone Ranger and Tonto hiding somewhere –
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Post by onlymark on May 5, 2010 19:38:56 GMT
Set off again through the desert and eventually saw in the distance where i was originally heading for, another lesser known but impressive site – Saw the sign at the entrance – not too informative – But I’d already primed myself a bit as to what it was all about. www.touregypt.net/featurestories/dimeh.htm“Dimeh al-Siba, Dimeh of the Lions, was a Ptolemaic city believed to be founded by Ptolemy II in the third century BC, on a site that shows evidence of habitation from the Neolithic period. Today, it is more isolated, but during Ptolemaic times it was at the shore of the much larger lake, situated at the edge of Moeris Bay and the beginning of the caravan routes into the Western Desert. The town served as a port, and was perhaps at one time located on an island, judging by its Ptolemaic name Soknopaiou Nesos, meaning Island of Soknopaios (from the Egyptian Sobek-en-Pai). However, some scholars maintain that it was in fact never an island. Today, the site is 65 meters higher and 2.5 kilometers beyond the water's edge.” So I went for a walk. Extremely impressive mud brick walls enclosed buildings made of stone blocks. There were even irrigation or sewage channels through some of the buildings. The stone buildings encased in a better dressed stone and the brick ones also within the walls had crude plaster inside the rooms – Then I thought I’d struck lucky. A pottery shard – But the trooper I am I soldiered on, braving the heat to bring you this report. The long stone blocks were probably part of the roof that has fallen in, spanning the two walls – Everywhere covered in sand – Little hidden places and channels – Ancient floor tiles. They’d be very attractive I think – More impressive surrounding walls. The brickie needs having a word with though. The window opening is a bit big – Then I find another pottery shard – Then a few more – Then I find the worlds’ biggest pottery shard dump – The words I’d read a few days before came back to me – “The ground is strewn with debris. An uncountable number of shards cover the entire temple mound. They are all over the place.” I did find a nice blue one though –
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Post by onlymark on May 5, 2010 19:39:24 GMT
I spy the road, Roman no doubt, that led down to the lake – So I had a walk along it, all the way to the end and back – Read the sign at the end, not so informative either – Started walking back – Good job I took some water with me, had a drink half way – Went back to the car and set off. Now then, should I go this way – Or this way – Eeny meeny miny mo, I headed towards the ridge line – After an uneventful journey back to Fayoum I spied the oasis – Then returned to the tarmac and back to Cairo. And that’ll probably do me for this season. I’ll have to spend the summer looking at where I can go next.
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Post by Deleted on May 5, 2010 20:35:17 GMT
This report is way beyond fantastic, Mark! So many zen moments! And you did this alone? Impressive!
We stopped at a lake returning from Fayoum also. Probably the same one since there aren't all that many. Hot and sweaty in a luxury hotel where we drank Cokes until we dried out.
Loved the bricks and the sunset.
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Post by bixaorellana on May 5, 2010 20:47:05 GMT
Can you hear it? I'm applauding frantically!
Mark, this is just out of this world -- really, almost literally, with the vast empty reaches of desert. I like the big empty pictures very much, and the way you used them to give us the illusion of actually driving through the desert with you. Your explanations are great, as always.
Can irrigation truly make that kind of desert productive, or will loads of organic material have to be added as well?
In the 6th photo after the sign saying "lower ribs, jaw, vertebrae ...", is that a fossil, or something man-made? And the big outcroppings that look as though they could have fossilized baleen on the sides -- fossils, or eroded rocks?
I love the way you go from the long views down to views of the rocks and shards at your feet, and also how you shared the thrill of coming upon the giant ruins in the desert.
The waterfalls right there in the sands are amazing. don't get me started on the litter thing
Boy, I can see how finding the geocaches & adding to them would be a perfect small thrill.
Thanks for taking us to that restaurant. Yes, the service was slow, but I felt myself getting boneless with relaxation, just sitting and watching the sun growing redder and sinking to the end of another day.
I'll bet you slept well under the stars, after such a hot, eventful day.
I enjoyed the ride back, too, and marveling over construction of thousands of years ago. You truly convey the lure and excitement of the desert trips.
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Post by Deleted on May 5, 2010 23:21:32 GMT
Beautiful sunsets, Mark. Absolutely lovely. It looks mighty hot too.
Have you ever thought of writing about Egypt and area for a magazine or contributing your photos to somewhere like National Geographic? It's an idea. You certainly know enough about the area.
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Post by hwinpp on May 6, 2010 3:43:26 GMT
Great trip report.
