Adventures in Tunis Village

CNN called the Faiyum Oasis “Egypt’s best kept secret” (May 20, 2020). It is a popular weekend getaway for Cairenes who drive to the oasis to enjoy the outdoors, clean air and simple living. Every Egyptian we met told us that we would only need two or three nights in Faiyum, but we booked a week. Seven days in the Faiyum Oasis was not too long, actually it was barely enough time to just begin to discover the Egyptian countryside.

Tunis Village is at the heart of the Faiyum Oasis. It is well known for its pottery which curiously enough was taught to the villagers in the 1980s by a Swiss woman named Evelyne Porret who set up a pottery studio in the village after they settled there. The villagers were sharp students and learned the methods quickly. Her original students became teachers themselves. Today, pottery studios and shops line the main streets in the village and welcome visitors to make their own pottery or purchase ceramic pieces made in the unique village style.

The first day that we arrived in Tunis Village, we explored the town on foot. We had a map in hand but because of the heat, we only made it to our first stop, the Faiyum Art Center. Inside the Faiyum Art Center, we discovered the Faiyum Caricature Museum. There was a foreign lady having lunch with her two children on a shaded table in front of the museum. She told us that the museum was opened by her father-in-law, the artist Mohamed Abla and invited us to have a look around. Inside the museum was a fascinating collection of old political cartoons and caricatures from the past decades. All of the cartoons were in Arabic but we recognized some famous and controversial figures like Richard Nixon, Yasser Arafat, Saddam Hussein and many others. Despite not being able to read the writing, we spent some time trying to interpret the cartoons and then explain the historical and political context to the kids with our meagre grasp of contemporary Middle East history and politics.

Just before we entered the Faiyum Art Center, a friendly Golden Retriever approached us and decided to adopt us. He followed us into the museum and stayed with us for the rest of the day. The children named him Muddy because part of his fur was covered in mud. It seemed like the most natural thing for him to walk with us and wait for us when we stopped somewhere. The children of course, wanted him to join our family. I wished it was possible. It’s ok to pretend for a moment sometimes but I had to explain to the kids not to get too attached because there is no way we could follow through.

As we were walking through the town, a group of stray dogs approached Muddy and began barking at him, almost as if they were criticizing him for consorting with humans. They growled at him as if they would attack him. Muddy barked back but stayed with us. It was a tense moment and I told the kids to stay away from the dogs. Jiu Jiu, a dog-lover, ran toward the stray dogs and shouted at them which scared them off. Jiu Jiu was a hero. This incident made everybody even more attached to Muddy.

Only the distance of the road that led to our Airbnb held heartbreak at bay. The kids asked if we could just take care of Muddy while we were staying in Tunis and then perhaps we could find him a home. We asked Alain if he wanted a dog but he was not interested. In fact, he told us to stay away from the local stray dogs because they could have rabies. The children became upset when I told them to leave Muddy outside of the gate. There is nothing we could do for Muddy, no way to follow through on any hope or wish or promise. We could only shut the metal door and hope for the best.

The children went off to sulk on their own. A few minutes later, I heard some commotion and apparently, Muddy found another way to get into the compound. The children were overjoyed and insisted this was a sign. Muddy was the best, most loyal dog ever and he belonged with us.

Although I believed it too, we had to take Muddy out of the compound as we did not have permission to keep him inside. There was no shortage of tears and disappointment, but we had no choice. Jiu Jiu volunteered to take Muddy out of the gate and said goodbye to him on everybody’s behalf. I hope Muddy is doing ok.

Just down the street from our Airbnb is an eco-lodge called Kom el Dikka Agri Lodge that offers many activities on its premises. We learned the traditional way of making pita bread in a clay oven. Two ladies showed us how to make the dough using just four ingredients – flour, water, salt and oil. The dough is very sticky compared to western bread dough and without oil, sticks easily to your hands. The shaping of the dough is unique, requiring oil to make the outside smooth and then the dough is squeezed from the hand into its classic round shape. One by one, the dough balls are placed onto a round wooden tray and tapped around the tray until it becomes round and flat. We all had a try and found that it was trickier than it looked when the lady did it. Once placed in the hot oven, it puffs up.

We went fishing in the small pond on the property using a basic fishing rod which consisted of just a bamboo pole, a line, a hook and a float. We could see plenty of fish swimming around in the pond. An old man and a younger guy taught us how to get the dough and put it on the hook to be used as bait. The younger guy was mute and used hand gestures to communicate with us. Even without being able to speak, it was clear to us that he was friendly and capable. He joked around, taught us what to do and anticipated what we would need without using a single spoken word. He was perfectly suited to deal with foreign tourists because there was no language barrier between us.

We lowered our baited hooks into the water and waited. As soon as we saw the float sink into the water, we knew we had a bite. Some fish were very clever and could eat the bait off without touching the hook. Straight away, AY caught a few fish one after another. Once we caught the fish, we detached them from the hook and threw them back into the pond. Soon after, the rest of us all began catching fish. Neither I nor the children have ever caught a fish before and it was a thrilling feeling to pull a thrashing fish from the water.

RY didn’t feel like this was an authentic fishing experience because it was a stocked pond and he did not feel that it was challenging enough to catch them. He preferred the fishing in Van Reenen in South Africa. On top of that, RY was disappointed that we didn’t cook and eat the fish after catching them. In Boy Scouts, RY had already learned how to make a simple fishing rod but it was the first time for me to see such a simple contraption that I could feasibly assemble if needed.

When I was a kid, it was my dream to have a horse. I never did get a horse and I never even had the chance to take horseback riding lessons. Like all parents, I offered my kids the chance to realize my unfulfilled dreams. RY and AY have taken some horseback riding lessons and even attended a horseback riding summer camp last year. Whenever we get the chance, we go horseback riding together. In recent years, we have ridden together as a family in Cambodia and most recently in Inner Mongolia. We all love horses, except for Leo who is unfortunately highly allergic to them. Being the good sport that he is, when we go horseback riding, he pops a Claritin and plows through.

Our first ride took us through some sandy trails and down to the beach of Lake Qarun, a prehistoric lake that has existed since ancient times. We rode the horses down a sandy path lined with palm trees down to the beach and along the water’s edge. The lake and beach have probably seen better days as the tide in some areas is murky and frothy and the locals did not recommend it for swimming. But still, it was stunningly picturesque with the gentle breeze blowing across the lake on one side and the palm fronds gently waving from the oasis on the other. The horses somehow also seemed to feel free and at ease on the beach. We experimented with trotting and cantering, some of us with greater confidence than others. Then the guide led us into the water to pass through to another part of the beach. It was exhilarating having control and freedom sitting atop such a powerful and intuitive animal. 

The children enjoyed the ride so much that they wanted to go again the next day and again the following day. One hour on the horses was enough for the other adults but I was keen to go with the children. After the first ride, we already felt familiar with our horses and we hoped to get the same horse. Each time, once we reached the beach, the guide was eager to take my phone and snap photos for us. My favorite photos were taken by a guide who playfully instructed RY to pose dramatically in front of the setting sun like a hero atop his Arabian steed. These few days of horseback riding along Lake Qarun brought me one step closer to my childhood dream of being an equestrian.