It’s just about at the end of the ‘riding around in the desert looking at things’ season, in fact I cut it so fine this weekend is supposed to be 42 degrees. So I thought I’d have a last ride round and look at something.
About an hour and a half south of Cairo is a town called Fayoum. The town has one or two things to see but in reality it’s quite a smelly, dirty place. But nearby are several places of interest.
The first is a protected area called Wadi el Rayan. Here there are two large lakes, a third since dried up.
It is a very beautiful area and is very popular for a weekend trip –
http://www.touregypt.net/featurestories/wadielrayan.htm
I left the main road and headed off towards the lakes, first going past the construction of a new canal/drainage channel, probably to irrigate nearby desert in an attempt to make it fertile –
About an hour and a half south of Cairo is a town called Fayoum. The town has one or two things to see but in reality it’s quite a smelly, dirty place. But nearby are several places of interest.
The first is a protected area called Wadi el Rayan. Here there are two large lakes, a third since dried up.
It is a very beautiful area and is very popular for a weekend trip –
http://www.touregypt.net/featurestories/wadielrayan.htm
I left the main road and headed off towards the lakes, first going past the construction of a new canal/drainage channel, probably to irrigate nearby desert in an attempt to make it fertile –
Then I passed nothing more than a sign informing you of the park area –
The road then carried on through the deserted desert –
As I stopped to take the photo I saw off to the other side of the road a nice little track into the sand.
I wondered if I headed out that way I could cut the corner off the road and eventually hit the track leading to where I was initially destined within the protectorate, Wadi Hitan, the Valley of the Whales.
So I turned off, past this nice little rock –
So I turned off, past this nice little rock –
A quick look back to get my bearings and orientation in case I need to return this way -
Straight on, why not. Then heading for the big rock. Then onto the main track leading to the valley -
I paid the entrance fee, 15 Egyptian pounds and set off.
For many years after the initial excavations here you could just drive round in your car and look at things.
It took, allegedly, two car loads of Belgian diplomats to cock this up when several years ago they rode round and drove across some of the fossils caused what was estimated as several million Euros worth of damage.
Now, and for the better anyway, you have to walk.
But what is it?
In simple terms it’s a dry valley with whale fossils. But in reality it is much more than that, especially if you have a sense of history, geography and biology.
Initially part of an ancient sea, it began to dry out as more and more water became trapped at the poles as the weather cooled. Marshes formed, the land appeared, beaches came and went, even mangrove swamps were there. Eventually the sea receded to the north leaving the area high and dry.
Then it rained cutting into the rock, then when it decided to stop raining and the area dried up completely, the wind whipping up the sand etched it further.
How come all the whale fossils in one place?
No-one is sure.
Some feel that the prevailing winds blew dead water life to the area as there are not just whales but turtles and many other sea creatures. They became lodged among the islands and swamps.
Others think the area was very fertile and it had just a high population of marine life, so a proportion was preserved.
Who knows.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wadi_Al-Hitan
One of the attractions is not just the fossils, but the 4km walk through the rocks as well. Here is a selection of many photos I took and you’ll see not only the fossils but preserved mangrove swamp roots as well as some dramatic scenery –
For many years after the initial excavations here you could just drive round in your car and look at things.
It took, allegedly, two car loads of Belgian diplomats to cock this up when several years ago they rode round and drove across some of the fossils caused what was estimated as several million Euros worth of damage.
Now, and for the better anyway, you have to walk.
But what is it?
In simple terms it’s a dry valley with whale fossils. But in reality it is much more than that, especially if you have a sense of history, geography and biology.
Initially part of an ancient sea, it began to dry out as more and more water became trapped at the poles as the weather cooled. Marshes formed, the land appeared, beaches came and went, even mangrove swamps were there. Eventually the sea receded to the north leaving the area high and dry.
Then it rained cutting into the rock, then when it decided to stop raining and the area dried up completely, the wind whipping up the sand etched it further.
How come all the whale fossils in one place?
No-one is sure.
Some feel that the prevailing winds blew dead water life to the area as there are not just whales but turtles and many other sea creatures. They became lodged among the islands and swamps.
Others think the area was very fertile and it had just a high population of marine life, so a proportion was preserved.
