Sand, sand, sand everywhere. In your shoes, in your clothes, in your bag, in your ears, in your mouth. How can you get sand in your mouth with a scarf wrapped around your face?
My first real meeting with the desert was in Egypt, which basically is one big desert. Our last days in Egypt were spent relaxing at Sharm el Sheik, where we went on a “desert experience”. This is one of the few things you can actually do there, when you’ve had enough snorkelling.
We were driven to the desert and fed a Bedouin style meal. You could probably ride a camel as well. But never mind camels and bedouins. What I remember was the night sky! Lying on my back in the pitch black desert and staring up at the stars made me feel an unusual degree of humility. It also made me see things in a different perspective, realising how important it is to keep focus on the big things in life, the things which really matter, not the minor trivialities. Despite of the whole experience oozing of mass tourism, I was sold.
Since then I’ve visited many deserts across the world. Below are some favourites.
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The Red Desert in Namibia (Sossusvlei)
Sossusvlei is part of the Namib Desert. The salt and clay pan which is surrounded by flaming red sand dunes makes for a spectacular sight.
Early in the morning I went to the nearby Dune 45 to enjoy sunrise. Unfortunately, it turned out to be too cloudy, but it was a nice spot.
After that it was on to Sossusvlei. It was every bit as spectacular as my Lonely Planet guidebook had promised.
Walking around in the sand reminded me, how brutal the desert can be. As the day progressed, temperatures rose to 40C and no shade was to be found. Even the sand was burning hot and unforgiving. Should you run out of water, you wouldn’t last long.
The fog basking beetle is better equipped for the desert than we are. It gets all the liquid it needs by extracting water from the occasional morning fog.
I loved this beautiful and brutal place. If you visit one desert during your lifetime, let it be this.
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Wadi Rum in Jordan
Wadi Rum is a different kind of desert. There are sand dunes around, but the landscape is dominated by sandstone formations. Due to these shade-giving rocks, people settled here very early and you’ll find rock inscriptions spread across the area.
The temperatures in Wadi Rum weren’t as extreme as in the Namib Desert and we spent a couple of days exploring the magnificent landscape, which over the years has attracted a surprising number of film makers. Movies such as Lawrence of Arabia, The Martian, Aladdin, Star Wars and Dune all include scenes from Wadi Rum.
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Wahiba Sands in Oman
Why on earth would anyone choose to go camping in the desert? Well, I asked myself that exact question at some point whilst trying to scrape 6-7 layers of sand and sun lotion off my body. Even with a dip in the ocean from time to time, you inevitably ended up covered in sand.
But can you imagine endless stargazing during the night, obviously equipped with the stargazer app explaining what you are staring at. Or opening your tent in the morning and looking out on the sand and the sea – and the occasional camel. To me trips like this are bliss for the soul.
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Book Review: The English Patient by Michael Ondaatje
The desert is extreme and dramatic with a landscape, which may be uniform in all directions, making it all too easy to get lost. It’s brutally dry and I always imagine the hallucinating explorer staggering around whispering: water, water.
In The English Patient, Michael Ondaatje makes the most of the desert setting. A dramatic love affair, a plane crash, a women lying injured in a cave, whilst her lover runs across the desert for help… Furthermore, the author throws about beautifully phrased desert metaphors drawing parallels to big and small aspects of life. In particular, I like how the desert is presented as a free territory where you can escape from belonging to certain countries, certain people, certain names.
“The desert could not be claimed or owned – it was a piece of cloth carried by winds, never held down by stones, and given a hundred shifting names”
Four people come together in an Italian villa towards the end of World War II. We follow their lives for a short period and we are gradually presented with their backstories. The desert drama is part of the English patient’s past.
Ondaatje is often praised for his lyrical language. Unfortunately, it didn’t quite work for me. Sometimes, it was mesmerising and evocative, but quite often it felt over the top, too abstract, too pretentious. Combined with the excessively fragmented storytelling, I found it difficult to engage.