I'm wondering a bit about the blue shard. Did you take it? I would have.
This brings back memories of a holiday I spent in southern Africa.
A friend and I had rented a car and we drove to a national park somewhere south of Windhuk, I've forgotten the name. We must have entered through a side or back entrance because by the time it was evening we were in the park without knowing it. And we really played the fool, doing target practice on trees, stones and the empty beer cans and wine bottles we'd brought along, making camp fires, sleeping outside.
We found out we'd been in the park when we left and saw the back of a huge sign. On reading it we found out we'd broken all the main rules... making fire with 4000 year old wood, not telling anybody we'd be entering the park, shooting, camping... I must say I did have a slightly bad conscience. At least I can say I was 23 or 24 years old, in my defence.
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Post by onlymark on May 6, 2010 4:26:15 GMT
Deyana, Nat Geo are way beyond my league. My little point and shoot camera has a fainting fit as it is trying to fit in 'the big picture'. I bet if I submitted an article they'd think I was taking the mickey. It'd be an experience though to take round a professional to see how he/she views things.
Kerouac, there's no lake between Fayoum and Cairo so I presume it has to be there, this was from your Meidum trip, yes? You'd have stopped at what is now the Helnan Auberge, originally a Royal hunting lodge but all trace of that has been obliterated by now. It's the only 'posh' hotel in the area. Doing it alone is Ok if you use common sense and take precautions, and it's what I'm used to.
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Post by Deleted on May 6, 2010 4:35:51 GMT
Ah yes, it must have been the Helnan Auberge. Memories can become vague after being fried by the heat all day.
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Post by onlymark on May 6, 2010 4:42:05 GMT
Bixa - "Can irrigation truly make that kind of desert productive, or will loads of organic material have to be added as well?"
I've actually little idea. I can see the sand being useful by itself. It depends on how many nutrients the water has when it's put on it. But something else must surely be needed. There have been a few government schemes to open up the desert and small towns have been built to encourage people to move there, but few do.
The 6th photo, if I've counted right, is off fossilised mangrove swamp roots, just hanging below the rock surface. The big outcroppings are eroded rocks. At least I'm almost certain that's just what they are. Pretty shapes.
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Post by onlymark on May 6, 2010 4:45:57 GMT
You need to wear a bigger hat Kerouac. It certainly can get quite hot and tiresome to say the least. That's one of the times when, for me, if I'm out by myself, it is easy to make a wrong decision on the spur of the moment. There is no-one else there to say, "Are you sure this is a good idea?".
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Post by onlymark on May 6, 2010 4:48:48 GMT
hwinpp, did I take the blue shard? Tempted but I stuck to my principles, ones I've ingrained in the kids as well, not to take anything. No doubt the next person will but there's nothing I can do about that. It makes me feel morally superior anyway. We've all done daft things in our time. It's not repeating them that's the main thing.
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Post by Deleted on May 6, 2010 4:55:32 GMT
I did all of that in the middle of August, so you can imagine the heat. That's when I lived in the Ramses Hilton for three weeks, the longest time I have ever spent in a hotel.
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Post by onlymark on May 6, 2010 5:13:47 GMT
The middle of August can be very hot, no wonder you needed a drink. I bet there are worse hotels though to spend the time in.
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Post by spindrift on May 6, 2010 10:15:11 GMT
Oh Mark! Your report is so exciting and so detailed. Thank you for stopping and taking all these marvellous pictures. I will re-read this thread many times.
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Post by imec on May 6, 2010 18:11:55 GMT
Great report! No pictures?
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Post by onlymark on May 6, 2010 18:18:11 GMT
No, sorry. Couldn't be bothered. I thought the words themselves would suffice.
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Post by lola on May 9, 2010 15:12:21 GMT
Too amazing, oM.
The blue shard would lose much of its magic if you took it home, anyway.
Questions of a timid nature that I'm sure you've answered elsewhere: how possible is it that you'd get hopelessly mired in sand? Can you trust a track on sight?
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Post by Jazz on May 9, 2010 15:24:43 GMT
Mark, what a fantastic trip you’ve taken us on! You’ve put me in an exotic and excited mood, (rare for me on a Sunday morning). The content is almost overwhelming. Wadi Hitan, the Valley of the Whales is fascinating with the fossils and what they tell us of the history of the area. Each time I see photos of water in the desert, I am startled and would love to see the impossible…what Egypt was like a few thousand years ago. Your photo of the man jumping off the waterfall is wonderful and unexpected in your sequence of the hot, empty, beautiful desert.