Who knows.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wadi_Al-Hitan
One of the attractions is not just the fossils, but the 4km walk through the rocks as well. Here is a selection of many photos I took and you’ll see not only the fossils but preserved mangrove swamp roots as well as some dramatic scenery –
So after making my way, hot and tired back to the safety of my car, I set off for a ride around the area –
Not a lot to see, methinks –
Not a lot to see, methinks –
Then I come across –
I have a drive round it, start heading back to the main track after wondering, “Hmm, I wonder what is over there...." –
But then, instead of looking in the distance, look at my feet.
Oooo, what nice little rocks, volcanic methinks again –
Oooo, what nice little rocks, volcanic methinks again –
Now I’m getting pretty hungry, so I find a convenient parking spot and pull over. Fortunately unmetered and no traffic wardens anywhere –
So it’s salmon sandwiches, cold coke and a packet of crisps. Luxury. And what a view point –
I drop back across the entrance to the Valley, can’t be bad navigating then. Make my way to a nice camping area I’d spotted before and checked it out with a view to staying there –
The day is still early though, so, back to the Lake –
Found a nice spot to park up –
The reason for the walk was to do an ‘anorak’ thing called Geocaching. Simply it’s like a treasure hunt. Someone will hide a little container, put the coordinates on a website, and you have to find it. They are all over the world and I bet one is near you.
You put a little thing in, take something out, log your visit and re-hide it. The fun is in the finding. Here is the one nearby –
You put a little thing in, take something out, log your visit and re-hide it. The fun is in the finding. Here is the one nearby –
I made my way around the lake to where it is close by a second lake. The second one is at a lower elevation than the first and this has resulted in a couple of small waterfalls. These are famous as a rarity in Egypt and have been the setting for numerous scenes in films, usually where they need a romantic moment between the leading man and his lady love.
Unfortunately they are popular tourist spot. Egyptian tourist spot –
Unfortunately they are popular tourist spot. Egyptian tourist spot –
But, and this is the bane of my life, wherever there are people they have a habit of despoiling the land. No wonder I prefer the desert. We are usually taught not to drop litter. My question is, are Egyptians? Or are they taught but can’t be bothered?
If I turn around from taking a picture of the falls, what do I see? –
Litter everywhere –
If I turn around from taking a picture of the falls, what do I see? –
Litter everywhere –
I beat a hasty retreat.
There is a ‘visitors centre’ as well. But after finding all the doors locked, I decided a cunning plan.
If I drove just out of the protectorate, the other entrance/exit wasn’t too far away, I could have an early dinner at a convenient restaurant down by another part of the lake, then slip back in again and drive smartish back to the camping site before the sun set.
But, as usual, I failed to account for the variable restaurant service taking up precious time. I ended up sitting though in a very nice spot, trying out my sunset picture skills overlooking the lake, then just as it disappeared I paid the bill (barley soup, Arabic bread, butter, tomato/cucumber/lettuce/onion salad, tabbouleh, tahini, rice, French fries, half chicken, coke, two lemon juices, fruit salad, Nescafe with milk) 55LE, approx 7.60 Euro and slipped away back to the desert –
There is a ‘visitors centre’ as well. But after finding all the doors locked, I decided a cunning plan.
If I drove just out of the protectorate, the other entrance/exit wasn’t too far away, I could have an early dinner at a convenient restaurant down by another part of the lake, then slip back in again and drive smartish back to the camping site before the sun set.
But, as usual, I failed to account for the variable restaurant service taking up precious time. I ended up sitting though in a very nice spot, trying out my sunset picture skills overlooking the lake, then just as it disappeared I paid the bill (barley soup, Arabic bread, butter, tomato/cucumber/lettuce/onion salad, tabbouleh, tahini, rice, French fries, half chicken, coke, two lemon juices, fruit salad, Nescafe with milk) 55LE, approx 7.60 Euro and slipped away back to the desert –
The next morning saw me up bright and early, kit packed away, quick cup of coffee and away before it got too hot again.
I was aiming to get to one place, but as it is here, there are that many ancient sites it is easy to drop across one you, and most people, have never heard of. It could well be a place that in many other countries would be fenced off, preservation notices, tour guides, postcards, the full nine yards. But part of the Egyptian mentality is playing it cool - sort of – ‘Oh yeah, we’ve got one of them. It’s around here somewhere. If you find it just have a walk round, it’ll be no problem.’