The novel left me feeling privileged having had a peek into the lives of these four characters. But whilst reading I regularly found my attention wandering. I suppose my linear brain is just not wired for such a quiet, poetic and fragmented novel. This is one of the rare cases, where I actually preferred the movie.
Title: The English Patient [1992] Author: Michael Ondaatje Format: Audiobook, narrated by Jennifer Ehle Genre: Historical Fiction
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Gorgeous pictures! This must have been an incredible trip.
Thanks! 😀 I love the desert, it’s quite an experience to visit. Also, I was surprised that deserts are not just a lot of sand. Different deserts can actually have quite different landscapes.
I definitely didn’t know that!
Neither did I before I actually went to the desert!
Wonderful post and photos too bad the book wasn’t as good as you hoped it would be.
Thanks Nicki! 😊 Yes, I was a bit disappointed, since I love the film!
Amazing photographs! I would love to travel to Egypt one day and my interest is partly due to The English Patient (the movie). I am a huge fan of Minghella and his film, but no so much the book – I agree that the film is better.
Thanks Diana, I hope you manage to go to Egypt one day, in many ways, it is a fascinating country. I am a fan of Minghella as well. Have you seen his version of Madame Butterfly? Visually / aesthetically it is just out of this world! I was a bit disappointed by The English Patient (the novel) because I loved the film so much.
Same here with The English Patient. I have watched it so many times and have been such a huge fan of it that I felt slight disappointment upon finishing the novel. I don’t think I’ve heard of Minghella’s production of Madame Butterfly! I am (well was, actually) so into films that opera just passes me by! Thanks, I will have to check it out. I know Sofia Coppola directed La Traviata back in 2016 and have heard it is really good. So much to see and so little time – I definitely need to a second life just to see all the plays and operas that I find interesting (in addition to films).
Yeah, too little time – I know the problem. Still, I’ve always enjoyed opera, so it wasn’t a stretch to go and see Madame Butterfly when it was shown at the National Opera. I hope you get a chance to see it at some point.
It would be a real experience to visit a true desert – thanks for these wonderful photos. Sand dunes is as good as it gets for me! Have you read Sanmao’s Stories of the Sahara, a Taiwanese woman’s account of actually living there for a period? I too preferred the film to the book in the case of The English Patient.
You are welcome, I am glad you enjoyed the photos! I haven’t read Stories of the Sahara, that was the one from your Six Degrees? But it did sound interesting. Even if I’ve enjoyed my trips to the desert, I couldn’t imagine actually living there. Ooh, I am kinda glad not being the only one preferring the film. I did feel a bit bad about that, since the novel is so critically acclaimed.
I know- it’s unusual for readers to prefer film versions! Do see if you can get Stories of the Sahara. I didn’t find her very likable, but she tld a really interesting story.
I did check out Stories of Sahara – it has stellar ratings! I might feature it, if I ever do a desert post again. However, embarrassing as it is, I don’t read many books. Most of my “reading” is done via audiobooks, which I can listen to whilst doing other stuff. And Stories of Sahara doesn’t exist in audio format yet. 🙁
Oh dear. Maybe one day soon. I’m not an Audio fan. I read it (to myself only of course!) so much better than any actor!
Beautiful photos.. I can totally understand how this can put things into perspective and is a great setting for complentation. I’ve been to Egypt too but didn’t go into the desert (only visited Tut’s tomb and Cleopatra’s site) but if there’s ever a next time it’s definitely on my list! Too bad the novel was a little too poetic for your taste. I know I don’t even have to try it because that’s really not what I like to read, I like easy reading where everything is said clear and direct 😋
Thanks Inge, I’ve really come to enjoy the desert. I thought Egypt was a fascinating place with lots of interesting sights, so going to the desert just for the sake of it, is probably low priority. Sharm el Sheikh had some of the most amazing snorkelling and diving, so if you are into marine life, it is worth a visit. Haha, yes, probably The English Patient was too poetic for my taste. I am normally like you, preferring things to be said directly without too many layers of interpretation. 😊
Thanks for making me travel 🙂
Always a pleasure 😀
What a great post! And I learn a lot! One can really learn from our travels! You mentioned you’ve visited many deserts. Is it for your job? Or it’s one of the destinations that you must visit when you travel?
