Dreams of Paradise

One of the many joys of living in a beach-side city is the plentiful number of outdoors activities one can engage in. Diving the wonders of the Red Sea allows people to visit any number of spots up and down the coast line, while snorkelling provides a more surface friendly view of the Red Sea. There are of course many opportunities for water-sports enthusiasts, and the increasingly popular desert 4 x 4 rides and safaris.

Yet there are hidden wonders that remain to be discovered nestled along Hurghada’s infamous coast line. I took it upon myself to discover some of these, and in my quest to do so, reawakened one of my deepest passions.

Shaharazade, my new favourite little mare

It is said that the “wind of paradise blows between a horse’s ears,” and nothing could be more true when this wind is the salt-tinged wind rolling off of the sparkling emerald and sapphire waters of the Red Sea. To ride a horse along the beach with the sea spray kissing your face is to experience true freedom and beauty. Surprisingly enough, many Hurghadians are not even aware of this little bit of paradise available to them. I’m here to share this secret.

Tucked neatly in the Magawish Swiss Inn you will find the result of a life’s love and labour. Owned by Charlotte and her husband Sambu, the Horse-Stables at the Magawish Swiss Inn will let you taste true paradise on the back of a horse. Launched over 7 years ago, Charlotte and Sambu have been working with horses for as long as either of them can remember. Their combined experience and passion for their horses and the sport is evident in the dedication and commitment they have invested in their horses and horse-barn. Although the road has been long in getting to where they are today, Charlotte will be the first to tell you that she would not have it any other way.

With a stable of 16 horses, ranging in age from the latest foal to mature horses, even the most inexperienced of riders is sure to find a suitable horsey companion. Children are also always welcome! The location of Charlotte and Sambu’s stable mean it is possible to gallop through the surf on the beach, or explore the hidden wonders of the desert surrounding Hurghada. Whether you prefer short and easy rides, to longer more challenging rides, you are guaranteed an experience to remember.

Cynthia trying her hand at beach riding!

Charlotte and Sambu offer early morning rides, up into dusk rides where you will witness some of the most breathtaking views of the sunset Hurghada has to offer. But don’t take my word for it, get out there and experience the true joy of beach living on the back of a horse, and see for yourself if Churchill was right when he said “No hour of life is wasted that is spent in the saddle.”

For more information or to book a ride, contact Charlotte on 017-204-0146, Sambu on 010-620-1990, or Moustafa on 010-136-3844.

What a Week!! III

So I last left off on Ras Shitan. Let me reiterate, that the escape it provides from everyday life is so spiritually and mentally fulfilling, I recommend everyone visits there.

Moving back to civilization, after a few hiccups in planning, we head to Dahab. I had never been to Dahab before, and was unsure what to expect. I'd heard stories that it was similar to Sharm, so naturally I had the image of a mini-Ibiza in my mind, precisely the reason I do not like visiting Sharm. Dahab however, resembles Sharm only in scenery and structural architecture.

It is, a divers haven (Now I'm not a diver, so I was limited in my ability to see Dahab from this perspective - but as a snorkeler I can still comment ;) hehe). Stretching along miles of shoreline, Dahab boasts sea-views, and unbelievably gorgeous beaches. White sand, red sand, rocky beaches, you name it, you can find it here. The two main beaches we visited were the Lagoon, and Blue Hole. The lagoon in itself is a site to behold, a small peninsula of beach surrounded by aquamarine water, with 2-3 meters of shallow water, and then a drop-off. The contrasts that the dramatic drop in depth offers is truly astounding. Even as a snorkeler, you can experience the underwater world in its natural element, without venturing too far out (which is always one of my fears). Water sports are abound in Dahab, where para-sailing and windsurfing, as well as surf-boarding can be seen everywhere. I fulfilled one of my life dreams at the Lagoon, being granted the ability to ride the most beautiful Arabian mare right along the water front. Beach riding is truly an indescribable experience, and for 15 Egyptian pounds, you can't go wrong. Of course, I used the cheap price as an excuse to ride more than once ;).

