Dahab

I have to confess, the one thing that almost made me not book this tour was the five days we had in Dahab. Israel has always been on my list, an appreciation for a people who have endured a lot, produced a Messiah, and carry a massive legacy I have a lot of respect for within my faith and own beliefs. Then Jordan, also, is significant in Biblical history, and therefore a place I was excited to visit. The pyramids and the Egyptian museum, well, are the pyramids and the Egyptian museum, and need no more explanation than that. But five days at a beach resort, to be honest, felt like a bit of a waste of precious holiday time.

Turns out, not so much. It is 8.17am on our last full day here and I am so excited for today, and a little sad to be leaving.

   

Day 1: Our meant to be 2pm arrival became 5pm after several delays due to checkpoint queues. Having been on the road since 4am, we were all pretty knackered so most of us went for a nap for a couple of hours before dinner. We went into town for dinner and I had the most delicious seafood soup I’ve ever eaten, it felt like the bowl had half the ocean in it, with several prawns, calamari, what looked like pipi, and half a sand crab among other sea creatures, although apparently it was “just the small one”, setting me back about the equivalent of £3. A guy then came around and scrubbed our hands with limes before rinsing it off with a jug into the bowl. We were definitely off to a good start.

 

Day 2: Afore mentioned seafood soup and my puku decided to start an all out war. Two bottles of water and two rolls of toilet paper later, most of the day was spent between bed and bathroom.

Day 3: Feeling a little better, I managed coffee and juice at breakfast, and was determined to hold it together for the adventure of the day – snorkelling at the Blue Hole. Dahab is known for its diving and snorkelling, with beautiful coral reefs and deep caves that kill people. We set off on the back of jeeps and were sorted out with gear upon arrival. The water was so clear and the little fish were beautiful. I had so much fun. Everyone we met was really friendly, I’ve decided I’m quite a fan of the Egyptian hospitality. They seem to get mostly Australian tourists and a few New Zealanders, but not so many Americans or Canadians, so it was quite nice for a change to not get pointed at and greeted with “Americano”, although apparently me looking German has been quite a common theme!

Late afternoon we headed back, after a relaxing day of snorkelling and snoozing. Pool party was to follow with some fun card game shenanigans. Heart = happy.

 

Day 4: Nice chilled start to the day, walked into the markets and attempted to give my severely lacking haggling skills a workout. Paid way too much for everything but it was still all cheap, and a bit of fun. Got some fake Ray Bans and a fake cashmere scarf the cotton started pulling on and was given some “fantastic”, “stupendous”, “magnificent” prices that were saved just for me. We were even given a business card and told “Take it, it’s free!”. The Dahab markets are more friendly and less pushy than those in Cairo, and when they found out I’m from New Zealand they had a couple of Maori greetings ready to go, which endeared me a little more.

 

Later in the afternoon we had a quad bike tour into the desert to watch the sun set over the mountains, then had a traditional Bedouin dinner with the most delicious Bedouin tea. I was a little nervous at first, this being my first proper quad bike ride, but I found my rhythm soon enough and the guides were great with their instructions, directions, and looking out for everyone. It was awesome.

Day 5: Today is beach day. I’m excited for a casual day today, swimming in the Red Sea, lounging by the beach. As my alarm clock would say, “It’s gonna be a great day.” Next stop: Jerusalem!