The English word desert is originally derived from the Egyptian word dSr.t, which literally means "red land" and refers to the color of the sand of the
barren Sahara.

As you can see in the many images on this site, the dramatic line between the Black Land of the rich farm land and the Red Land of the surrounding Sahara.

We had the opportunity to walk the few kilometers south to the Bent Pyramid through the dunes. In sharp contrast to the living deserts of New Mexico, Nevada and Arizona, there was no plant life whatsoever... Just the rolling hills of hardscrabble sand and gravel with the trash and tracks of the dune drivers.

As we made out way through the moonscape, the greasy gray sky of the morning gave way to actual clouds that moved across the face of the Red Pyramid.