deepinlife

i was surprised to know that there are deers , foxes , wild donkeys , wild rabbits and some other wild animals so near to my place in Cairo..In Degla valley.

Degla valley is a natural reserve found in the south east of Cairo .It is the gate of the eastern desert in Egypt from Cairo.

What is written in the touristic information is that it has all the above animals + some others , birds and reptiles , also it is a suitable place for cycling , running , jogging , camping ,hiking and mountain climbing.

I decided to go there .It took me about 1:30 to reach a point near the walls of the reserve , in which i will start walking .i started walking towards the reserve , it took about 2 kilos to reach the walls and the gate of the reserve .It was summer time , i was there at about 8:00 am

The guys at the gate was so nice and helpful.The information says that the people working in the reserve is from the bedo , form a tribe called "maeze"

I was so thrilled , willing to see the animals so close .I started walking , on both sides there was rocks .i was walking on a track , suitable for cars and for humans to walk on .after a while it began to be real valley between 2 hills .It was not straight , sometimes it bend in very sharp ways , it was like zigzag sometimes .Sometimes i couldn't see what is behind 100 meter and sometimes couldn't see what is in front after about 100 meters .I climbed one of the hills , hoping to see it all from above .Climbing was difficult at some points and from other points was so easy .It was the first time for me to climb something alone .I was so afraid , although it was so small hill , but being alone ,and no people at all nearly around,made me double fear,but anyway i was at the top of it at last .From above i could see for longer distance front and behind .At the top i saw something i always hear about it but never saw , i saw it , the black cloud ,i always hear about a black cloud above Cairo since it is so polluted but never seen it until that time .when i was up , i looked towards Cairo , it was like a layer of black fog , that i couldn't see much of Cairo ,it was strange to see that.

I was hoping to see animals ,till now i have hardly seen any . I saw lizards(colored ones),i saw ants , birds , but not more .Forgot to say i have seen flies .It was different kind of flies than the one in Cairo , bigger , more sticky .It was summer , so maybe it was the season of flies :D.

i recommend anyone going there in summer to use something against them , they mad me like a manic.

the track from the gate i entered to the other gate (end of the reserve)is about 12 kilos , at least that what i was told on the gate.

at about 11:00 i have passed 7 kilos from the door i entered , but not seeing any animals ,walking alone under the hot sun , in the desert ,losing all the food and water i was carrying , i decided to go back to the door i have entered , since they took my card at the door to force me to come back from the same door.

i stopped to rest a little under a curve so there was some shadow, i read some touristic information they gave me at the gate .i read there there about a poisonous snake , i don't remember its name in English , but they wrote its public name in Arabic "terisha".

this snake is something like legend in Egypt , it is extremely dangerous , it digs itself in the sand , and suddenly jump from inside the sand and attack its victim .It is very poisonous , it is cureless , so mostly it is deadly, or to be lucky u will have parts of ur body cut to survive..reading these information made me deadly afraid , kept looking around myself , seeking for any hidden "terisha".I was on the top of the hill , i got down fast .i started walking on the track , it made me feel more safe .there is cars moves on the track and people also which make it unsuitable for snakes i think .while i was going back , it was nearly noon .i was attacked by the flies there , it drove me crazy , i kept hitting myself .it was so sticky.

Suddenly saw a ranger from the reserve , i felt much safer with him .He told me that this is not the season of the reserve .the season is in winter , in which it is much nicer , good temperature , animals more , and sometimes water from rain gather in lakes and caves .He also said to see animals u have to be so early.

i decided that i have to come again in the winter and sumer , although all , i have enjoyed , quietness , loneliness , pure air not that polluted , i think i will enjoy even i was afraid :D.

to go i recommend the following:

1-take much water and juices as u can

2-take anti flies

3-take some food

4-take a hat to defend the sun

5-going there on feet is somehow not easy , it took me about 2 kilos to reach the gate and then the track is about 12 so in total 14 kilos and if u will come back from same way then it is about 28 kilos .

6-take care there is no place to rest , or to enjoy shelter or shadow , at least in the kilos i have walked in.

the address of the valley is :

Egypt - Cairo - maddi - near degla club and oasis school...

from the club u will have to started walking for about 1.5 kilo to the gate