Our first night out in Dahab opened our eyes to the night-life offered. Unlike Hurghada and Sharm, Dahab does not thrive on clubs, and instead boasts a variety of sit-down pubs, and bars with small dance floors. This of course combined with the plethora of restaurants, serving anything from sea-food to Chinese and Thai. After a satisfying meal, we started our night at a small bar "Yalla," which offered mixed cocktails for 35 LE...a steal for anyone familiar with Cairo pricing. As typical Caireans however, we questioned what exactly 35 LE entailed, and were told that the cocktails were made from Egyptian liquor (which, for anyone that hasn't tried or heard of it, is essentially Egyptian moonshine - pray you wake up with your vision lol). Our dismay obviously showed on our face, as our waitress promptly informed us that they also offered "imported" liquor, and that the price stayed the same. Naturally we decided to stay and try it out, and to our great amusement found out that the "imported" liquor, is not in fact imported. ID Vodka...made in Egypt, licensed out of Germany. So at least you won't go blind, but it is certainly not imported hehe, and, generally leaves you with a vicious hangover. Anyhow...moving on. :p

Day two in Dahab, we all agreed to head to the Blue Hole. Famous as being one of the top ten diving spots in the world, it is literally a hole in the coral reef, with depths upwards of 20 meters. Our original plan was to head to Blue Hole, snorkel, then make the 7 km hike to Abu Ghaloum along the beach front. As is the case in Egypt though, our plans changed, and we ended up going straight to Abu Ghaloum.

The start of our trek to Abu Ghaloum. The Blue Hole is behind us.

It is a 7 km trek along the water's edge, with precarious cliffs to climb, narrow paths to follow, and blazing sun overhead. It offers panoramic views of Dahab and the Sinai, and there was a lovely breeze along the way I have to say. There is the option to ride camels, but we all decided to rough it (Ras Shitan influence maybe?) and walk. Sadly for me, I failed to take my delicate Irish skin into consideration (lol) and ended up quite toasty and resembling a lobster by the end of the 7 km. Our destination, Abu Ghaloum, is a small Bedouin camp in the middle of nowhere (literally...there's no road leading to this "village" - we clearly didn't have enough of the remoteness in Ras Shitan :D ). We spent a few hours on the beach front huts, eating traditional Bedouin food and drinking tea. I will however, say that the prices we were charged were extortionate. 25 LE a head, for rice, a small salad, and one fish to split between 6 of us, as well as 10 LE a person for tea. Overall, a bill of 175 LE, for a meal that could have been purchased for 50 LE in Dahab. You live, you learn, the Bedouin's are really so remote, that they can charge what they want. :p

So the voyage back from the camp, the return 7 km, was looming over our heads. The two drivers agreed to take camels back, rather than wear themselves out, we didn't want them falling asleep on the road back to Cairo! :p Me however, in all my lobster glory, managed to get a case of sun-stroke. Spending the two hours at the Bedouin camp asleep and drinking copious amounts of water, I decided also to take a camel back. Now, for those unfamiliar, I have a very verbalised dislike of camels. I don't like the grunting sounds they make, I don't like the way they look at me, I HATE riding them, and just in general, I will avoid riding them. (Although interesting FYI that i learnt while on this trip - Camels see us as ten times our normal size - it's one of the things that stops them from attacking us - that was a little fact that kept me giggling for hours..."not the nasty scary human thing! get that monster away from me!!!!!! ahh if only the camels knew).

Our camel ride...Mine looks crazy already :-o

Anyhow. I decide to ride a camel, and did what I thought was the smart thing, and chose the smaller camel. Very bad idea Suz. I had one of the youngest camels, so not only was it at the lower end of the pecking order, my friend was riding an older camel, that saw fit to remind my camel of this frequently. I think it bit my camel's butt at least 5 times, each time resulting in my camel flying forward and me hanging on for dear life. Just to egg my camel on, my friends decided to up the excitement level. As I'm praying to stay on this crazy camel, I hear from behind Moby running up, flapping his arms, promptly followed by my camel pulling a horse-racing bolt forward, running along the beach. It's hard enough to sit the walk, I thought I was going to break my neck flying off of this camel! Now this, was along the beach front, where there were no rocks creating obstacles for my camel. The precarious cliffs though, on a camel, were a "crap your pants" moment, where all you could do was mumble under your breath trust your camel, trust your camel ... thankfully, I was not the only one mumbling this lol.

The ride did give us a great opportunity to ride along the water again, and the views and scenery really were spectacular. We all managed a short snorkeling experience in the Blue Hole when we returned from our very long hike, I do wish that we had some more time there however. Dahab is definitely on my list of places to go back to!

What a week!! II

So my week long excursion through the desert of Egypt began near Nuweiba. Ras Shitan to be precise, in a small camp run by local Sinai Bedouin. What makes this camp unique, is that it has yet to be touched by the over-commercialized tourist oriented world that lies just a few kilometres down the road. Just a hop, skip and a jump away from the border-resort town of Taba, our little camping haven was absolutely beautiful, and perfectly peaceful. It provides the ideal reprieve for anyone looking to clear their mind.

