Egypt: Black, White and Crystal Deserts6

~The Black, White, and Crystal Deserts~

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EGYPT, WHITE DESERT NATURAL "MUSHROOM" MASTERPIECE

~ *THE ENERGIES*	~ *CAIRO*	~ *MEMPHIS, SAQQARA AND GIZA*
~ *ABU SIMBEL, ASWAN AND THE NILE*		~ *PHILAE, KOM OMBO AND EDFU*
~ *VALLEY OF THE KINGS, LUXOR AND KARNAK*		~ *ABYDOS AND DENDERA*
~ *MOUNT SINAI AND SAINT CATHERINE'S*		~ *BLACK, WHITE AND CRYSTAL DESERTS*

Visit: BLACK DESERT PHOTO GALLERY

Visit: WHITE DESERT PHOTO GALLERY

Visit: CRYSTAL DESERT PHOTO GALLERY

~ THE BLACK, WHITE AND CRYSTAL DESERTS~

I have sought to discover the type of rock that comprised the desert “mushrooms”. Different sources have described them as chalk, limestone, and calcium. It will suffice to simply remember them as stunningly beautiful. It is wondrous that the harsh elements could create such finely sculpted forms. The White Desert is a place like no other; a place where nature has created its own unique masterpiece.

Our guides had mentioned several times a “crystal desert”, and each time that they did I voted to go there. The last day of our desert excursion, I was not disappointed. As usual, we broke camp in the White Desert after breakfast and began our day’s travel without a word as to where we were going. I knew that we would see the Golden Mummies sometime this day, but I had no idea the travel time to their location. We spent some time on paved roads, and then turned off-road at a spot that had no sign or other tire tracks. My interest was piqued.

There were no landmarks, yet our driver clearly knew his way. We did get stuck in some extremely deep sand, but he expertly got us out of it without too much effort. After a fairly long drive in quite isolated stretches of desert, we stopped and were motioned to disembark. It’s hard to describe just how stunning this place was. Crystals literally grew out of the sand like sharp teeth on the desert floor. There was an actual mountain of crystal beside us. It was difficult to walk, because it seemed improper to simply trod on the crystals that covered the sand of the desert.

They appeared to be calcite, though the Egyptian deserts also hold quartz formations. Our friend picked up and threw a crystal; our guide admonished him. This was an area of exceptionally high vibration, and it deserved great respect. I stood still taking this sacred site into my heart. I did not touch any crystals, until I noticed a large one that was rounded on one end, and came to almost a point on the other. It was rather striated, and it beckoned me to it. I clearly heard that this one wanted to go back to America with me. Wow, what an honor. It was quite heavy, well over five pounds! I also heard that several smaller crystals wanted to come back to Sedona to be gifted to other lightservers. They are now all over the country, in the hands of the right people. They assist me in my healing sessions, also. We were flying high when we left this sacred place to see the Golden Mummies.

As we came to a stop outside of what seemed to be a school, our driver overcompensated and hit his brakes with the force needed to stop us in the sand. Without seatbelts in the back seat, we went flying, and I bruised my shoulder. Our friend started yelling at our guide, and the anger that we were so often exposed to in Egypt broke us out of our revelry somewhat. Mistakes do happen. I would be OK.

The Golden Mummies were fascinating, though kept in a large school-like building in old cases with no climate control. This was appalling to us, but may have been explained by the fact that as many as 10,000 of these specimens may exist buried here in a huge cemetery in the Bahariya area. The 2,000 year old remains that we saw were astounding. The art that decorated the mummy’s chest collars and headdresses appeared familiar and even colorfully childlike. It looked like it had been painted yesterday. The expressions depicted were warm and friendly and real. Even the sarcophagi had realistic imagery. They were delightful, and much less formidable than the pharaoh’s burial regalia that seemed more intended to honor the gods than the deceased. Visiting the Golden Mummies felt like a wonderful end to our magical desert excursion.

EGYPT, CRYSTAL DESERT

Making our way to our guide's town to catch our van back to Cairo, we made one more unscheduled stop. A short drive off of the main road took us to a small pond in the desert where children were playing with a bright yellow ball. I wasn’t sure if this lush area actually constituted an oasis, considering its small size. The young ones were very pleased to pose for a photo, and their joy was contagious. The children were barefoot and dressed in more native than western clothing, and seemed happy and balanced in their rural environment. We boarded our Land Cruiser content, and tired, with bellies that by this time were quite upset and unsettled. As we left our guide’s home, we thanked him profusely for his time and effort. He, and his assistant, were most excellent desert guides.

We had another day or two in Egypt before departing for three weeks in India. We had a marvelous encounter with several groups of young people in the Cairo Museum on our last full day in the country. They enjoyed practicing their English in conversations with me, and one young lady and I really connected. The rest of the girls in her group tittered as she approached me several times to speak. All of the kids were shy and polite and I will always remember them. The last encounter we had was with two boys about 12 years old. One asked me if I though that his country was beautiful. After my time in the deserts, I did not hesitate to reply: “yes, it is very beautiful”. I saw his eyes fill with tears. Mine did, also, as I savored this precious and timeless moment of connection while surrounded by Egypt’s most priceless historical treasures. Who could say which was worth more?

EGYPT, DESERT YOUTH

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