What I Learned Alone on a Saharan Sand Dune

"I was no longer stressed.  Instead the sea of drifting sand gave me inner peace -- a peace so perfect, I knew only God could bestow."

I was supposed to venture out to the "White Desert" to revere the mushroom-shaped limestone formations.

I heard about the legendary white limestone cake icing that glows magical and mysterious in the faint moonlight.

Further, Atef told me that I would be camping out with other backpackers from different parts of the world. This sounded like a lot fun to me -- staying the night in an unfamiliar landscape with people I just met, but hopefully become good friends before the night had passed.

But there would be a sacrifice...

Night on a Saharan Sand Dune

I hope you enjoy this short clip of my experiences camping out in the Sahara Desert.

A beautiful oasis

Where I spent the night alone (w/ my guide)

Chapt 8 "Cairo -- A Spectacular Failure of Capitalism

In this oft-forgotten city of entrenched customs and history, I saw so much potential and missed opportunities in the way the streets and store fronts were maintained. The buildings were beat-up, drab, squalid altogether, some almost to the point of disrepair.

But as I really took the time to walk and observe, I noticed from one Roundabout to another that the buildings resembled European masterpieces.  There was so much character, brimming with culture -- ready to be explored and forever defined.

Man running next to the Parliament Building

Cairo was built in the 19th century and modeled as a European City, once referred to as the "Paris along the Nile."  Truly the city is beautiful and the River Nile is majestic and magical.

There are many priceless relics, but today they are drab, desolate, a sooty brown, darkened from the pollution that fills every molecule of breathable air competing against the relentless stream of CO2 sputtering from every exhaust pipe, every dripping air conditioner that glamours every window ledge all around this forsaken city.


See Note below.

Around town, I saw massive amounts of ramshackle homes that were falling apart by the hinges, ready to collapse around the people who lived in these crumbling tenements their entire life.  What else do you expect from a city that let the population get out of hand and provided virtually no control and monitoring.  Meanwhile people kept on building and breaking zoning laws.  The government was sadly asleep.

Sailing on a Faluka on the River Nile

There is something magical about sailing on a http://www.virtualtourist.com/travel/Africa/Egypt/Muhafazat_al_Qahirah/Cairo-2008750/Restaurants-Cairo-hard_rock_cafe-BR-1.htmlFaluka along the River Nile.

The River, like the ancient Pyramids, is magical.  The boat, historic and stable, felt calm and peaceful.

The faluka is Egypt's traditional sailboat.  The Nile is the world's longest river (4,000 miles long) and runs through nine African countries.

As we sail, enjoying the coziness of the boat, we see tall aquatic bullrushes along the majestic shoreline.

Although, my friend Aya and I made a very short excursion near the Hyatt Hotel (where we enjoyed hometown food at the Hard Rock Cafe, we felt as if we were experiencing a true adventure.  It was so magical, romantic and dreamy, all in one.

The Faluka is a wonderful, iron-strong boat, ready for any voyage, short or long.

The whole experience was a pleasant part of the trip that brought me to the mystique of the Pyramids, Hash Runners who became my band of runners and a peaceful night alone in a Saharan Sand Dune, reflecting life and death lessons the night my Grandma unexpectedly died.

Heading to the White Desert

Running in Cairo is very intriguing.  It's best to start early before dawn because the streets are so crowded and the air pollution starts getting bad.  There are very good places to run -- but my favorite is along the Nile.

Not to mention, that you put your life on the line everytime you cross a street.  Drivers don't know how to stop and they drive like they are on a mission to run someone down.

But still, the running bug has gotten ahold of me.  And Cairo or not, I'm going running to brave the streets, the horns, the smoke.

But tonight, I'm going to a place where there is no pollution, no congestion, and the only lights I see on earth is the white limestone cake icing glowing faintly in the moonlight.

The Great, Sacred Pyramids of Giza

Egypt boasts so many great wonders, unequaled in any other destination in the world. Cairo just doesn't boast the Pharaonic monuments. It is a cumulation of the legacies of the Greeks, Romans and early Christians and the profusion of art and architecture accumulated from centuries of successive Islamic dynasties.

There's nothing that compares to a visit to the Pyramids.  The Pyramids of Giza is the oldest tourist attraction in the world and the only remaining icon of the original Seven Wonders.


