In an effort to show Liefke and Alex a non-polluted side of Egypt my two favorites joined diving buddy Hesham, Christina and I for a three night jaunt to Dahab. Located on the Eastern coast of the Sinai Peninsula Dahab is a diving and hippy haven. The beach town also offers easy access to Mt. Sinai, St. Catherine's Monastery and other Sinai desert activities.
No diving took place but Liefke did snorkel for the first time! I was a total weenie and did not even get in the water because I was cold. I am always cold in Egypt, how weird is that? Mainly we woke up late, strolled along the boardwalk and ate at the most amazing rotisserie chicken place ever, King Chicken!
The largest activity was a midnight hike up Mt. Sinai to watch the sunrise. We left the hotel at 11pm, drove about two hours to the mountain. Started hiking in the pitch black, walked for about three hours, stopped about every fifteen minutes at a tea/coffee/cookie shack, did not eat or drink any tea/coffee/cookies, avoided lines of camels coming down the mountain, avoided people who really wanted to rent you camels, got to the top around 4am, froze until the sun started to rise around 6:30am and finally watched an epic sunrise wrapped in a mountain smelling blanket at a very special outcropping a 10 year-old Bedouin boy showed us. If you had to ask I feel more spiritual in the morning, even when I am that cold.
No diving took place but Liefke did snorkel for the first time! I was a total weenie and did not even get in the water because I was cold. I am always cold in Egypt, how weird is that? Mainly we woke up late, strolled along the boardwalk and ate at the most amazing rotisserie chicken place ever, King Chicken!
The largest activity was a midnight hike up Mt. Sinai to watch the sunrise. We left the hotel at 11pm, drove about two hours to the mountain. Started hiking in the pitch black, walked for about three hours, stopped about every fifteen minutes at a tea/coffee/cookie shack, did not eat or drink any tea/coffee/cookies, avoided lines of camels coming down the mountain, avoided people who really wanted to rent you camels, got to the top around 4am, froze until the sun started to rise around 6:30am and finally watched an epic sunrise wrapped in a mountain smelling blanket at a very special outcropping a 10 year-old Bedouin boy showed us. If you had to ask I feel more spiritual in the morning, even when I am that cold.
Hesham, at a road side stop on the way to Dahab.
Normally the cats in Cairo are flea ridden, covered in poo and I am convinced they carry herpes. All the little kitties in Dahab were relatively clean, liked people and there was only one kitten covered in poo, not this one.
Sarah Liefke soaking up the beach rays.
Part of the sitting area at the Funny Mummy, the restaurant attached to our hotel. Yes the water you see there is the Red Sea and yes Saudia Arabia is just across the pond.
Christina, another AIESEC intern and fellow traveler. You may remember her from such adventures as "Faye Goes to Alexandria for the First Time" and "Faye Caravans in the White Dessert." Now she is back in Long Island, so sad.
Alex, who only took really serious photos the whole time. He is a rather serious person.
The Dahab boardwalk/coastline. Pretty much the whole town is stretched out along the water. Tourist shops, cafes and small beaches line either side of a boardwalk. From where this picture was taken there is excellent diving and snorkeling.
Same view, different time.
I decided to tell the servers that it was Liefke's birthday. They made her dance and eat weird chocolate bread, good times.
The hike up to Mt Sinai was dark so my only pictures are from the way down. This is a small house/shed we passed after walking down 3,000 stone stairs. My calves killed me for about three days.
View from the top of Mt. Sinai. So good to see some mountains.
Going down 3,000 stone stairs.
More stone stairs.
Apparently when there was a real life clergy at St. Catherine's Monastery (home of the ever so famous burning bush) they grew all their food in this terrace.
The super rad hikers who braved cold weather, late nights, early mornings, vicious camels and even more vicious camel dealers who really wanted you to rent a camel.
Vicious camels.
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