We arrived early in the morning, having battled the roads throughout the night. Check points however, were made quite easy considering the size of the German Shepard that we brought with us...who really looks nasty, but couldn't hurt a fly. Of course the guards at each check point were too mesmerized by the size of the teeth and the bark to notice much else... I digress... Anyhow, pulling into our camping grounds, I'm struck by the simplicity of everything. Our huts were not much more than wooden reeds strung together, with more reeds forming a simple roof over the top. (Thank God it doesn't rain in Egypt...I can't imagine what they would do hahaha – quiiiiiiick! Our huts are floating away!!!!!!!!). There is no electricity in any of the camping huts; electricity instead is limited to the main hut, where you can sit and listen to live music until 1-2 am (when the owners shut those lights off too), and order food from the main hut's restaurant, offering traditional Bedouin styled meals as well as Egyptian staples.

Our first night was marked by the tabla, a traditional drum, singing, camp-fires and a great deal of food and tea. Vigorous games of Scrabble ensued, resulting in quite the Scrabble rivalry. Endless entertainment need I say. Once the lights in the main hut have been extinguished, the night sky is astounding. You truly forget how awe-inspiring the star filled sky can really be when you're limited to a speckling of 10 of the brightest night starts in Cairo's skies. With minimal light pollution in Ras Shitan, you can truly admire the heavens, and next time I'm definitely bringing a telescope.

Loads of food...

The days are spent relaxing by the water, reading a good book, drinking more tea (spot a pattern here? lol), and sleeping. The complete isolation from the world outside is compensated for by the friendly atmosphere within the camp itself, where mingling and chatting reign in the main hut. It was truly an amazing experience, but after three days of “roughing” it on the beach, I was ready for a real shower. As let me tell you, as “earthy” as I may try to be, there's certain things that I cannot do. And showering next to a hole in the floor toilet...is one of those things. Can anybody really feel clean after that?!!?!?

That would be my only gripe about our entire camping experience. However – if you venture out to camp on the beach – remember to bring your own bed sheets lol. And whatever you do...unless you want a good hour long work out, don't try and park your car next to the huts :-p. Thank God for the Bedouin expertise with desert driving, we were too remote for a tow-truck, I can't imagine what we would have done without them – and of course the power of manly brawn. But, we got the car out, and got a few great snapshots along the way too! (By we of course – I mean they – while the girls stood by and observed hehe).

What a week!!

So it's been a little while since I've updated, mostly because I've been jetsetting around Egypt. I have decided to split this into three postings, rather than bombard you with one long rant ;).

Eid al-Fitr (a three day holiday to celebrate the end of Ramadan) was last week. As is customary, Caireans fled the city in droves. Not me though, I spent the first two days of Eid in Cairo. And it's incredible how different the city feels when empty. Running from one end of Maadi to the next can take upwards of 20 minutes (if not longer) during peak traffic times, yet I was whisked from my house to Road 9 in under 10 minutes. Most store fronts are empty, having closed for the holiday. Vendors are not flooding the streets as they usually do, and it finally allows you the time to sit and truly appreciate the beauty of Cairo for what it is, without the distraction of noise, pollution, and traffic bombarding your every sense.

After two days of quiet Cairo, I was ready to get out and about. Our timing was perfect, not only did we get to enjoy the quiet of Cairo, but we left late enough to avoid the crowds and rush in the resort areas of Egypt - thereby also avoiding traffic. Our choice of destination? Nuweiba, near the border of Egypt and Israel. An area that stretches along the beach front in the mountainous Sinai Peninsula. Standing on the shores of Egypt, to your left you can see Israel and Jordan, in front of you lies Saudi Arabia, separated by a small stretch of water that's maybe 4 km wide. It's a phenomenal site to see, and one of the more peaceful areas I have ever been too.

The Sinai Peninsula has a reputation of being extremely dangerous to travel through. Our trip thankfully, was hallmarked by no more than Bedouin encampments and lone camels striding along the road. We were actually forced at one point to come to a complete stop as our path was blocked by a procession of camels crossing. Only in Egypt...only in Egypt. "STOP the car! Don't hit the wild camel!!!"

