Dahab

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Staying at Bishbishi in Dahab. This is my favourite place so far - very relaxed and love being by the sea. Can highly recommend Bishbishi - friendly staff, great food, good rooms from between 1.50 - 6 pounds per night. From here you can do quad biking, horse riding, diving, snorkelling. Went to Blue Hole to snorkel yesterday - was amazing, like Finding Nemo 😊 Beautiful coral and fish and, according to the Aussies, diving and snorkelling is better than the Great Barrier Reef. You can also travel to Petra, Jerusalem, and Mount Sinai from here.

Walked up Mount Sinai a couple of nights ago. Hard going if you're as unfit and unused to hiking as me, but made it to the top (over 2000 metres high). There are lots of coffee shops on the way ready to sell you snacks and you can also get a camel to take you part way up if you so desire. Had a chilly sleepless night at the top under a gorgeous starry sky. Got up to watch the sunrise before walking the 3,750 steps or repentance down to St Catherines Monastry. Glad that's over but it's well worth doing as the Sinai Peninsula is stunning, rugged, and dramatic, and it's not every day you get an uninterrupted view of the stars or sunrise.

Last few days have been very relaxing. Dahab has lots of good restaurants and laundry shops. As well as Bishbishi, Penguin village also looks good place to stay. It's right next to the Red Sea and you can see Saudia Arabia in the distance.

Egypt is safe and tourist friendly. We're gettıng used to tipping people everywhere we go and the hecklıng from the locals - 'Where you from? What's your name? You want a scarf? You need Egyptıan husband? Come and look at my shop, everythıng free today!' and bizzarely 'nıce socks' - a very common heckle despıte the fact we're all wearıng flip flops?! Shopping can be exhausting but it's funny to watch Westerners with no patience for the haggling game and the Egyptians who seem unable to let us shop in peace despite their promise of 'no hassle here!'

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