The White Desert
Here are some photos from our camping trip into the White Desert in western Egypt, a barren and magical landscape of stark white sandstone and calcium formations. It was like walking into the heart of psychedelia and setting up camp. Upon entering the White Desert we had to tell the guards that we were German, as Americans have to be escorted by police. When I suggested Canadian, our driver waved his hand at me erratically. When I asked why Americans have to be escorted by police, he waved it again and shrugged, indicating the conversation was over.
Some formations had human heads, some resembled cobras or camels or chickens, others looked like tables and sacrificial altars and unicorns. The ground was a hard white stone, covered mostly by sand. We slept in the open under an incredible array of stars and a sort of phallic monolith, surrounded by sleeping turtles and spindly mushrooms. Occasionally foxes would appear just at the edge of the firelight, peering cautiously at our food and yipping in a high warbling cry. Sunrise brought a pink hue to all of the white figures surrounding us, bathing everything in a rosy glow as we drank copious amounts of Bedouin tea with fresh mint and four spoonfuls of sugar.
The landscape was alive with a tremendous, cautious energy; a sort of trembling stillness. It left a lasting impression upon my mind, and I hope the photos can convey a little piece of that. Enjoy.
