One of the first things I did when I arrived in Cairo was start looking for ways to involve myself in the community and fill some of the weekends I’d have with fun events I could look forward to. As it happens, the Embassy has positions for Community Liaison Officers, which among other things are tasked with organizing and arranging events for the embassy community. I was lucky enough to arrive just in time to catch a slot one of the immediately upcoming events – an invitation to an authentic Bedouin dinner at Wadi Degla with live Oud music. It seemed like the perfect way to dive into this new experience.
Of course, having been in Egypt for less than a week, the vocabulary terms above were mostly lost on me, so I’ll provide some additional explanation. The Bedouin are a historically nomadic group of people that have made their homes in the deserts of Egypt, North Africa, and the Arabian Peninsula. I’m not sure what a traditional Bedouin dinner looks like, but I’m pretty sure it wasn’t quite as lavish as the meal we were presented with, but I’ll get to that later. I’d venture that Oud music is music produced by an Oud, which is a kind of like the Middle Eastern version of a Lute, and perhaps joined by percussion, singing or other instruments. For a long while the oud was a prominent instrument of the region, rich with history and tradition. Wadi Degla is a park or protectorate on the Southeast outskirts of Cairo – kind of like an Egyptian National Park if you will. As one can imagine, it’s situated in the desert, but has a natural beauty about it and provides an attractive backdrop for all sorts of outdoor activities, including hiking, biking, climbing, etc.
Our trip out to the Wadi Degla Protectorate was fairly quick. The hustle and bustle of Cairo melted away pretty quickly once we got to the boundaries of the park. It was approaching sunset, so most of the occupants of the park were headed out for the evening, which added to the tranquility offered by the area the further we ventured into it. There were no roads, but simply a defined track in the sand lined by desert scrub, rocks and other markers to ensure vehicles stuck to it. A few more bends in the road and the noise of the city faded out, in fact the city wasn’t even visible through the winding canyon by the time we reached our destination.
On a small plateau a few tents had been erected, and a collection of rugs had been laid on the ground nearby, complete with low tables, pillows and lanterns. There was some time to kill before things actually got started, so I climbed a small hill nearby and took in the scenery with a few of the other guests. From within the canyon the visibility was limited, as the canyon walls obscured anything beyond. However within the canyon itself was plenty of local desert flora, various rock formations and a sense of natural beauty. The geek in me would describe it like a scene from Tatooine in Star Wars, and the sudden appearance of a Jawa or Sand person would have been absolutely fitting.
Eventually we were invited to take our seas as twilight approached. As we selected our seats, we were served a variety of beverages and imbibed in the stock of wine, champagne and other drinks that other guests had brought. The local juices and teas were delicious, though I definitely leaned towards the drinks that provided the social lubricant to interact with the many new faces I was meeting. We sat cross-legged at the low tables, sharing names, stories, and jokes as the staff came around and lit the lanterns, providing a soft intimate glow in the fading light of the day.
Without much further adieu we were ushered over to the buffet which served us a variety of rice, vegetables, a naan-like bread, kabobs, merguez-like sausages, herb-packed grape leaves, and a few other courses I cannot name. Without fail, I found each one of these delicious thought not entirely unique to my own ample experience with food. Still, it introduced me to more than a fair number of new tastes and combinations of flavors that I won’t soon forget.
After the main course we were welcomed back for seconds, and were offered fruits and other desserts – small pieces of kanafeh with almonds, another new mouth-watering experience I quickly acquainted myself with. As we enjoyed our desserts in the desert, the musicians and entertainers started up their fare with the advertised music and associated dance. Turning away from our assorted deserts and drinks, we watched these entertainers in the deepening darkness as a light chill wind kicked up through the canyon.
Guests were invited to join in on the songs and dances, interacting with the troupe as they were coaxed up from their pillows to join in the merriment. As the night drew on the music dwindled and subsided. Our hosts thanked us for our participation and patronage, and we thanked them for the meal and entertainment in turn. When we left later that evening we did so with full bellies and a host of new unique memories to reflect on. Hopefully it would be a taste of the additional adventures to come, and a unique experience to remember for a long time to come.