Must See in Person
Unfortunately, pictures do not do the Grand Pyramids any justice.  One has to actually visit them to fully appreciate the full height and breadth of beauty and mystique that it fully emanates -- the air of serenity, the amazing masterpiece of architecture rising in the shifting sands, its spectacular tomb glistering in the Egyptian sun.


Pyramids Integrated with the Sphinx
And you cannot look at the Pyramids by themselves.  Each lies within a group, connected and integrated with the Sphinx and with each other.


Worn and Weather Beaten
Unlike a visit to the Statue of Liberty or the Lincoln Memorial, the Pyramids is not well-polished or manicured.  In fact it is a little bit rough around the edges -- which makes it interesting and provides the irresistible allure that makes one feel that you are an Egpytological explorer uncovering hidden catacombs and ancient hieroglyphics.

Unexplored Caves
Makes one wonder whether an undiscovered network of labyrinths and catacombs full with new and exciting artifacts still exists today.

If you explore around on the western side, you can discover old caves tucked away from the public eye. If you scurry down a cave and follow the scent of musty lavender, you can find tombs where for thousands of years, carried the mummies of ancient Pharoaohs and Queens.


Hawkers
Yes, the Pyramids is definitely a tourist attraction like no other.  It is nearly impossible to enter the Pyramids without being accosted by an whole host of peddlers begging you to be your guide or offering a camelback ride.  All around the sands, there is camel dung everywhere as ubiquitous as the trinket hawkers and taxi peddlers.  But the Pyramids rises above these earthly digressions.  The scintillating Pyramids of Giza are bold and beautiful and full of artifacts to touch and discover beyond your wildest dreams.

Yes, even I could not resist the obligatory pose with a camel.

When I got there, the taxi driver was aggressive and misled me by dropping me off a hundred yards away in the midst of souvenir hawkers and camel ride sellers.

I finally pushed my way through the mess of scammers insisting that I wanted to see the Pyramids by myself, on my own and with my own eyes.  Read more about the scammers and hawkers

But eventually, the hawkers got the best of me, and I allowed this kid to take some interesting shots of me.  He even led me to this cave in which I explored with zeal and amazement.

Seeing the Pyramids, un-rushed with your own eyes, trying to understand how, why, and the reason they were built is the best way to fully appreciate its true grandeur.

Today, many people flock to the Great Pyramids to experience something spiritual. They go there to receive emotional healing -- they go there to receive wisdom.  Many come back feeling energetic, inspired.  How can one not visit the sacred grounds of Egypt and not be inspired, rejuvenated.

Mystery

The Great Pyramids have always been enshrouded in mystery.  Many famous individuals throughout history such as Alexander the Great, Napoleon and Sir Isaac Newton were mystified by the Pyramids.  Just looking at the Pyramids leave one in awe.  Were they built for architecture, mathematics or astrology? Do they provide any hidden information, or are they just a tomb to bury their admired ones.

Dying an Early Death in Cairo

By 6 AM, the thick cloud of smoke and dust has finally cleared allowing one to saunter out in the predawn darkness with some hope of running in tranquility.

Yes, there is danger lurking in Cairo. Just last year, an open-air hotel cafe packed with tourists in the Khan al-Khalili market experienced another deadly bomb blast, the second time in less than four years.  One needs to keep your head on a swivel here, but just about anywhere when traveling in foreign lands. (See Footnote)

Grand Pyramids

Oh Grand Pyramid that seems to be reaching straight up into the sky
The ancient Egyptians long ago constructed and built you upon high
We know the Egyptians believed that the soul transcended death
The view of the Nile and an ancient pyramid can catch one's breath.
The secrets of a ancient pyramid are revealed from deep inside this mysterious structure.

All mankind can learn from the ancient Egyptians about a pyramids great infrastructure.

My Adventurous Run with the Cairo Hash House Harriers

I had the great pleasure to run with Cairo Hash House Harriers during one of their weekly jaunts through the desert.  You meet people, have fun, do wild and crazy skits while trying not spill your beer, and perhaps most significantly, you get a chance to run out wild in the mountains and desert and see and breathe the real Egypt, as it was in the time of mythology and Hieroglyphics.

