YOGA & camping in the unusual White Desert of Egypt

When one thinks of the desert, the iconic image of a sea of yellow-orange, rolling sand dunes immediately comes to mind. Or at least, that is exactly what I had imagined for our desert camping trip in Egypt. Well, that is not the case for the western desert of Egypt. I was blown away by what unfolded in front of us as we drove through a spectacular scenery that my imagination could not have possibly created on its own. Black desert, white desert, cream desert...all so uniquely different, diverse and mysterious. I hope you enjoy these images!

I never thought I would dance, stretch and walk barefoot on a place immersed in such a complete silence, swallowed by these calming colors, leaving footsteps on the sand that used to be the bottom of the ocean 80 million years ago. I saw our footsteps and the tracks of our 4x4 disrupt the ripples on the sand. I saw a scarab beetle. Two scarab beetles. Three, four...always looking so busy, making their journeys back and forth into the abyss, like they know exactly what their purpose in life is. I saw the tracks of the white desert fox and imagined how adorable she must be.

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An immense silence existed in the desert among these extraordinary chalk formations. I heard no wind. No humans. No traffic. No birds. I heard nothing but this place. So many sand grains left in my hair from rolling and playing like a kid on these empty fields.

So we set up camp surrounded by these formidable formations. Under such a starry canopy at night. The moon was missing, an absence that allowed us to see Milky Way better, to see what we have forgotten in our city lives. I gave out a big scream at some point, when a cute, little, white, desert mouse came running to me while we were having dinner. The big fire kept us warm from the cold night temperatures. We ended the night sitting around the fire, telling jokes. As I was slipping in and out of consciousness fighting sleep, covered by a heavy camel blanket and starring at the infinitude of life in the cosmos above, I sank into a happy space with zero doubts about the meaning of life. I love when that happens! The silence continued throughout the night and the next day, when we woke up in the morning.

When you visit Egypt, do not miss a trip to this incredible place! It is a long and hot drive from Cairo, but it is a beautiful and mystical experience!

*All pictures taken by @fjorenca