The earth blows out a large exhale of breath, lifting up sand in a big swoosh across the level plain right through our group, causing us to turn one by one, bringing our hands up to shield our eyes, like a giant corkscrew. A soft-spoken 18-year-old unfolds a laminated map, holds it up, guides us to the right. I look at him in wonder bordering on disbelief, there isn’t so much as a mountain or a tree in sight, what kind of marker does he have for this collective turn? Soon, large, windswept expanses give way to mountains emerging on all sides, majestic, statuesque, imposing; and I forget the bag weighing heavily on my shoulders, the sun beating down on my arms, on the tips of my cheeks.
I walk and my mind empties itself. Of the to-do lists, the endless tasks, the chatter, the routine scheduling of time: clean the house, do laundry, finish, finish, finish, meet for coffee, do dishes, return calls, answer emails. The desert rolls out endlessly, with its sparse palette of beiges and browns, and my mind shifts gears, slowing into park.
There’s something about the desert’s harsh, elemental bareness that challenges one’s physical limits in a way that plenty of shade and fruit trees and running brooks do not. The sand enters my eyes, and I drink my bottled water, and I’m reminded of how basic what we need really is; I’m reminded, too, that I have so much more than that, that I’m living a life of luxury. Yet, often, these luxuries, this modern life, wraps layers upon layers around one’s soul, until it’s muffled beneath so much padding. The desert performs a dramatic unraveling- of these creature comforts, of the padding, and of the solace they provide, leaving you bare in the face of the wide, vast, limitless landscape.
Disconnect, reconnect.
Hiking over twenty kilometers a day in the desert dictates its own pace, its own rhythm. The nature of the hike- walking for hours in the unforgiving heat- meant that you fell into pace with different people at different points of the day, one person as you walk briskly, energized by your morning coffee and the slight breeze, and someone else beneath the harsh mid-afternoon sun; falling into conversations with people you might not gravitate towards in a crowded room. There was a group of carefree, post-army girls, on pause from life, floating, laughing, light, and another group of hardcore hippies, one of whom would clamber up mountains, bare-foot, blow on a long horn she carried with her at all times, and race back down to join us. I fell into easy, open conversations with a man in his fifties from South Africa, planning to do the entire 81-day trek, and with a woman in her twenties from Germany, filming a documentary. And, sometimes, I walked alone, absorbing the scenery and letting my thoughts drift.
I traveled with a friend of mine. At night, when we reached the camp, all I wanted to do was build our tent, crawl inside, stretch out, zip down the doors. She came alive at night, fluttering around the bonfire, talking to everyone, leaning in deeply. I lose my boundaries when I’m with people, their stories, their struggles, pierce into me; my skin feels raw and permeable. I need time alone to recharge, to re-center; to allow my skin to form again.
At night, the desert’s harsh heat gives way to an equally harsh cold. I bundle up in everything I have: a long-sleeve shirt, two sweaters, a windbreaker, a scarf, a hat, a sleeping bag, two blankets, in a tent. I’m still cold.
At dawn, I walk to the edge of our camp, where the earth tumbles down in a heartbreaking sigh. I sit at the edge of this cliff, my legs dangling, opposite an expanse of sand, cliffs jutting up at the horizon. The sky is covered in a thick cloud, and it lifts slowly from the earth with the rising sun.
A truck pulled a wagon with piles of thin mattresses, and our large overnight bags, from camp to camp, while a second truck pulled a wagon that functioned as a makeshift kitchen. Once parked, the tarp on one side would get rolled up, revealing shelves groaning with cartons of fruits and vegetables coated with desert sand, huge burlap sacs bulging with oatmeal, rice and flour, and giant plastic canisters containing coffee, tea and sugar. Towering above everything was a giant black water tank. A low table rigged with faucets on each corner would be placed near the truck, with pipes connecting it to the water tank. The second side of the wagon unlatched to form a dishwashing counter. Have you heard of the three-bowl dishwashing system? (I hadn’t.) You place your dish- grimy with the remains of the morning’s oatmeal- into the first bowl, where you give it a good scrub with a sponge and soap. Next, you dip it into the second bowl to get rid of the soap, before its final plunge in the third “clean” water bowl. After a couple dishes, trust me, the relationship of the clean water bowl to actual clean water is one of semantics only.
