Day 125: Black Desert, Egypt

There comes a point when you've had your fill of monuments.  You know that the temple you are looking at is a stunning example of craftsmanship, labour and artistic achievement, but it's all so samey.  It's a bit like the cathedral fatigue you get in Europe.  It's not to say that you don't appreciate it, it's just time to move on to something different.

In Egypt, that means heading out into the desert.  The vast expanse of sand and rock that covers around 90% of the country and forces almost all of its population to live in the narrow, fertile strip alongside the Nile and within the delta.

As amazing as Egypt's great monoliths are, they are surpassed in power and majesty by its endless deserts. Our first trek takes us out into the Black desert- so named because of its volcanic heritage which has left much of the desert floor and mountains covered with black rocks.

There's two things which I find astounding about some people's attitudes when travelling.  The first is people who travel to places like the Middle East or South East Asia, and then complain about the inadequacy of the facilities- the toilets aren't good enough, the hotels aren't nice enough, there isn't enough vegetarian food.  The second is people who, having made it halfway round the world, won't make any effort to really make the most of the time.  And so I am astounded when, having travelled the best part of a whole day over uncomfortable roads, enduring the choking desert heat and meaningless checkpoints, most of the travel group would rather sit around at camp than climb a small hill to watch the sun go down.

After a quick game of "beach" cricket on the world's biggest cricket ground, it's left to 4 lads to gather some beers together, climb to the top of the rise and watch one of the best ever sunsets.