A night with the Bedouins

Posted by admin on May 9th, 2010 filed in General

There is nothing friendly about arriving in the Sinai desert late in the evening. The bus ride from Cairo is 7 hours long and uncomfortable. The sandy mountains that gleamed in the daylight become black blocks in an otherwise dark and desolate environment. Before arriving in the city of St. Catherine’s, a collection of mud brick huts a stone’s throw away from where Moses received the Ten Commandments from God, our bus was stopped a half-dozen times for inspection of our passports. When the bus finally arrived near the city center, and after we disembarked, we really had no idea where we were or how we would find a hotel at this advanced hour. The guidebook was of no use because I wasn’t even sure where I was in relation to the map, and the suggested hotels were far from the city.

Some Swiss travelers had rode with us and were waiting for their bags. I chatted them up, and luckily they had arranged a stay at a nearby Bedouin camp and were to be picked up shortly. The camp was not listed in any of our three guidebooks on Egypt, but we decided to rely on the strategy of “when in doubt, ask fellow travelers.”

Within a few minutes we arrived at a walled enclave. The Bedouins carried our bags in and showed us a large, clean room with three beds and a private bathroom. The beds were just mattresses lying on the ground, but they were made up nicely, and more importantly, they looked warm as it was quite cold in the desert. The bathroom was adequate, also clean, but not a place I would want to shower.

What really sold us on staying there was the Bedouin tent just a few steps away. Decorated in vibrant colors, filled with pillows, a fire pit, and offering protection from the wind, this seemed to be the perfect place to relax, unwind, and smoke some flavored tobacco, otherwise known as Sheeshah, Hookah, or “Hubbly-Bubbly.” We negotiated a price of about $15 USD for the night, placed our bags, and made our way to the tent. We were quite hungry as we had not eaten since breakfast, so we ordered a meal from the camp cook, Mohammed. It was something like spaghetti, but homemade and very tasty, and the meat was most likely not meat, but falafel. It came accompanied with a bowl of Arab salad: tomatoes and cucumbers with fresh spices and herbs. Everything was quite healthy and delicious. We warmed our feet and rested for another hour or so, sharing travel stories and blowing smoke. The camp owner, Sheik Musa and his assistant joined in the discussion and were quite interesting, telling jokes, fighting over camels, and filling us in on their Bedouin ways. They expressed their love for the desert and of meeting new people. Both were dressed in simple robes and head scarves, and were extremely relaxed and good-natured.

The desert is completely dark, and the amount of stars you can see are beyond the comprehension of a city-dweller like me. Except for the occasional wind gust, it is completely silent. This can be somewhat unnerving as you lay in the silence while trying to fall asleep, but once dreaming there is very little to disturb you.

We awoke early, shortly after the sun, and summoned the will to get out from under our six layers of blankets as the air was still quite cold. Once outside though, we were warmed by the bright desert sun. The sandy mountains had returned in all their glory, accentuated by the bright blue sky.

The Bedouin insisted on cooking us breakfast. Along with coffee we had scrambled eggs, a massive bowl of farmer’s cheese and fresh bread. After finishing, we set off for Saint Catherine’s monastery, a 5 kilometer walk through town and up the mountain road.

Upon returning several hours later, we again headed to the tent to read and check our email (Bedouin’s have wi-fi, who knew?). Sheik Mussa came by to chat and tell us more about his operation. He offers overnight desert tours, ATV treks, and pretty much anything else you could want. He admired my netbook, which I had brought along for its small size and to aid my journaling. The Sheik offered me twice what I paid in cash, explaining that imported electronics were very expensive in Egypt. I had to decline the offer, but not before snapping a few pictures of him with the built in webcam while he gave the netbook a test drive.

I then received a tour of the adjoining properties, all of which were owned by the Sheik and rented out to a small grocery store, a barbershop, warehouses and other vendors. I had a shave at the barbershop, and then headed back to the camp to pack. All said, we very much enjoyed our stay at the Bedouin camp. The sheik and his assistant made an otherwise unfriendly and unforgiving desert a pleasurable place to stay. Their sincerity and warmness are part of what makes getting out of the city such a wonderful experience.

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