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Published: October 6th 2006
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Beachiness
That's how crowded it was. I needed to get out of Cairo, if even for just a weekend. Emily was off to Dahab to finish her diving certification, and Mallory, Heather, and I were tagging along in hopes of getting some well needed relaxation.
Words too soon spoken, I guess. The bus we rode in was anything but relaxing, as it was almost an hour late, took three hours longer to get to Dahab than we were told, and played the Quran at full echoey blast until Iftar. We got into town at 1am, and much to our dismay, the car that was supposed to pick us up to take us to our hotel wasn't there- only a pick up truck and several shady looking guys pestering us about where we were headed. A short phone call to our hostel directed us to the truck, and, weary and giggling nervously at the situation, we piled in and rode through the desert toward the shore.
Penguin Village is the place we stayed, and I highly recommend it. The staff is incredibly friendly, the room we got was decent (at less than $6 a person, it was a reasonable price- for Egypt), and the outdoor lounge
More beachiness
Just hours of being lazy bums area is one of the nicest ones in Dahab. Anyway, we crashed immediately upon arrival. The next day was spent lounging around the beach like lazy bums while Emily completed her PADI certification. The beach was rather rocky and the water salty, but it was nice anyway. The water was so clear and shallow! If I'd had the foresight to bring beach shoes I might have ventured out further, but that coral was intense. Afterward, we picked up some koshary and wandered along the main road popping into shops and haggling away. I found out that telling people I'm from the Philippines is a lot more beneficial than telling them I'm from the United States. They figure Filipinos don't have a lot of money, so they don't try to jack up the prices (too much) for me.
Mallory and I also ventured into a shisha store, where we met the self-appointed "Master of Shisha." This guy Omar is incredible. He ushered us into his shop and gave us the ultimate lesson in the mechanics of shisha. He also let us smoke for absolutely free, though he knew we wouldn't buy anything. The reason? He believes in Egyptian hospitality. He
That's Saudi Arabia!
You could practically swim (or wade) there. Maybe. knows it's essential to treat people well, so that they have a good experience here and that they grow to love you. So, regardless of the fact that we were broke and would not drop 400 pounds for one of his high quality pipes, he showed us a good time. He also told us to come back after breakfast, so that he could show us how he smoked (he didn't indulge with us because he was still fasting for Ramadan).
We met up again with Emily, wandered around some more, and went back into the shisha shop. We met a group of guys from New Zealand and South Africa getting their lesson from Omar, and we spent a good half hour sitting there, joking and laughing and smoking. We decided to meet up later in the night, and separated. After the sun set, we had a nice dinner right there on the beach. All the other restaurants were lit up, and all along the coast you could see brightly colored lights glimmering in the distance. We took a walk along the waterfront and wandered into a couple more shops before heading back to our room. Mallory and I were
Lounging around
Most of the restaurants here are like this. Low tables with rugs laid out on the sand and cushions all around. Real nice and comfortable, plus a killer view of the water and Saudi Arabia in the distance. the only ones in the mood to go out, so we went down to a bar and met up with the others, talked travel and such, and went back not long after for some well-deserved rest.
Long story short, the next day was pretty much more of the same. There isn't a whole lot to do in Dahab unless you're there to dive or snorkel or shop. I like the place a lot though. The vibe is so laid back and chill, and the people so friendly and not at all pushy like the merchants in Cairo. We were pretty lucky to get there during the low season, because we were practically the only people on the beach! However, it's unfortunate that recent terrorist attacks in the Red Sea coast area have affected tourism here. The people we talked to told us how business got really bad after the bombings in Sharm el Sheikh and Dahab, and they were happy that there were people who still wanted to come visit.
I guess that can be said of much of the Middle East though, right?
Anyway, it looks like my quick update is beginning to become anything but,
so I will end it here. Hopefully next we speak, I'll have more exciting stories to tell!
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