In the morning the sun emerges, warming our tents beaded with dew, and we emerge, slowly gathering around the embers of the previous night’s fire. Someone rekindles the fire, someone puts on big pots of tea and coffee, and we sit cross-legged, warming up, waking up.
There’s oatmeal for breakfast, or cornflakes with walnuts added in for protein, with a pour of thin, powdered milk, sugar optional, and, two mornings in a row, a man traveling with his wife and daughter made us a pale, sluggish porridge- a warm, surprising throwback to childhood.
We prepared lunches in the morning, which we packed into tins: quinoa or barley or rice, with fresh or cooked vegetables, which slid uncomfortably into each other after a couple hours of hiking. And, once, memorably: large, freshly made, Bedouin-style pitas, with garlicky-lemony tehina and chunks of fresh vegetables.
On the last night, we gathered around the bonfire and ate vegetable soup. The soup was warm and comforting after a long hike: huge chunks of potatoes with their skins at that perfect, elusive point between crunch and collapse, sweet, tender carrots, onions, celery, lots of wilted greens. Voices floated up from around the bonfire; at one end, someone was playing the guitar, and people were singing; my hands were warm from cradling the bowl of soup, and stars stretched down to the earth on all sides.
Desert Trail Mix
Makes 1 kilo (2.2 pounds); Enough for 4 generous snacks to share.
200 grams (7 oz) raw Brazil nuts
200 grams (7 oz) raw walnuts
200 grams (7 oz) roasted salted almonds
200 grams (7 oz) small golden raisins
100-200 grams (3.5-7 oz) dark chocolate chips
Combine all of the ingredients in a large bowl, and transfer to an airtight container, or portion into bags.
Beautiful journey, I will think about it as I drive to Labastde on Monday.
Amitiés !
Oh, again! I’m jealous!!! Enjoy the journey, and your time there. ;)
Ahh…the desert’s emotive conditioning of the anima..gave us personalities like Eliyahu, Muhammad etc.
Seems you fared better.
Better? Can’t say I had any prophetic visions…
I see there is so much more to this trip than you told me about.. :) Sounds like you had a great experience. TTYL. xoxo ( now I understand why you like to sit at home and write..
You’re sweet… We need time to catch up, soon! xx
Beautiful desert description. Reminds me of one of my favorite books, Desert Notes by Barry Lopez…..have you ever heard of it?
No, I hadn’t heard of it- but I’ll make sure to look into it! The desert is such fertile ground for writing and other art… Looking forward to delving into someone else’s experience of a landscape I find so soothing… Thanks for the recommendation!
Absolutely! I hope you enjoy it as much as I did. Happy reading :)
I remember walking in the Negev in Israel and climbing Masada. There is a strange, calming effect about the desert that puts your mind at ease, isn’t there? Unless you’re thinking about the heat and water and sunscreen, that is.
Ha! Indeed. Calming until your brain starts piping in with all of the chatter- water! sunscreen! heat! and, how many more hours till we reach the camp?!
The desert does have a way of stripping away things…
totally! ;)
Your attention to detail took me there..One of the beautiful things about reading is all of the awesome places we can visit! My eldest son is headed to Chile today with his Doctoral Cohort; I can only imagine the pics! & writes & emails he’ll send me to describe his venture..I’m in love with this part of my life ; and one of the special thing is visiting SO many places afar through my son..I thank you for allowing me to hike right along with you! Stay UPlifted & blessed
Oh, that is indeed one of the wonders of reading! How lovely that you get to indulge in your son’s adventures vicariously. Hope you continue savoring this exciting chapter of your life!
:)
What an interesting adventure. Love your pictures! Thanks for sharing.
Thank you so much! :)
It’s so amazing what a huge stretch of “nothing” can do for the soul. This takes me back to a walk on a foreign beach that changed my life. Because, you know, I couldn’t possibly have stepped back from the to-do lists without an expanse of sand and pounding waves. And I’m so glad I did.
