Leaving Cairo
SUNDAY 22 March 1998, the time 0430, the place, the Windsor Hotel, Cairo. Today we would leave to travel across the Western Desert to the oasis town of Siwa. Simon, with whom I shared a room at the Windsor and indeed for the whole field study, and I quickly showered and dressed then made our way downstairs to the awaiting mini-bus that was to take us to our secluded destination.. We had decided to travel to Siwa in three different groups. Josey and Viv had set off the day before to check out the reservations and prepare for our arrival. We climbed aboard along with the other students that made up the field school contingency, waved goodbye to Dr. Brewer, Sean, Penny and Pauline who were setting out a little later than us, using the public transport bus to Siwa. Soon we were on our way, or so we thought.
We made good time out of Cairo and were soon speeding along the almost empty desert road to Mersa Matrou. Already we were feeling cramped, twelve students, two drivers and all of our baggage. Then came the next problem, about 200K from Mersa Matrou the bus suddenly stopped, it had broken down, something to do with a fuel pump. We got out and sat on some rocks just off the road while the drivers dismantled the engine. At first we were not too concerned and amused ourselves by playing checkers using melon pips and Simon’s checked shirt to play, some played football in the road and morale was high. After an hour during which the drivers had started to look a little worried, a lorry stopped and Sherif got a lift to try and get a mechanic.
As he left some of us voiced opinions that we were in trouble but Sara kept spirits high with her strong sense of humour. Another hour passed and Sherif returned with a mechanic, then another turned up, a sort of Egyptian AA service. Soon we were on our way again. When I awoke the desert had changed. It was much flatter and more desolate, not even any scrubby bushes. There was no other traffic passing us now. The sun was sinking rapidly in the sky to the west. The effect of the sunset was beautiful, fast and dramatic. The whole sky was a paint-box of colour splashes, then suddenly it was dark. The road dipped sharply as we entered the Quatara Depression and in the half-light I noticed that the desert had been replaced by lush vegetation and palm trees.
We drove to the town centre and disembarked for the short walk to our final destination, the Siwa Safari Paradise Camp. Everyone else had already arrived hours before us.The time was 2030, our journey across the Western Desert had taken fifteen and a half-hours
-Alan Williams