And suddenly the great depression appears

And suddenly, the great depression appears. Not a sign of life. Not even a bird, a fly, a blade of grass. But the depression there is a majestic splendour, not an economic horror. Of sand yellow and white salt, lined with cliffs that are old coast and taking the allure of huge stone vessels abandoned by sea since millions of years, under a sky blue steel, where walkers soon become the points lost in the vast mineral. Old coves to cut one after the other, to the unhurried pace of the March. Soon, a high cliff rises, pierced holes of ancient tombs where exist some human bones. Two 4 4 joined the caravan of the marchers. The motorized Bedouin out carpets, light up the stove, preparing a delicious omelet soon devoured in the shadow of the cliff cemetery...

Two million Palm trees

We are at the entrance of the great depression of Qattara, 60 metres below the level of the sea, Northwest of Egypt, on a mild day in late fall. It took to fly to Alexandria, a road along the Mediterranean, crossing 300 kilometers of desert of stone in the oasis of Siwa, which leave from numerous walks. Believe our Coptic guide, the French choose walking, German 4 4, the Swiss camels, Italian motorcycle and the English sport lodge in lodge. Being French, as well as our adventure land tour, we walk!

Finally, step all the time... To visit Siwa and its 2 million Palm trees, the bike is preferable. Discovery of the Palm Grove, with the joy of eating dates on the tree, and the temple of Alexander the great, swimming in a source which is would be soaked Cleopatra, rise of a small mountain to 400 graves. From there, we see the oasis. On the one hand, the cliff of a small depression. On the other, the dunes. Behind, a huge Lake. Light descends gently.

In the early morning, the walk begins. The oasis is soon behind us. It disappears at the third dune as the wave of the mobile phone. There are more than sand, sand dunes to climb and fall, endless sweets heights tirelessly redesigned by the wind, time passing... The desert is changing all the time. Huge stone plateaux appear. The landscape becomes strangely Lunar. In a downturn, a little further, reeds surround a pond. At the edge, thousands of shells of oysters and clams. Our ancestors who lived here, when he was still the sea, had only an Oyster knife

Still a dune and we arrive in a small oasis. A few trees, reeds, one or two snakes which fled, a slightly sulphur hot source. It would be excessive to speak of clear water. But after four hours sweat, person resists the temptation. This is the desert of surprises: two baths in two days.

The dead mountain

The next day, 4 4 takes us this time around to Ouattara. Before the great depression, we're going to another mountain to the dead, lost in the garden. Again, tombs explored for centuries by looters. It bypasses the mountain. Strips are perfectly preserved in very dry air. No, this is not possible! But if: it is indeed a mummy freshly out of land that is at our feet. Sandwiched strips. Only his skull is visible. The atmosphere changes suddenly in the small group. As if discovering condemned us at the divine wrath. And this is not finished.

Here, much other tombs had not yet been opened. It remains still well mummies out, hope jewelry, curses to be feared. One night in the desert will bring back calm. There is nothing more sumptuous than of falling asleep in the sand, by a small wind, under a starry canopy down to the horizon.