Sharm el Sheikh

 Our hotel in Sharm el Sheikh is a mere 5 stars, but we will make do.  After we sorted out the fact that we are not a married couple and Errin is actually female, we got our room switched so that we did not have to share a bed, even though it would have been a king!  But then we had to trek back to reception as they gave us a smoking room and well, you all know how I feel about that!  Room number three and we were content.  The room is huge, and cool and the queen beds look almost small it is so cavernous!   A bit of a change from our small cabin on the Admiral.

We spent our first evening at the hotel and ate in one of the many restaurants with dancing Russians on stage.  Rather interesting.  Lots of Russians and Italians come here for vacation.  It is strange being in a place with so many people after the intimacy of our Nile cruise – we miss everyone from there!

The local shopping area is Na’amba Bay, so we popped there for an hour in the morning just to check it out.  The latest trick to get tourists into their shop is the “will you sign my guest book for good luck” trick but we didn’t fall for it.  There were lots of open-air sheesha cafes with brightly coloured cushions and low couches waiting for their evening customers.  They had strings of coloured lights and all kinds of lanterns hanging in criss-cross patterns above so we were quite looking forward to seeing them at night.

The afternoon was spent lazing by the Red Sea on one of the jetties here at the hotel.  They have an intricate beach front set on a bit of a cliff with lots of gazebos dotted about the place, windy stairs and pathways which almost requires a map to navigate.  Kind of a Robinson Crusoe meets luxury hotel.  The washrooms are lovely and warranted a photo or two and you can enjoy the spectacular view from the comfort of the potty thanks to the tempered glass front!

Since we are at the Red Sea it only seemed fitting to rent snorkeling gear to check out the abundance of brightly coloured fish that live in the area.  Never having snorkeled in my puff AND being a bit of a weenie when it comes to water, this was not an easy thing for me.  Errin was my tutor and gave me a crash course on how to snorkel.  She encouraged me to go as she could not believe how many fish there were and it was quite stunning.  So I donned the gear (not the most attractive look I have to say!) and we went down the ladder to the sea.  A bit more challenging as it was not like we could start in shallow water.  This was full on deep water off the coral reef!  After a mouthful of Red Sea I managed to get my head under water and control my breathing….for a short time.  But I did eventually venture out and Errin was so right – it was incredible!!!  It was actually like swimming in a giant aquarium.  So thank you teacher for helping me experience the delights of sea.

We ventured back into Na’amba for dinner and a look around at what was going on in town.  We ate at a Lebanese restaurant (too much meat and once again the waiter fell in love with Errin) and went for a couple of drinks at the Camel Bar.  No camels to be found, except for those being smoked.  Too much smoking going on here!  We were not disappointed with the light display in the cafes and also the shops that sold the various types of lanterns.  Caught the free shuttle back to the hotel at 11.30pm – a late night for us!

Our trip for the next day was in the evening so we did spent a large part of the day on our jetty.  The sea was a bit rougher and it brought in the jellyfish which made entry a bit tentative.  We still managed to go in and snorkel for a bit, although rather more alert this time!  The rougher sea seemed to bring out more fish as well and in the shallow area we were able to see lots of brightly coloured fish - amazing.

Our tour was a Bedouin Night with Camel Ride.  Sounds like fun – a 45 minute camel ride in the desert while watching the sunset and getting spectacular photos, then ending up at a Bedouin camp where we would be sitting in cushions, drinking tea and having dinner.   Sounds great, right?  Yeah.  Didn’t quite turn out like that unfortunately.  We were picked up then sat in the van for close to an hour waiting for heaven knows what.  We finally got going and saw the spectacular sunset from the van en route to the camp.  Where were the camels?  No idea but apparently not part of this program.  The camp itself was beautiful (at night at any rate) as they had lit up the side of the rocky cliffs next to it with lanterns, and we were greeted by two fire torch bearing Bedouins on camels.  The food was mediocre and by this time we had had enough and the rest was just dragging the evening out for us.   There was music and dancing but Errin was falling asleep on her cushions and I wasn’t far behind her.  So we have complained to the company and are getting a full refund!

Early start today (April 24^th_) as we were heading out on a Jeep Safari.  We were picked up by the guides in a Land Cruiser with bench seats in the back.  This was not the most comfortable vehicle to spend several hours driving one way, especially when prone to being a bit car sick if not facing the right way!

This was a trip to St Katherine’s Monastery (there are at least 4 different spellings of her name on various road signs) the site of where Moses saw the burning bush.  Mount Sinai is also very close to there – we were unable to do the night climb to see the sunrise as the timing did not work out.  The church was beautiful with many icons on the walls.  It is still being used as a monastery to this day, so there were areas we could not go and see nor take photos. 

 

After that we were off to drive in the desert to see the Coloured Canyon.  The driver was having a great time as he zoomed through the sand causing us in the back to hold on for dear life!!  We picked up a Bedouin guide and then resumed the safari……but it didn’t last long as he was unable to negotiate a hill.  We all piled out to reduce the weight but he was still unable to reach the top after several attempts.  Eventually he worked his way around a rocky outcrop and we got to walk in the desert!  Back in and we were off to the canyon…..and got stuck again!  This time we were close enough that we could walk the rest of the way.  The canyon was colourful for sure and had really interesting rock formations.  It is amazing what the wind can do.

At the end of the canyon we were reunited with our Land Cruiser and the desert equivalent the AA were there to help pump up the tires – a Bedouin guy with his jeep.  Our return journey was uneventful – no one smacked their head on the roof over the many bumps – and we arrived in Dahab for a very late lunch.  Sitting by the Red Sea eating delicious local food was a great way to end our tour.  The drive back was a bit long mainly because we were so uncomfortable on the bench seats but it was all made right when Errin asked if we could find a place to buy beer and the boys obliged.  We are now happily sipping said beer illegally at the hotel.  Well it is half the price and we are on a budget!!

Tomorrow we fly to Cairo and will visit Alexandria when we are there….then it is off to Jordan!!