Walk like an Egyptian: Barefoot in the Desert

This weekend my Armenian roommate, Hayk (sounds like Mike), Nance and I went on a Safari in the part of the desert known as Bahria. This is divided in to two distinct sections called the Black and White deserts. The Black is in a formerly volcanic area and there are black stones on top of the yellow sand which gives the impression that the entirety is black; but in actuality there stones are about 1-3 inches apart so the blackened effect is only seen when looking over a large area. The white desert is sedimentary rock that is a very pure white color. Since it has been around for a few years and was formerly underwater, there are a good number of oddly shaped formations. I know this seems like a trivial geology lesson but it was enough to convince the three of us to drive down and see the sights.
Driving down was a quite..... something. We took the bus. If you have ever ridden on a bus in the States you'll notice that the normal clientele of Greyhound does not consist of people you would want to consort with or even sit next to for hours at a time. Egyptian buses are so much worse. Not only are all of the seats filled; the aisles are packed with standing room tickets and any overflow from there is put in the cargo compartment. Since bus drivers are always late they try and make up time by not stopping. Ever. So if you need to get out you have to hit the ground running or not get off the bus. The people under the bus tuck and roll to get off and it is rather startling to see a family of five roll and bounce as they sprawl out. After getting used to the scents and praying coming from people around it was finally our turn to tuck and roll into the hotel.
The next morning we had a traditional meal before jumping in our range rover and heading out to the desert. We started by going dune jumping in the black desert. From there we headed to an Oasis and went swimming. I made the mistake of jumping out of the water and running across the sand. As soon as the water had burned off my feet, my feet started to burn off. Since I hadn't realized what was happening until I was a solid 150 feet out, I made a rather long and hasty sprint back to make a timely dive into the water. Lunch consisted of Fuol (A type of bean and tomato soup pronounced Fool), flat bread and fresh melon.
After a 250 kilometer drive we went of road again to drive though a part of the white desert who's Awe inspiring ability rivals the Grand Canyon. We struck camp just in time to watch the sunset. After dinner Hayk and I decided to take a walk across the desert to go to another group of campers. We figured since it was sandy with a spattering of rocks where we were camped that trend would continue till we got to the other camp. Walking barefoot, in the dark, in starlight, over rocks you can't see is not a good idea. When we finally got close to the other camp we discovered that the 10 South Koreans were quite scared because of all the strange sounds coming from the void beyond their campfire. After assuring the Koreans and their guide that our bodies were indeed corporeal we were treated to Bedouin Whiskey or Whiskey Maroc. This consisted of tea mixed with a healthy amount of mind then sweetened. Think two tablespoons of raw sugar for a shot glass of tea. Coke seems bitter after drinking a glass.
I woke up at just before sunrise. Peeking out from under my blanket I saw the bright spot that foretold the coming heat and thought "Oh that's going to be a good picture. I should get my cam...ZZZZ." Unfortunately I have misplaced my right forearm so it was not under the blanket. I spent two days in the desert sun and the only place I got a burn was a 3 by 16 inch patch on the forearm. The rest of the ride home was rather uneventful. But hoo boy the shower after getting to the hostel was fantastic.
Photos can be found here.