Aww, thanks! No, it isn’t in connection with my job – I wished it were. 😉 My camping trip to Oman is the only time I deliberately went on a desert holiday. But it’s nice when visiting a new country, to see whatever the country has to offer. It would be a shame to go Namibia without seeing the red desert, that was such an amazing experience.
I haven’t yet had the chance to visit any desert locations yet but you’ve pointed out all the reasons why we should give them a shot though! But… what about… the scorpions?! And spiders?! And weird creatures of the desert?! 😉
Sorry to hear that the novel didn’t work as well as you’d hoped. For it to to receive praise for its prose only for it to then disappoint you is nothing to be too happy about, that’s for sure!
I like how you managed to squeeze in “stargazing” throughout this post. That opportunistic hint at your username hahah 😀
Haha, I did see a few scorpions in Namibia, but I think the risk of getting stung is really low. Just don’t step on them and check your shoes before putting them on in the morning … 😉 . Yes, The English Patient was somewhat disappointing, but many people love it, so don’t be put off by my opinion. Glad you noticed my immodest and self-promoting use of the phrase “stargazing” 🤭😁. Maybe one day I’ll write a post about how I came up with the name. I suppose it is related to watching the stars, but more in an abstract rather than concrete fashion (mysterious much??!).
Such evocative shots and descriptions, Stargazer! (And might deserts be where you found your name? 🤔) Your choices of locations for this series have both been places which fascinate and terrify me in equal measure. That said, I would love to visit Namibia and as you point out, no visit to that country should happen without seeing the red desert. Maybe one day…
And The English Patient… I am with the majority here – the film wins out for me too. I saw the film first which didn’t help. But it’s a book I absolutely will read again and perhaps then it might climb up a notch or two. I know what you’re saying about it being so fractured. But I also know it’s the type of writing which appeals to me provided I allow enough time and read it slowly. I read it against the clock for a book club choice. Thinking back it may even have been me who chose it!
Another great post, I wonder where you will take us next!
Thanks so much Sandra. And sorry for the late reply, I have been traveling for the first (and possibly the last) time in a while.
I have often thought of writing a post about why I chose the name Stargazer. However, as we have discussed before, not all ideas materialise in an actual post. I can reveal that the name relates to watching the stars, but in an abstract rather than concrete fashion.
The desert is definitely worth a visit and as long as you come prepared and perhaps hire a guide, you should be absolutely fine. Just bring lots of water – and don’t get lost. When we went camping in the desert and had to wander off to “go to the loo”, I realised how easy it is to get lost, when there are no marks or sights to be used for navigation.
You have a good point regarding The English Patient deserving proper time and attention. I had a lot going on in my life when I read it and perhaps I didn’t give it the focus it deserved. Probably, I too ought to read it again. It does sound like a good choice for a book club, I could imagine it triggering a lot of discussion.
I am glad you enjoyed the post and even if I don’t have much time to write at the moment, I already have the next Literary Locations post planned in my head. Hopefully, it should be quite fun and lighthearted. 🙂
I’m so pleased you’ve managed to get away, Stargazer 😊 As you say, it may the last opportunity for a while. I hope you had a fabulous time. I’m already looking forward to the next literary locations post!
Beauty beautiful Images. Kind of the ones you would like to make fiction out of what you are seeing. I am certain you have edited many other incredible ones out. Egypt undoubtedly is very enchanting, and what is left always wants you to dig more, or pushes you to transform into an archaeologist yourself.
Thank you much dear Stargazer.
Nara x
Thanks so much for your kind words. And yes, I am not surprised that some of these desert landscapes have inspired writers as well as film directors. I think Egypt is quite unique, but you need to study a bit of their history and religion to really appreciate the magnificence of the sights.