Monday, November 15, 2010

Escape from tourists

Day 77 9 November 2010 Tuesday
Day 78 10 November 2010 Wednesday
Day 79 11 November 2010 Thursday
Day 80 12 November 2010 Friday

After 27 hours; one train and two busses and a strange night in Kharga Oasis (where the police felt they needed to shadow us for our “safety”) we arrived in Dakhla Oasis. Natural high aquifers in the midst of the western desert permitted agriculture to exist here for hundreds of years. It is feared that the limited water supply, extensive development of agriculture, and high modern pumping capabilities will exhaust the ground water resources within 20 years.








In the morning we visited old Al-Qasr village, a semi-abandoned mud brick warren of homes and narrow lanes. We were able to wander the pathways between crumbling 2-3 story 500 year old homes in virtual solitude.
 
Later that day we stopped at Mut Bir Talaata, (Mut Hot Spring #3), where for $2 you can sit by the hot spring pool at SolYMar chalets all day (and we didn’t see another tourist.)

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