A great reminder that I need to get out to wide open spaces more often.
A walk on a foreign beach that changed your life- I’m intrigued! Wide open spaces, more often. Exactly.
I’m pretty sure I never would have met my husband, had I not just spent a night reeling at the meditative power of the ocean a month or so before we crossed paths. Or, we would have met, but he wouldn’t have been nearly as excited to meet the burnt out, exhausted me. :)
:) Attraction is indeed quite another ball game when we’re connected to ourselves and vibrant, and not burnt out and exhausted!
I like the Thoughts you had about how luxury embed us, and the description of walking in the desert. Felt like I walked there with you and the people you met! Sounds like you learnt and reflected a lot !
Thanks, lady!
beautiful!
Thank you!
ive never trekked in a desert area but have been to a few mountain treks..your pics are lovely and it seems the varied temperature and different hues add a unique flavour. your trip seemed fun. thanks for sharing and congrats on being fp!
Well, the varied temperatures definitely keep things exciting! Although in the height of the scorching afternoon sun and during the shivering cold nights, I was more than ready to settle for something more moderate!
Congratulations on being Freshly Pressed. Your writing is invigorating and so deserving of being spotlighted on WordPress.
You have an authentic voice that is rare on this forum. Keep up the good work..you have a fan in me and I will be following your blog closely. Bravo! Dennis http://www.dlmchale.com
Thanks so much for the kind words, Dennis!
The desert. There is nothing quite like it. I have hitchhiked the desert areas of the United States for a number of years. You’re right: the hot days turn to cold nights. Sleeping outside at night, the stars are so crisp and bright. The night sky of the desert is very beautiful.
“Author”
http://hitchhikeamerica.wordpress.com/about/
Oh, hitchhiking the desert areas of the US- that’s taking all of this to a whole other level! Kudos to you, sounds absolutely fascinating!
I’ve only known the Arizona desert. This is so different. Such a beautifully described experience.
The Arizona desert is on my bucket list! I have quite a thing for deserts… ;)
Love the adventure!
Thanks, Margaret!
Beautiful post. Very well written. I really enjoyed this :)
Thank you.
I like that!
Glad to hear it!
Awesome journey!!
Beautiful narration!!
Thanks!
Oh My God!!! It looks beautiful in photographs but living is not possible there
There are actually quite a few little towns in the Negev desert! Quite a feat.
Charlotte, I have to say if procrastination influenced this tender yet commanding and expansive description of your time in the desert, I will rethink procrastination as a negative thing. Furthermore I am unexpectedly compelled to consider the desert as an opportunity for solace and reflection which up to know has been exclusively taken by some form of water; ocean, waterfall, meandering brook, etc. Bravo for opening my world through your writing. I’m ready for more. What’s next?
I recently stumbled upon a quote that said: “writing is 90% procrastination and 30% panic”. seems pretty accurate to me! ;) xoxo
Amazing and Inspiring !
wowwwwwwwwwwwwwwww
A wonderful combination of photos and story. I’m with you on needing time to re-centre. I’ve always put it down to being an only child.
Well, I’m one of 4, and my need for time alone to re-centre is pretty strong! ;)
I like your blog a lot :”) interesting and beautiful pictures ^^
Thank you :)
Amazing! Wouldn’t have thought of this as a journey to take, but now I’ve a hankering to go!
Such a beautiful account. I felt soothed and peaceful while reading it. Thanks for sharing.
Thanks for taking the time to leave such a sweet comment…
Very very well written words Charlotte! No wonder you got the Freshly Pressed! And beautiful pics! I remember backpacking Canyonlands in Utah (before kids, years ago) with my medical student husband (good thing he was along). It was like being on another planet, but fascinating and still. The stars at night were so many, I couldn’t recognize any constellations and what a pleasure to come upon Anasazi ruins from time to time and imagine what these people were like.
Your backpacking adventure sounds magical (even if it was years ago!). “[…] fascinating and still”- I think that stillness is what I love best about the desert…
Love the pictures, and the blog name :). A mix of scenery + a recipe, what more could you want!
http://meetmehereandthere.wordpress.com/
What route did you take/ how did you find out about doing this?
