keeping busy (relaxing in desert oases)

There is probably a very, very empirical study waiting to be conducted with this blog in which one takes the relative amount of posts made during a time period and compares it to how busy I actually was. Basically, I write when nothing's going on in my life. Sorry all.

As for what has been happening, well, lots. For those of you who haven't seen, I've been doing interviews for the month of July with bishops, newspaper editors-in-chief, monks, priests, and church reformists alike. I've also been writing up a storm on this pilgrimage issue (made depressing to a certain degree by the knowledge that I will be staring at very, very similar Word documents for the next year as thesis-season rolls in), and getting ready to take the GREs/apply to grad school. Oh, and in two days I'm taking quasi-monastic vows for the weekend. Whew.

In the midst of all this though, I did get one vacation. Last weekend's long weekend in Siwa, a desert oasis (literally) located next to the Libyan border, about 12 hours from Cairo by a very lonely road. The actual oasis stretches far beyond the two trees and small pond in a desert that make up my mind's eye oasis, really more of a forest. The old town of Shali (now in the modern town of Siwa) is similar to a Taos-pueblo structure, albeit one dissolving. Traditional Siwi (best adjective ever?) homes are constructed out of very durable salt-and-mud adobe. It's only flaw is that it dissolves when it rains every century or so. Shali's become a bit of a fixer-upper, but a pretty one. The oasis is also incredibly wet. As it hot/cold springs, everywhere. For swimming, as well as growing dates, olives, and pomegranates. Did I mention I love Siwa?

However, by far the best part of this weekend was that Angelica and I went in the super off-season, the sole occupants of our beautiful hotel at the edge of town (completely without electricity, so wandering into the blue and white adobe octagonal courtyard at night lit completely by candles and lamps was as fantastic as it sounds). As a result, Siwis (seriously, bets adjective ever) were exceptionally bored by in large, including Idris (store owner) and Ibrahim (camp operator), who both took a shining to us after we met them ten minutes after our first meal. For the rest of the weekend, the two were our volunteer guides and friends, coordinating donkey rides to mesa sunsets, camp outs in the desert under the stars in a hot spring, and even letting us take a nap in the back of Idris' store on a sleepy Saturday afternoon. I doubt I've ever met any other two people for three days who I can legitimately say I will miss. I will certainly miss Ibrahim and Idris, and can only thank them for their incredible hospitality and friendliness. I hope to see them again one day.

PS – Facebook is being stubborn. Photos are slowly being added.