Part VI: Jeff Climbs a Mountain
Ahhhh! Vacation. We ended our Egyptian adventure with several days in Dahab, a Red Sea resort. Our hotel was on the beach and we could see Saudi Arabia on the other side of the Gulf of Aqaba. The water was crystal blue and as we found out in our several days there, was the home to so many different species of fish and coral.
We arrived in Dahab on January 1st after a painfully long van ride from Cairo. A ride over the Suez Canal and across the Sinai Peninsula. Desert. And more desert. It was hot and dry and blinding. Did I mention desert? Sand as far as the eye can see. With an occasional palm tree or sturdy desert plant. We stopped a few times and once even in what could be called a true oasis. But we didn't really stop for any food or for any movement, so the group of us (Jeff, Hanna, Pei Pei, and I, along with 4 other fellow travellers, Jaime and Maurizio from Columbia, and Catherine and George from Scotland) was pretty cranky by the time we got dropped off at our hotel. But we had to meet up with Ahmed (II- a different Ahmed than the one who took us to all the temples along the Nile) who wanted to take us on a tour of the 2 streets of Dahab and to some place to have tea before we actually tried to find dinner. We were all cranky enough that we grudgingly agreed to the tour, but broke off from the group to have dinner on our own. Jeff and I ended up finding a great Thai restaurant and enjoyed most of our meal (Jeff had to order a second meal because the first was simply too hot (spicy) for him to be able to finish - he was literally sweating).
Jeff has a New Year's Day tradition of trying to jump into the nearest natural body of water wherever he is. For several years he was in Chicago, so Lake Michigan was the body of water of choice - often excruciatingly cold. In fact, one year, I managed to convince him that jumping in would literally threaten his life - there was ice along the edge and large chunks of ice floating in the water - so we did snow angels next to Lake Michigan instead. In our bathing suits. That was cold enough! Luckily it was not that cold in Dahab. So we put on our Chacos and started wading out into the Red Sea. The tide was out, so the water was only a few inches deep. We weren't sure how far out the coral shelf was, so we decided not to go out that far (it was dark at this point and we were using our headlamps to be able to see what we were stepping on - as I said before, amazing amounts of life!). Jeff was considering just sitting down in the water when we spotted some movement by his feet. It was an eel!!!!! It must have been a baby eel - it was about a foot to a foot and a half long, white body with a black fringe on it's back, and a bright yellow head. I think it must have been a baby yellow-headed eel (http://www.grizzlyrun.com/Files/Images/Image_Gallery/yellow_headed_morey_eel_pic.jpg). With it's jaw wide open as eels do. It was pretty creepy to see in the water only inches from us and only lit up by our headlamps. Unfortunately, neither one of us had a camera, so no picture. That's when Jeff decided that a wade in the Red Sea was enough for his New Year's Day tradition.
The next several days were spent snorkeling, reading, relaxing, and enjoying the sun at the beach. The snorkeling was amazing. So many fish and the water was incredibly clear - we watched a lot of scuba divers and their bubbles while we enjoyed all the different fish and coral under the water. Life everywhere! It was beautiful! We even saw a lionfish - we were warned not to approach these guys, so it was cool to see it (from a distance!). After snorkeling the first day we discovered the joy of Bedouin tea. Yum! And warm! Especially after being in the water for some time. Jeff was so cold he stood in the sun shivering for at least half an hour before he even started warming up. The tea helped a bit.
While there we tried all sorts of different international dinners: Thai, Mexican, Indian, Italian (pizza). The restaurants often offered "American" breakfasts, which were varied and not usually something we Americans would have for breakfast (except for the fried eggs). Good, but not like home.
One day, Jeff decided to try windsurfing, while me and the girls got massages. Hanna and Pei Pei also braved the world of a hair cut and a facial. I have to admit that I was glad I didn't partake, especially when we saw the facial steamer they were using for Pei Pei and how it was plugged in to the outlet with _bare_ wires. She said she felt a shock or two.
Part of our tour package was a camel ride! We got on the camels and were led along the beach path to an area where we saw what seemed like hundreds of kite and wind surfers. We enjoyed a beach sunset again with Bedouin tea and Ahmed II did some card tricks for us. The camels made interesting noises behind us - they're hard to explain, maybe Jeff can add to this. All of us had sore thighs, stomachs, and backs after the ride. The camel movement is really exaggerated. You have to move your spine a lot to keep balanced. I wasn't going to pay for a camel ride, but I was glad this came with the package so I could experience it.
On our last full day there, Jeff and Pei Pei did a hike up Mt. Sinai while Hanna and I enjoyed a very lazy day at the beach. Jeff will hopefully write about his adventures in the mountains in the last of our Egypt travel series.
We changed our plans at the last minute so we could fly back to Cairo rather than suffer through another road trip across the Sinai. The fellow who picked us up to take us to the Airport was also named Ahmed (III). Apparently Ahmed is one of the most common names in Egypt. The crazy thing about flying out of Sharm el Sheikh was seeing the Russians in ski suits and furry boots getting ready to fly back to the cold north. It was blazing hot outside. Crazy juxtaposition.
Here are some pics from Dahab to end the post...
