We booked an overnight safari into the desert from our hotel, the Keylani. Our driver was Hamada, a quiet and friendly Bedouin man. We left at about 2PM in his early 90’s 4×4 and headed out of the lush greenery of the Siwa Oasis. Just before the road ended, Hamada let half of the air out of each of the tires. Soon we were cruising through the sand and coming up on several gorgeous dunes. I was pretty comfortable and enjoying the scenery. He stopped by a steep one and invited us to get out and venture up it for the view. We climbed up the soft sand with our bare feet and sat right on the perfectly wind-sculpted ridge for a fantastic panorama view. It was hard to believe we weren’t very far from town with dunes for miles in all shapes, sizes, and patterns. The natural beauty and sense of timelessness out there was overwhelming and unforgettable.

Back in the 4×4, Hamada tried to entertain us a little with his driving. He would swerve the wheel around the bottom of a dune, and we’d slide sideways in the sand as he would pull the wheel the other way and do it on the other side, hitting the gas at all the right times. After a big one he’d turn all the way around and smile at us. What else could we do but throw him a large grin in return?

We pulled up to an area the size of a football field of fossilized rock from when the desert used to be under the ocean (how cool is that?). Some of the rock was loose enough to pick up, and we kept a few nice shells. After that Hamada upped the ante again by driving up a very steep dune, letting gravity do its work on the top, then sliding us straight down the equally steep other side. The first time I was so tense and braced myself, but by the last time I could enjoy it comfortably.

Suddenly we saw some small clusters of palm trees and tall grasses, and we were coming up on the Bir Wahed hot spring and cold lake. About 20 other tourists were there with their guides, too. A big group pulled up of people over age 65 and I wondered if they had the same driving experience plowing around the dunes. Probably not. The hot spring was relaxing and the lake pretty but too cold to swim in. The sun was sinking fast, so after a dip we cruised around looking for a clear view. On a high hill we watched the colors and shadows change with the setting sun.

Hamada drove us about 20 minutes away to a big fenced-in area with a couple of small buildings and a big tent. He built a fantastic fire then disappeared to cook dinner. We got warm and watched the stars slowly appear as it got darker and darker. After being in Kyoto for two years, we forgot how much we love a clear starry night not obstructed by city lights. I can’t remember the last time I’d seen the Milky Way, and it was breathtaking from the desert, not to mention a few shooting stars. After a long time of waiting, Hamada came out to grill 4 chicken halves over the fire. Then he brought out big bowls of vegetable stew, salad, and rice. It was delicious. We fell asleep quickly in the cozy tent, and headed back to Siwa early the next morning.