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« Trip to Siwa Oasis: Day Two
Friday Feature: Liz Jasper »


March 27th, 2008
Trip to Siwa Oasis: Day Three

Our second (and last) full day in Siwa started with a visit to Gebel El Mawta (mountain of the dead). There were two very old Egyptian tombs we went into – the paintings were amazing (alas, no photos allowed) The rest of the mountain was honeycombed with Greco-Roman tombs.

Up we climbed…

I covered my head with a scarf against the sun and the blowing sand. The scarf was extremely slight weight (I could see through it) and really did help to keep to keep me cooler.

A view through a tomb at the top of the “mountain”

The views were spectacular. You can see the salt lake in the distance, date palms closer in.

You had to watch your step – every depression you see here was another tomb…
like this one.
Our next stop was the old Shali Fortress. This city was ancient, built somewhere around 1203. However, in 1926 there were three days and nights of rain. Due to the high salt content of the mud brick, the city began to wash away. The inhabitants were forced to move out and build new homes outside of the fortress. In spite of the fact that most of the buildings lack roofs and are very unstable, a few people still live there.

Views of the remains of Old Shali fortress

After a morning of climbing around, we stopped for lunch here. The restaurant was nothing special but I loved the sign next to the restaurant – there were several in town with this name. I wonder if he visited here??

After lunch, we drove out to Ain Shuruf, a natural spring about 30km from Siwa. Even the scenery along the way was amazing.

A hillside riddled with Greco-Roman tombs. Amazing to me, but merely a blip in the grand scheme of Egyptian history!

Some local boys visiting Ain Shuruf Spring

The water was so lovely I regretted not bringing my suit along!


Our last day away was spent on a bus as we drove back to Cairo in one shot – twelve hours!! It too had its interesting points. I was sitting there reading on my ebookwise book reader and got to chatting with an older man sitting across the aisle from me. He was so interested in my reader and the concept of ebooks that he’s planning on buying his own! Not only that, but after talking about books for a while, he confided that he’d recently read the Nora Roberts book “Birthright” and really enjoyed it. I just loaned him four more from my own collection. Always willing to do my part to woo more people to romance.

I’ve glossed over so many details of the history of the Siwa area. For a more detailed account you can visit this site.

Next month: Luxor and the Valley of the Kings. Can’t wait!!

Edited to add: In other news, my daugher’s Tamagotchi (virtual pet) got married and had a baby while we were away. Guess she’s doing something right :)

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This entry was posted on Thursday, March 27th, 2008 at 6:49 am and is filed under Life, Writing & Books, living in egypt, Travel. You can feed this entry. Both comments and pings are currently closed.

8 comments to “Trip to Siwa Oasis: Day Three”

  1. 1

    Fascinating trip, Jenyfer. Thanks so much for sharing. Most of my experiences with Egypt are via Elizabeth Peters’ novels, and they’re set in the Victorian era.

    by Terry Odell March 27th, 2008 at 2:35 pm
  2. 2

    Fabulous, Jenyfer! I love those pictures. You live such an interesting life!

    ~ Lise

    How much danger would you face for the perfect romance?

    Lise Fuller, http://www.lisefuller.com, http://www.myspace.com/lisefuller, ROMANTIC TIMES REVIEWERS CHOICE NOMINEE, 2006; Pikes Peak Romance Writers 2006 Author of the Year; Best Newsletter Article of the Year for 2006-Colorado Romance Writers

    ~On Danger’s Edge, available at Borders, Barnes & Noble and in e-book, Cerridwen Press, http://www.cerridwenpress.com, 4 1/2 Stars from Romantic Times
    ~Intimate Deceptions, available in e-book, Cerridwen Press, http://www.cerridwenpress.com, RECOMMENDED READS from Coffee Time Romance and Joyfully Reviewed
    ~Cutting Loose, available at Borders, Barnes & Noble and in e-book, Cerridwen Press, http://www.cerridwenpress.com

    by Lise Fuller March 27th, 2008 at 3:17 pm
  3. 3

    What a wonderful experience! Thank you for sharing the real Egypt with us.

    Ash

    by Ashlyn Chase March 27th, 2008 at 3:42 pm
  4. 4

    I am loving these posts! Great photos. I so want to go!

    ~Gemma

    by Gemma Halliday March 27th, 2008 at 10:33 pm
  5. 5

    You’re more than welcome to visit anytime, Gemma!

    by Jenyfer Matthews March 28th, 2008 at 11:36 am
  6. 6

    These are awesome photos, Jenyfer!
    I can feel the heat just looking at some of them.

    by Shelley Munro March 28th, 2008 at 7:56 pm
  7. 7

    It was hot in Cairo while we were away as well but has cooled off in the last couple of days. A last taste of spring before summer officially arrives!

    by Jenyfer Matthews March 28th, 2008 at 9:02 pm
  8. 8

    Great pictures Jen

    by Mona Risk March 29th, 2008 at 2:46 am


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