Siwa Oasis, Egypt

The ancient fortress of Siwa, in the middle of Siwa town.

These photos bring back loads of memory. I am feeling just so thrilled about all the places I have set foot, having flashbacks about the rooms I have stayed at only USD1 in Nepal. Riding the camel into Bedouin villages in Egypt, witnessing the ceremonial slaughtering of the herd of cows for a mass village funeral in Sulawesi. Staying on top of a buffalo shack in the mountains of Nepal and being in Dalai Lama's monastery in Dharamsala without having the slightest idea that that place existed but I was led there nevertheless. Oh, all these are just memories I treasure. In the quietest moments when these flashbacks occurred, they all bring a twitch on my mouth to expand into a smile that exudes the feelings of satisfaction and whole. 

Heaps of pita bread loaded on a cart pulled by donkeys.

Looking at the photos taken in Siwa Oasis, Egypt, ignites that feeling of awe mixed with joy and freedom. It is like suddenly there appear in front of me a wide open space with blue skies, trees that have wide umbrella-like branches full of green wide leaves. Stretching right in front is undulating plains of green green fields, while I run across the fields with wide stretched open arms, my small face lifted up towards the blazing sun, feeling the warmth on my lips, my cheeks, my brows, feeling the wind in every cell in my body, and invoke the lightness as if I am taking flight. Yeah, that kind of feeling, the feeling like you have achieved something so great you can just flap your wings and know that you can just take off to the sky and fly.

Olives and dates, palm trees are abundant in Siwa

When I first heard of Oasis, reading about them in my geography books, I thought that oasis is just a puddle of water in the vast dry desert. Nothing in sight, no buildings, no people, perhaps just a few palm trees. Then nothing. Just windy and sandy as far as the eyes can see, just brown sand dune undulating towards the horizon. I thought that was what an oasis supposed to be.


And perhaps I had watched some old movies like the Lawrence of Arabia or Sinbad, where the views of slim curvy-shaped ladies in colorful silk arabian "wrap-arounds" like I-dream-of-Jeannie kind, they all swayed to the beat of the enchanting music while gyrating her steps to get water from the oasis. Then walk seductively with a jar of water over her head, tracing her steps back to her tent. That was what I had in my mind all these years. Funny, isn't it? how I can conjure up an image which is not true but based on what I was shown to believe. It must be the magic of TV.

A mud brick house with beautiful kid beaming from their window

The bus from Alexandria took 9 hours to arrive at Siwa Oasis. If someone comes from Cairo, they will usually break their journey in Alexandria after a 3-hour bus ride from Cairo. It was an air-cond bus so the windows can be shut while the dust and sand piled upon us all the way. 

There were not many tourists in Siwa Oasis. Local people ply the route from Alexandria to Siwa Oasis because of commerce, the buying and selling of goods. It was a surprise to find so many fresh produce from Siwa Oasis. 

It was truly an eye-opener for me to see so many colorful fruits and vegetables in an oasis. I thought they only export dates and olives. They also supply mineral water bottled by a factory a few miles away from town.


I learned that they have an airport there already. So, Siwa Oasis is more accessible now. Looking for an adventure?

Fresh produce in the market every morning. Bustling activities.

Take a trip to see an oasis and feel the adventure as was so fondly told in all 1,001 Eqyptian tales.