On 29th of March 2006 a total solar eclipse will be visible at the North Western corner of Egypt at the border town to Libya El Saloum. With 70% probability of sunshine and sandstorms unlikely to come at This time of the year, there is good chance to watch the shadow of the moon crossing The earth, which takes 2 hours and 40 minutes. The total eclipse is caused by the moon passing directly between the sun and the earth. At 12:38h the total eclipse will begin and will last for nearly 4 minutes ! The shadow of the moon is called “umbra“ and the halo of the sun is called “ corona”.

Map of the Western Desert
*The corridor of the umbra on the map of Western Egypt Eclipses were recognized and forecast by the ancient Egyptians as well by other sun centered cultures like the Mayas and Aztecs. It may be the most spectacular space event to be seen by humans.  Also you may see it only once in a life time, as there are only 70 eclipses per century * You can of see the path of totality in the picture below. The Bedouin inhabiting the Oasis of the Western Desert traditionally gathered on the street during a lunar eclipse. They beat drums and watts to scare of the shadow as it was thought to be a bad omen.

Path of the Total Eclipse

 

The ancient caravan route connecting Bahariya Oasis And Siwa Oasis is still one of the great road adventures In Egypt’s Western Desert as it is 420km of broken asphalt strip. But modern infrastructure is on the way, which will definitely Be a big change to the Western Desert, because it will be An easy connection between the new tourist resorts on the Mediterranean Northern Coast and the Oasis of the Western Desert. So my favorite “ road movie “ , which only can be done by 4WD as sand dunes are crossing the road, will be history. Might be a good reason to take the “ DARB SIWA “ soon before it is paved. The construction company Hassan M. Alam is executing their contract, which has to be completed until 1stof July 2008 to build an asphalt strip of two lines 11m wide. From Bahariya they done already 50km and from Siwa around 150km Of road preparation with two construction teams each consisting of around 150 workers, which are suppose to meet at the middle of track at Sitra Oasis. Also around Bahariya Oasis there will be a Ring Road around The center city of Bawiti of 11 km leading to a crossing at Gabal Hamad where the road to Cairo & Farafra & Siwa meet, very close To archaeological site K6, the so called “Valley of the Golden Mummies”. Travelers of the Western Desert can now obtain the permission with the help of a travel agent at the spot in Siwa instead of applying two weeks in advance in Cairo. The fees came down to US$ 10,- per person per day(More than10 Pax it will not exceed US$ 100,- ) Unfortunately the caravan route is officially open in one direction only, So please put that in your account when you are planning a trip Connecting Bahariya and Siwa that you should start off from Siwa ! Remark: Above mentioned info are might be subject to change without previous notice by the Egyptian military. Pls. ask me for up dates . Take care during the Rally in Sept. 06 Darb Siwa is closed (see below) As long as the racers are in the track !

WHITE DESERT NATIONAL PARK

Since 2003 The WHITE DESERT, located at the New Valley Governorate, is one of the protectorates / National Parks of Egypt. Also the rangers until today not really made an impact yet due to lack of funding, here is the good news : An NGO was formed in Farafra Oasis, which is just 50km from the White Desert, called “ EL HAYAT” to protect the environment of the Oasis Farafra and The White Desert. The General Manager is a native son of Farafra Oasis Mr. Saad Aly ( Badawiya Hotel & Safari) organized an official clean-up trip this June for 5 Days and more than 100 people participated voluntarily ! Thank you to all and we will be there next year again in June 2006. Inshallah.

Pharaons International Cross Country Rally 2005 Rallying through the Desert of Egypt since 1982 and from 1998 done by the Italian JVD ( the three Initials stand for 3 famous racing drivers Jacky & Vincente & Daniele) and by Flash Tours now for the third time. The TOTAL PHARAONS 2005 is now again a member not only of the FIM but also of the FIA (Federation International Automobiles), Which will help to attract more competitors as well as raiders ! More than 500 participants are expected this year for the only six stages Through the Western Desert covering 2100km from Cairo to Siwa Oasis and back, starting on 24th of Sept. until 2nd of Oct. 2005. Bahariya Oasis his hosting the big Rally camp twice on 26th and 30th of September and you guessed, the Int. Hot Spring Hotel is already full booked at these dates, because we are their Host Hotel at Bahariya Oasis. Have a look to their web sites www.jvd.it and here a preview what the “ Grand master “ himself about the Western Desert of Egypt :

 “To come with us in Egypt will not give you only the emotions of the desert, but also the discovery of remote villages next to precious unexplored archeological sites: a modern country which keeps the unharmed ancient charm, a feature among the most amazing in the world”. Jacky Ickx