So as I’m slipping around a few desert tracks I see off to my right a building. Thinking it’s not much I ignore it until the method of building suddenly hits me. It’s of big stone blocks, so I turn up the path towards it and stop –
I was aiming to get to one place, but as it is here, there are that many ancient sites it is easy to drop across one you, and most people, have never heard of. It could well be a place that in many other countries would be fenced off, preservation notices, tour guides, postcards, the full nine yards. But part of the Egyptian mentality is playing it cool - sort of – ‘Oh yeah, we’ve got one of them. It’s around here somewhere. If you find it just have a walk round, it’ll be no problem.’
So as I’m slipping around a few desert tracks I see off to my right a building. Thinking it’s not much I ignore it until the method of building suddenly hits me. It’s of big stone blocks, so I turn up the path towards it and stop –
The most info I could find, after finding out the name of the place, is here –
http://egyptopia.com/Qasr+el-Sagha+Temple_30_100_26_11564_1962_en.html
“Although its date is not yet identified, the temple's plan indicates that it was erected at the Middle Kingdom”
That’s between 2080 BC and 1640 BC.
It’d be old then.
Nice view down to the lake -
http://egyptopia.com/Qasr+el-Sagha+Temple_30_100_26_11564_1962_en.html
“Although its date is not yet identified, the temple's plan indicates that it was erected at the Middle Kingdom”
That’s between 2080 BC and 1640 BC.
It’d be old then.
Nice view down to the lake -
So, I found another one of the ‘Geocache’ things out there, so someone must’ve found the building before me –
Set off again through the desert and eventually saw in the distance where I was originally heading for, another lesser known but impressive site –
Saw the sign at the entrance – not too informative –
But I’d already primed myself a bit as to what it was all about.
http://www.touregypt.net/featurestories/dimeh.htm
“Dimeh al-Siba, Dimeh of the Lions, was a Ptolemaic city believed to be founded by Ptolemy II in the third century BC, on a site that shows evidence of habitation from the Neolithic period. Today, it is more isolated, but during Ptolemaic times it was at the shore of the much larger lake, situated at the edge of Moeris Bay and the beginning of the caravan routes into the Western Desert.
The town served as a port, and was perhaps at one time located on an island, judging by its Ptolemaic name Soknopaiou Nesos, meaning Island of Soknopaios (from the Egyptian Sobek-en-Pai). However, some scholars maintain that it was in fact never an island. Today, the site is 65 meters higher and 2.5 kilometers beyond the water's edge.”
So I went for a walk.
Extremely impressive mud brick walls enclosed buildings made of stone blocks.
There were even irrigation or sewage channels through some of the buildings.
The stone buildings encased in a better dressed stone and the brick ones also within the walls had crude plaster inside the rooms –
http://www.touregypt.net/featurestories/dimeh.htm
“Dimeh al-Siba, Dimeh of the Lions, was a Ptolemaic city believed to be founded by Ptolemy II in the third century BC, on a site that shows evidence of habitation from the Neolithic period. Today, it is more isolated, but during Ptolemaic times it was at the shore of the much larger lake, situated at the edge of Moeris Bay and the beginning of the caravan routes into the Western Desert.
The town served as a port, and was perhaps at one time located on an island, judging by its Ptolemaic name Soknopaiou Nesos, meaning Island of Soknopaios (from the Egyptian Sobek-en-Pai). However, some scholars maintain that it was in fact never an island. Today, the site is 65 meters higher and 2.5 kilometers beyond the water's edge.”
So I went for a walk.
Extremely impressive mud brick walls enclosed buildings made of stone blocks.
There were even irrigation or sewage channels through some of the buildings.
The stone buildings encased in a better dressed stone and the brick ones also within the walls had crude plaster inside the rooms –
I spy the road, Roman no doubt, that led down to the lake –
Went back to the car and set off. Now then, should I go this way, or the other way –
Eeny meeny miny mo, I headed towards the ridge line –
After an uneventful journey back to Fayoum I spied the oasis –
Then returned to the tarmac and back to Cairo.
And that’ll probably do me for this season.
I’ll have to spend the summer looking at where I can go next.
And that’ll probably do me for this season.
I’ll have to spend the summer looking at where I can go next.