Hi there! I live in Israel, and joined a group called “Walk About Love” for part of their journey. They do a yearly 81-day trek along a route that cuts through Israel from North to South; you can join them for the entire trek or parts of it… We joined them for part of the desert route (through the Negev desert). Here’s a link to their site for more details: http://walkaboutlove.org.il/
Astounding pictures! Great adventure seekers I suppose. I see potential travel bloggers over here. :-)
travel blogging would be fun indeed! ;)
Nice story … I really enjoyed your very vivid descriptions. It really brings the landscape and experience to life. I’ve been on several group trips and I like your comment about how you wind up making friends and chatting with people whom you would normally never connect. I like that, you learn things you never would always hanging out with the same folks. Just curious, what trip were you on and from where to where were you walking? What is the whole 81 mile trek known as?
Hi Lexi! Thanks for your sweet words. I explained a bit more about the trip in my reply to “endlessvagabonding” just above… I probably should have given a bit more context in the post itself (or at least mentioned this was in Israel!), but I totally wasn’t expecting a whole new crowd!
Wow, you took me to a journey that I’ve never even had!
Beautifully written. Thanks for sharing this experience! :)
Thanks for reading!
What a wonderful post. You have a way with words. I have to say I felt reminded of my treks etc over the years and while not desert, the way a long walk puts your mind into a sort of auto pilot mode, is something you captured. Thanks. Nice job.
glad it brought back good memories! xo
It did :) Have a great week. Thanks
There is something magical about deserts. Must have been a great experience. I admire people who do these deserts walks/hikes a lot. I used to mountain hike all day with my father. Now I grew older and I’m limited. (not as powerful as the kid I used to be!) Anyway, beautfully written! Greetings!
Deserts are magical indeed! How nice to have memories of mountain hiking with your father… Greetings to you!
Thanks for sharing. Its been over 20 years since I’ve been in the desert – if you dont count a couple of days of (luxury) vacationing in Jaiselmer (Rajasthan, India).
And you brought it all back, as if yesterday!
The desert is a harsh mistress, it doesn’t suffer fools or the arrogant. But it does focus you inwards, and taming the desert is really an act of taming yourself.
I congratulate you on an adventure that sounds like it was more about discovering yourself
Yes, the desert does focus you inwards- which is, in my opinion, pretty much the best thing traveling can do (that, and broadening your horizons). Oh, and luxury vacationing in Rajasthan sounds pretty awesome! ;)
I love you description about life, so detailed and up lifting!
Thanks, Jane!
No problem!
Reblogged this on janejaine107's Blog and commented:
An exotic Detailed journey!
Great recipe for a great escape! The trail mix recipe was an added feature!
Really loved this post. Going to college in Arizona, I can appreciate the quietness and time of reflection the desert offers. And I feel you about just wanting to be alone sometimes! Safe travels on your next adventure!
Thanks so much, Mandy! I went to college in the desert too (Beersheba, Israel)- it’s where I first got hooked on the desert’s expanses- from the window of my dorm room I could see the sand dunes encircling the city…
I loved reading this! I can see some real potential travel bloggers here.
Makes me want to take a walk through the world.
A very interesting post. Great pictures and wonderful realizations. Thanks for posting!
Reblogged this on jpee2013's Blog.
This brought me back to new years eve night at the Thar desert in India.
“I lose my boundaries when I’m with people, their stories, their struggles, pierce into me; my skin feels raw and permeable.”
Gathering round the bonfire, it felt like i might know everyone’s secrets better than their closest friends. In a night, travelers exchanged burdens with each other, hoping they’d carry them off to a faraway place when they left.
Oh, I love your description about gathering round the bonfire and knowing everyone’s secrets, and exchanging burdens in hopes they would get carried away to faraway places. So poignant and poetic!
“I need time alone to recharge, to re-center; to allow my skin to form again.”
Truer words were never spoken–thanks for allowing us to accompany you–and good luck to all of us currently engaged in recharging!