Hash House Harriers

Created with Admarket's flickrSLiDR.

King Tut and Oblivion

Reflecting:

It's amazing that just nearly 90 years ago, British archaeologist, Howard Carter, found the tomb of King Tut almost completely intact.

The discovery received worldwide press coverage and sparked a renewed public interest in ancient Egypt.

Today, Tutankhamun's burial mask remains the most popular symbol of his rule.

Understanding:

King Tut, who is also referred to as the boy king. King Tut became king at age 9 and died 10 years later.

Some Egyptologist speculate that King Tut was murdered pointing out to X-Rays showing hemorrhaging that prove this theory.

What is amazing is that with all the elaborate work and state-of-the-art science that was expended for his preservation burial, King Tut slipped quietly into oblivion, shortly after this death.

His burial ground was completely forgotten. Huts were even built over the burial entrance.

Navigating
 The ancient Egyptians, believed that creating an elaborate set of burial customs including mummification ensured immortality after death.  Wealthy Egyptians were buried with their treasure.

And shortly after their deaths, many of these Pharaohs were forgotten.  This example illustrates a point that when we die, we cannot take anything with us.

This sad truth reminds us that some material or worldly things are really not so valuable after all.

What's more important is the legacy we leave behind for our future generations.

Searching for Leads on Women's Rights

It all started with an innocuous email.  With four days to spare, I was surfing the Egyptian blogosphere for some good leads.  I found a great blog from an American woman who is married to an Egyptian and moved to Cairo in 2008.

Hi, 

I really like your blog. I'm in Cairo for only 4 days and would like to report on a story.  Do you have any ideas or leads?  

Thanks,

Chito

Hello,
Well personally, I don't have a story.  But why don't you research an angle of American women that move to Egypt and end up in an abusive relationship and how there is no outlet for them here to press charges or to get help.  A link that the American Embassy provides to report abuse leads you to an 800 number in the US.  I am not talking about myself, but I do have a good friend who is in this situation.


Now with a story idea, I was in search for a lead.   It was past midnight in Cairo, but I was madly on the hunt.


So I posted my status on Facebook.  Within minutes, Nicole from Alexandria (the other Alexandria in Virginia) responded back:

• Chito Peppler Nicole, I want to find out why women are being abused in Egypt and the government is turning a blind eye. 
  

  May 20, 2010 at 5:15pm · 

Nicole The Land Center for Human Rights, a Cairo-based non-governmental organization devoted to women's, children's and farmers' rights, published a report last month on violent crimes committed against women in 2009.

May 20, 2010 at 5:25pm ·

Chito Peppler Nicole, You're an invaluable resource. How did you know this.

May 20, 2010 at 5:32pm · 

Nicole research is my job.. and google!! I am assuming you have all the background you need. Is this for school, work, or personal? Or you can tell me but then you'd have to kill me?

May 20, 2010 at 5:44pm ·

Chito Peppler Your background got me started -- and I'm just getting started. This is for personal. I came to Cairo from Athens on a whim and someone in Cairo led me to this story. I know nothing about it, but now I'm not going to let it go. This story is more important than the Pyramids. Will you pls critique my video once it's made?

May 20, 2010 at 5:48pm ·

Nicole While you are there you should check out the pyramids. Yes, I'll check it out.

May 20, 2010 at 5:56pm · 

Chito Peppler You're awesome Nicole. I'm glad we're friends.

May 20, 2010 at 5:58pm ·

• 
  

The Grand Pyramids of Giza

The Grand Pyramids of Giza are so beautiful and defined even from my plane, several hundred feet up in the air -- what a wonderful way to greet this enchanting city of tombs and minarets.  In many ways, admiring the Grand Pyramids from the sky, provides a more incredible vantage point and leaves an indelible mark in your whole experience. Note the third pyramid is partially obstructed by the plane's wing.

After a last minute adjustment from Souda Bay, I was on my way to Egypt  -- Land of Eternity.


I could not believe how I got here.  I had booked a flight from Souda Bay to Cairo (via Athens) just two hours before the flight. Click here to read my travels in Greece.
It was all last minute, but it wasn't because I was disorganized or had failed to plan.  It was because spontaneity breeds adventure...