No joke, THIS was our roadblock

For anybody that has never entered into the desert before, the Sinai can be a breathtaking experience. The sand stretches for miles, to be met by towering mountains that separate desert from sea. You can't help but marvel at the Bedouin's who have made this rough terrain home, and know the desert inside and out. We met some of the nicest Bedouins at our camping grounds near Nuweiba, who were more than happy to share with you their famous Bedouin tea (really, I don't know what is different about it, other than the fact that it's doused in sugar hehe), their traditional Bedouin jewelry (of course I had to get some), and tell you stories about their life and their family living, eating, and breathing the desert. It is truly and unforgettable experience, and combine it with the peace and serenity of camping near Nuweiba, and you can't go wrong!!!

Summertime Fun

Ramadan is fast approaching, and as is normal in Cairo, Caireans are leaving the city in droves, in an attempt to enjoy the few weekends before the holy month begins. The North Coast (or Sa7el) is one of the more popular destinations being only a few short hours away from Cairo, or for those willing to make a longer trek, the resort town of Sharm el-Sheikh. For me though, it's all about Hurghada.

Cairo is such a busy and bustling city, that it becomes almost impossible not to sit back sometimes, wanting to rip your hair out, and scream "Get me out of here!!!" But as much as I want to get out of Cairo, I don't want to lose the feel of being in Egypt. This in my mind, immediately excludes Sharm as an option, as it has become the Ibiza of the Middle East, and feels like stepping in a tourist perfected resort in Europe somewhere. Nama Bay has lost the Egyptian touch, and the prices there are through the roof...Hurghada provides the perfect median - a beach resort that remains intricately Egyptian, and is constantly changing and adapting, it is truly an example of a dynamic atmosphere.

Last weekend my friend Charlotte and I decided to head up to Hurghada. We both had a long weekend, and she hadn't been back in ten years. Needless to say, she was shocked. Last time Charlotte was in Hurghada, there were maybe two hotels. lol. Being the simple (and budgeted) travelers that we are, we opted to take the bus, rather than the 45 minute direct flight from Cairo. So, Wednesday we pack up our gear, and head down the bus station in Tahrir, downtown. In an attempt to ease the strain on traffic down there, the bus no longer pulls up directly in front of the station. Instead, you wait patiently for a smaller bus to navigate the traffic (which, big surprise, has not been eased), which then takes you literally across the road to a parking lot.

Who wouldn't want to escape this? :-/

The 15 minutes it took us in our mini-bus to make it to the big bus, having to navigate through the traffic, could have been spared if people made the 30 second effort to cross the road. Naturally however, the "I'm on holiday" mentality takes over, and any extra effort on your part is non-negotiable. Making it to our bigger bus, Charlotte and I safely stow our luggage underneath, in exchange for a tiny ticket which i usually end up losing anyhow. "I swear sir, the huge black bag is mine!"

As we both had to work on Wednesday, Charlotte and I took the 5 pm bus, for a very reasonable 75 LE. Our departure was delayed due to the "minibus" extravaganza, but eventually we settle down for the 6 hour drive to Hurghada. Let me tell you, travel scrabble is your best friend on long trips like this, particularly through the long stretches of desert. When you reach the coast line though, the view is absolutely breath-taking, with 4 or so hours of your trip being made along the Red Sea's coastline, with fantastic sea views, sunsets, and if you're lucky enough, the shot of dolphins breaching the surf. Arriving in Hurghada, a cheap 5 minute taxi ride takes you straight to the main tourist strip, where most of the hotels in Hurghada are situated.

Charlotte and I were staying with a friend in Hurghada, who lived right behind the Burger King off of the main street, Shara Sheraton. The amusing thing about Hurghada, is how rapidly the tourist street has developed, yet step one foot behind it (such as we did), and you find yourself in an area filled with half-renovated houses, buildings under construction, the beginnings of a foundation, and the occasional completed villa. It is truly a town under development, I just hope that it retains its Egyptian identity, and doesn't fall prey as Sharm did to the overtly "resort type" town.

We filled our time with the multitude of activities that Hurghada is known for, first and foremost the beach and sea, and the nightlife. With clubs, pubs, restaurants, cinema's, outdoor entertainment, and games, there's plenty to do. I somehow was convinced to try the "Gladiator" game, and I'm sad to say, I had my ass handed to me, with Charlotte managing to knock me off my post I think at least 8 times. Pitiful; I blame it on the beers that were coursing through me. Friday gave us the opportunity to party it up at Hed Kandi, where there is a pool party every Friday. I have to say, when I first heard of the pool party, I imagined a large number of children, it being one of the few days where children were actually able to get into Hed Kandi. Instead what we experienced was the anti-thesis, I felt like I'd stepped into an MTV spring break party. Volleyball, swimming, great music, great food, surrounded by the beach, the sea, and a fantastic pool right in the center of the club. For anybody heading to Hurghada soon, I highly recommend that you stop into their pool party, it's an unforgettable experience.

