Travel: The Sinai Desert

Al Ahram Weekly (Amira El-Naqeeb)

Since the sweltering heat hasn't started yet, I asked myself what would be better than a desert safari. Since I couldn't think of anything better, I tracked down one of the most interesting trips, with an irresistible bargain.

Dahab was my target. We started our trip at eight in the morning. We were heading towards Al-Arda canyon, or the double canyon, as they call it. Both names valid, it lies 90km away from Dahab. The name Arda refers to a plant there, the only place in Sinai where it can be found. The plant changes colour during the summer into blue, sometimes grey, and is known amongst the Bedouins as a herbal medicine that cures asthma.

We arrived in the canyon around 9am. We were four: I, Lindsey and Tom, from England, and our guide Tamer Abdel-Alim. We started walking up the canyon; quite an easy hike. I was engaged in a conversation with Tom, and I did not notice any difficulty. It was as if my legs had a mind of their own, going up and down very smoothly. By the time the first part of the canyon had finished, the going up part, I did not even notice. I romped about for 10 minutes, inhaling as much fresh air as my lungs could take. The second part of the canyon was going down, and that is why it is called the double canyon. Going down was another story. "You look very adventurous, so I didn't want to tell you what was ahead," Abdel-Alim said teasingly.

I can't even describe what going down was like, but let me try.