The ancient engineering methods of the Egyptians always fascinate me. Your photos of the building with the big stone blocks and Dineh al-Siba are certainly detailed and impressive. And, the blue shard. The ‘blueness’ is incredible and I wonder what they used so that its hue would last for thousands of years. A hint of what this place may once have looked like at its zenith.
Why is it the end of ‘riding around in the desert looking at things’? Too hot now? Your work is excellent, thank you.
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Post by onlymark on May 9, 2010 17:09:51 GMT
lola, jazz , thanks for your appreciation. As for the blue shard, I suppose it's relatively recent for the place, but how it would've been made that colour would need research, I've no idea but to say, using common sense, that it's in the glazing somehow. As for the end of the 'season', yes, it just gets too hot. But to amend that, it isn't too hot if all is going well. The problems occur when it doesn't. That when the heat is the big factor. It does seem nice to be outside in mid thirties centigrade, but not if you are trying to unstick your car, dealing with an injury, lost, mechanical problem, walking a long way, Somali pirates and any other problem (pirates are a lesser concern to be honest). But any one of the problems may easily be coped with, combine them or any permutation and the effect becomes exponential rather than doubled or tripled. So, I always allow myself a safety factor, especially when I only have myself to rely on to get me out of the crap. Plus, the hotter it is the ‘softer’ the sand. Deep sand driving is best done very early morning and/or when it is cold. Questions of a timid nature that I'm sure you've answered elsewhere: how possible is it that you'd get hopelessly mired in sand? Can you trust a track on sight? Timid = Caution – Experience. I’m still cautious but less so than years ago because of the experience. I was timid when I’d not done it a lot and wondered the same. But as you do a bit, and then a bit more, you get stuck but extricate yourself you begin to understand what are the limits. The thing is never to get too stuck. If you feel yourself getting that way the worst thing you can do is apply more and more power, spinning the wheels and digging deeper. Knowing how to get out, even if it’s only theoretical, does help, the worst thing is being with a stuck vehicle and running out of ideas. Fortunately I’ve never used all the ‘tricks’ because ‘a stitch in time saves nine’ in that I stop trying to power on fairly soon, then either reverse out or do whatever it takes just to move forward like letting the tyres down. I don’t trust every track and again I am cautious and rather stop, get out and have a walk, rather than being impatient thinking I’ll get through it. But as you would expect, the more you do it, the more you can read the ‘road’. I enjoy sand because it’s relatively easy to get out of, as opposed to mud and I dislike rocky ground because it’s so easy to damage the car, especially the tyres. A few photos of water in the desert – You drive through this – Stop and have a look and then drive down this – Drive past this – Stop and have a swim at this – On the way back you skirt round this – And then camp near this –
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Post by Deleted on May 9, 2010 17:39:01 GMT
Absolutely fantastic, but also terrifying. I confess that I am a timid soul. My silly little Cambodian trip nearly did me in, and I was with a bunch of people.
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Post by imec on May 9, 2010 18:13:29 GMT
I've been back to this thread several times now... it really is terrific oM - thanks for all your effort!
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Post by onlymark on May 9, 2010 18:44:04 GMT
Kerouac, that's strange. Not your story, that I haven't read yet, but the fact that when I click on your link I can see the thread but I'm logged out. I also see the date of the thread is from only a few days ago, yet I never saw it on the 80 posts thing. Yet I'm still logged in on this thread. I wonder if your pet peeve, actually someone else's you passed along about not looking around, has anything to do with the fact that some threads don't appear on the 80 posts, if that does happen.
I've actually noticed something a while ago but can't remember where and didn't do anything about it, but I clicked on a link posted on a thread leading to another thread on the board, but it required I log on again. This I did but was told I didn't have the access, in effect, denied access, no authority or some such like. I just assumed there were parts of the board for only some members, like we've had in the past, password protected places.
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Post by Deleted on May 9, 2010 20:21:21 GMT
Everybody seems to have noticed this logged in-not logged in link problem (same for me half the time!) but nobody understands it. Lately, I seem to still be logged in when I click on an internal link, but last week that was not the case.
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Post by bixaorellana on May 10, 2010 1:59:44 GMT
Hmmm. That is odd. I tried it three times & it took me to the story, but as a guest, and I remain logged in on this thread. Then I logged in where I was a guest, came back over here & clicked on the link, & was taken there as a member.
Mark -- do you like the 80 last posts feature? I never use it because I feel I might miss something that way. If I see there is a new post on any board, I open the whole board to see what else it might have new. I don't think it takes any more time than any other method.
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