Sand dunes or snow drifts?

The White Desert, the most beautiful part of the Western Desert, is about 6 hours southwest of Cairo and near the Farafra Oasis. The dunes are calcified bright white and sometimes look like snow banks covered with sand. (Have you seen sand scattered on snow banks next to highways to prevent snowdrifts during Illinois winters?)

After the long bus ride, we met our camel herd and rode into the desert for three days of camel riding and two nights of camping. The campsite photo shows a traditional Egyptian windbreak in the lower right with the large cooks' tent nearby. The days were clear and cool and the nights weren't actually very cold, though definitely jacket and sleeping bag weather. Lots of time after dark to hang around the campfire and listen to the music of the camel herders, complete with flute, drum and dancing.

Camels are a great way to lazily admire the awe-inspiring views and appreciate the peacefulness of the desert. Each step they take is noiseless. Riding several hours each day gives the opportunity to try unique saddles with several camels, and experience a variety of sandscapes. The camels are all female so there were at least a half dozen young ones scurrying to keep up. See the photo of Liz with high school friends.

The American Research Council of Egypt (ARCE) offers this trip Thanksgiving weekend featuring a turkey meal (boiled then grilled) on Thursday night. This is a perfect time of year to visit – earlier it's too hot and in the spring there are sandstorms.