Hed Kandi's pool

As with any vacation, it must all end eventually. Our last day, Charlotte and I barely made the bus, but decided to spoil ourselves to the 100 LE Royal bus. By spoil, what I really mean is that we were both already late going back to Cairo, and needed the next bus ASAP haha. However, I was pleasantly surprised with the "royal bus," it's a faster trip, you are given water along with the little bread pieces and juice box, and the bus' bathroom resembles something that can be called clean (as let me say, the toilets on the other buses are atrocious :p). Overall, I give Hurghada two thumbs way way up, and I cannot wait to go back there. It truly is a little gem on the Red Sea, and I hope that it remains as such. For us Caireans, a beach resort on an Egyptian budget. Does it get any better than that?!

A little piece of paradise, and the road to Hell

Cairo, with all its hustle and bustle, makes for a fantastic city to live in. There's never a dull moment, and I still see new things everyday, it never ceases to amaze me. The crowds however, result in traffic, which makes the air downtown unbreathable at times, and the noise from the cars constantly beeping their horns giving you a never ending pulsation in the back of your brain. Should you reach this point, it is time to get out of the city limits, even if only for a day. And for this, there is only one destination that I prefer to go to. Ain el-Sokhna is a little piece of paradise located just under 2 hours away from Cairo (well...it should be 2 hours, i'll get to that point in a bit :p). Sokhna is located on the Red Sea, and offers a few beaches that you can go to, I prefer the Stella del Mar, but for that you'll either need to have rented a villa, have a friend who owns a villa there and can give you a beach pass, or (as i witnessed this weekend) be a very smooth talker and throw a couple pounds here and there.

Ultimate result, we ended up on the beach, and spent a lovely afternoon in the sun, next to what started off as cheesy elevator music, and morphed into trance-like beach hits. Course we forgot our cooler, so the challenge was to drink your beer before it got too warm, giving you, oh, 30 minutes to polish off 5 beers? I failed, and attempted to resolve the problem by throwing a couple ice cubes in a cup to cool the beer that way. I ended up drinking the semi-warm beer, as adding ice to beer is possible the most insulting thing you can do to it, and it tastes foul! Sokhna provides the perfect reprieve from Cairo, fresh air, fewer crowds, and of course the sea right in front of you. It doesn't get much better than that. Really makes you appreciate how lucky you are living in this part of the world, now if there was only skiing here...hmm..

So the trip to Sokhna is roughly an hour and a half from the first toll booth to driving into Sokhna. I say 1.5 hours under the assumption that you are not travelling at break neck speeds, and doing the posted 120 km an hour speed limit, so we can include, oh, 15 % of the cars driving on this road. For some reason, insert car and driver onto that sokhna road, and the long stretches of tarmac prove too tempting for many, who end up doing 200 + flying down this road. Now, were you on the autobahn in Germany, 200 wouldn't be a big deal. Here however, you have to factor in very large lorries, also doing break neck speeds, microbuses that are jam packed with people, often times being so packed that people are hanging on to the side, or over-loaded with packages on top. I've always wonder how they manage to stack them, as having watched people pack the backs of their trucks, there's only one thing that crosses your mind, "I hope to God I'm not behind that thing when its load goes flying." It's unbelievable to see packages, furniture, clothing, and all sorts of other oddities, packed 2 meters high on top of these microbuses. Oftentimes I can't help but wonder how they don't topple over. Combine all this, with the few patches of road that either are in dire need of repair, or simply don't have sufficient lighting, and you've got yourself the Sokhna road. It's like living in a game of Gran Turismo, drive as fast as I possibly can, and dodge the cars like some perverted form of frogger. What baffles me more, is the wrecks that are left on the side of the road, where the car is visibly totaled, do not provide a deterrent to people driving like a bat out of hell. Driving is a privilege, not a right, WHY do people seem to forget this? Suppose I prove to be a pain in the ass passenger, as I have no qualms in telling people to slow the eff down, my life is worth the extra half hour drive to the beach. So for those who sit there and boast about being able to make it to Sokhna in 30 minutes, I ask of you, is it worth the possible price?!