Siwa | The Oasis of Egypt

Siwa: a true Mediterranean oasis full of mineral springs, saltwater lakes, palm trees, and olive groves. I never thought I would find so many olive groves in the middle of the desert.

Local people are incredibly kind and helpful.

Here, in this little oasis in the middle of nowhere, I manage to find what I have missed so much in recent years: the simplicity of being.

The children run around the lanes without stopping, alone and barefoot, laughing, hiding, playing with passers-by. If I get lost, people walk with me to my destination. The shopkeepers make me pay for my goods at the price reserved for locals, and the teenage drivers - without licenses - who drive the tuk-tuks help me, proudly, to get into their 'Ferrari': a motorbike with a cart attached to it for transporting tourists, very well maintained with pillows to protect you when you hit the street holes.

If you haven't been to Siwa yet, I urge you to pay a visit there. Simply amazing.