Ahhhh! Vacation. We ended our Egyptian adventure with several days in Dahab, a Red Sea resort. Our hotel was on the beach and we could see Saudi Arabia on the other side of the Gulf of Aqaba. The water was crystal blue and as we found out in our several days there, was the home to so many different species of fish and coral.
We arrived in Dahab on January 1st after a painfully long van ride from Cairo. A ride over the Suez Canal and across the Sinai Peninsula. Desert. And more desert. It was hot and dry and blinding. Did I mention desert? Sand as far as the eye can see. With an occasional palm tree or sturdy desert plant. We stopped a few times and once even in what could be called a true oasis. But we didn't really stop for any food or for any movement, so the group of us (Jeff, Hanna, Pei Pei, and I, along with 4 other fellow travellers, Jaime and Maurizio from Columbia, and Catherine and George from Scotland) was pretty cranky by the time we got dropped off at our hotel. But we had to meet up with Ahmed (II- a different Ahmed than the one who took us to all the temples along the Nile) who wanted to take us on a tour of the 2 streets of Dahab and to some place to have tea before we actually tried to find dinner. We were all cranky enough that we grudgingly agreed to the tour, but broke off from the group to have dinner on our own. Jeff and I ended up finding a great Thai restaurant and enjoyed most of our meal (Jeff had to order a second meal because the first was simply too hot (spicy) for him to be able to finish - he was literally sweating).
 |
| Sad Jeff - Can't finish this very spicy meal. |
Jeff has a New Year's Day tradition of trying to jump into the nearest natural body of water wherever he is. For several years he was in Chicago, so Lake Michigan was the body of water of choice - often excruciatingly cold. In fact, one year, I managed to convince him that jumping in would literally threaten his life - there was ice along the edge and large chunks of ice floating in the water - so we did snow angels next to Lake Michigan instead. In our bathing suits. That was cold enough! Luckily it was not that cold in Dahab. So we put on our Chacos and started wading out into the Red Sea. The tide was out, so the water was only a few inches deep. We weren't sure how far out the coral shelf was, so we decided not to go out that far (it was dark at this point and we were using our headlamps to be able to see what we were stepping on - as I said before, amazing amounts of life!). Jeff was considering just sitting down in the water when we spotted some movement by his feet. It was an eel!!!!! It must have been a baby eel - it was about a foot to a foot and a half long, white body with a black fringe on it's back, and a bright yellow head. I think it must have been a baby yellow-headed eel (http://www.grizzlyrun.com/Files/Images/Image_Gallery/yellow_headed_morey_eel_pic.jpg). With it's jaw wide open as eels do. It was pretty creepy to see in the water only inches from us and only lit up by our headlamps. Unfortunately, neither one of us had a camera, so no picture. That's when Jeff decided that a wade in the Red Sea was enough for his New Year's Day tradition.
The next several days were spent snorkeling, reading, relaxing, and enjoying the sun at the beach. The snorkeling was amazing. So many fish and the water was incredibly clear - we watched a lot of scuba divers and their bubbles while we enjoyed all the different fish and coral under the water. Life everywhere! It was beautiful! We even saw a lionfish - we were warned not to approach these guys, so it was cool to see it (from a distance!). After snorkeling the first day we discovered the joy of Bedouin tea. Yum! And warm! Especially after being in the water for some time. Jeff was so cold he stood in the sun shivering for at least half an hour before he even started warming up. The tea helped a bit.
 |
| Enjoying Bedouin tea after snorkeling. That's Ahmed II on the left. |
While there we tried all sorts of different international dinners: Thai, Mexican, Indian, Italian (pizza). The restaurants often offered "American" breakfasts, which were varied and not usually something we Americans would have for breakfast (except for the fried eggs). Good, but not like home.
One day, Jeff decided to try windsurfing, while me and the girls got massages. Hanna and Pei Pei also braved the world of a hair cut and a facial. I have to admit that I was glad I didn't partake, especially when we saw the facial steamer they were using for Pei Pei and how it was plugged in to the outlet with _bare_ wires. She said she felt a shock or two.
Part of our tour package was a camel ride! We got on the camels and were led along the beach path to an area where we saw what seemed like hundreds of kite and wind surfers. We enjoyed a beach sunset again with Bedouin tea and Ahmed II did some card tricks for us. The camels made interesting noises behind us - they're hard to explain, maybe Jeff can add to this. All of us had sore thighs, stomachs, and backs after the ride. The camel movement is really exaggerated. You have to move your spine a lot to keep balanced. I wasn't going to pay for a camel ride, but I was glad this came with the package so I could experience it.
On our last full day there, Jeff and Pei Pei did a hike up Mt. Sinai while Hanna and I enjoyed a very lazy day at the beach. Jeff will hopefully write about his adventures in the mountains in the last of our Egypt travel series.
We changed our plans at the last minute so we could fly back to Cairo rather than suffer through another road trip across the Sinai. The fellow who picked us up to take us to the Airport was also named Ahmed (III). Apparently Ahmed is one of the most common names in Egypt. The crazy thing about flying out of Sharm el Sheikh was seeing the Russians in ski suits and furry boots getting ready to fly back to the cold north. It was blazing hot outside. Crazy juxtaposition.
Here are some pics from Dahab to end the post...
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| The view outside our hotel door. |
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| Dahab at night. |
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| Relaxing on the beach. |
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