A Bedouin Experience

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,Here we are racing across a desert in Egypt in a jeep towards the Red Sea Mountains. It is a bit of a bumpy and hair raising ride but Magid our driver has assured us that he has spent the last 15 years being a desert driver. He drives very fast and we hang on for dear life but I do note that he does, even at this high speed ,avoid the rocks on the way. We are in a convoy of four jeeps supported by a police vehicle. We are already way ahead of the others but our guy goes for it and soon we arrive at a Bedouin encampment at the base of the mountains. Our guide Abdhulla who was in our jeep takes us down to a well where a lady has just finished doing her washing and laid it over the rocks. He drops the bucket into the well and brings up clear water from about 40 meters below which tastes a bit salty. We go into the Bedouin camp where we are welcomed by a tribe of local musicians who also do a sort of whirling dhervish dance. We are given the local tea, by a little boy, in tiny metal cups after which we watch two ladies in black roll out dough on a stone and when it is thin enough they roast it over a fire. It tastes like a pancake. After this great feast we have a camel ride. Mine is a 10 year old camel called Suzu and I think she is pretty for a camel. I am just pleased that I manage to stay upright as she lurches up on her legs to set off ! After this it is time to leave and the local band play away as we board our jeeps for our journey back across the desert. "You are brave to taste the tea bread and water "I hear you say. As it was I suffered the consequences that evening which kept me in the cabin and missing dinner. Fortunately it was for 24 hours then I was fine.

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