Delightful Dahab

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Well after hitching a ride in the back of a truck for two hours, I arrived in Dahab, a quaint little town perched on the Red Sea Coast. West are the ominously stunning mountains of the Sinai, to the North is the small Jordanian border of Aqaba and directly East and just across the Gulf are the violently striking peaks of Saudi Arabia. A truly overwhelming panoramic view irrespective of which way you gaze.

Dahab translates from Arabic to English as "Gold" and is reminiscent of what I imagine Ko Samui to have been before the massive tourist influx. It encompasses a smooth fusion of backpacker's mellowness and local's humorous and apathetic sales pitches, all set against a décor of craggy golden beaches under a rugged mountain backdrop and dark blue seas.

Time could easily stand still here, it is a beautiful and peaceful place, so I leisurely made my way to the "Alaska Guesthouse" and unpacked my gear I headed for my first ever swim in the red sea, from there Jose headed off for five days diving, and a PADI certification. I spent the rest of the day lazing on the Bedouin style sofas that line Masabat beach, with a copy of Hemmingway's "The Old Man & The Sea" which Toby passed on to me when I stopped in London in one hand, and a steady flow of $1 Pina Coladas in the other.

The nest morning I was up late, and just wandered down the beach, where I sat in the sun and gorged myself on a 50c kilo of mangos, then spending the rest of the afternoon, adhering to siesta time, and snoozing under a palm on the beach.
The next day was similarly idle, but did incorporate a walk to the end of Masabat Bay to eel garden, where a colony of eels live on the sandy sea bed below the Mashraba tabletop reef . Here I hired some gear and went for a touch of snorkeling. This was a really beautiful spot and I spent most of the day solitarily skimming the water and watching the aquatic universe pass by.

I have to force myself to move on from here, as it would be too easy to totally empty my pack ad stay for weeks. So tomorrow I'm up early for a bus heading down the coast to Nuweiba, where I can hopefully catch the international ferry across the Gulf to Aqaba in Jordan, on my way to Petra.

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Photos

Dahad Sunset, Dahab Egypt.
Dahad Sunset, Dahab Egypt.