Sinai with Dad and Ted

Dad, Faye, and Ted adventured over the Suez Canal, out of Africa and into the little bit of Asia that is Egypt's Sinai Peninsula. We left Cairo after doing all the standard tourist activities and staying the gorgeous Marriott in Zamalek (I swear it has to be the nicest hotel in Cairo with the best location for tourist stuff) on December 23rd and stayed until the 27th, when we left for Jordon. I'll be honest I stopped taking photos of Cairo and let Dad and Ted take them, so we skipping Cairo photos for this vacation.

 I can't tell you how excited I was to bring family to the Sinai and show them in person the places I have vacationed often and worked for a short while. We did an excellent desert trip, chilled at the hotel for Christmas Eve day, spent a relaxing day on the beach on Christmas day, and ate like kings at the Castle Zaman with a great group for Christmas dinner.

Our awesome four wheel machine and our guide  Sayeed expertly letting some air out of the tires for sand driving.

There are rocks and formations like this all throughout Egypt, so easy to see how it was once an ocean. The Bedouin woman on the left provided Ted with a rad belt.

Screw shoes! I don't need shoes, I am a Bedouin!

Dad and Ted followed the Sayeed's lead and got rid the shoes, I did not.

Entrance to the closed canyon. 

Massive rock walls. 

If I had paid more attention in my Rocks for Jocks geology class in university I would know more about the photos I took, but the room was warm and the class was right after lunch so you can guess no one who took the class remembers much. 

Still, wished I knew more about rocks.

Most of the paths were sizist, you had to be able to fit through the cracks or buff enough to climb over.

Barefoot and loving it, sort of.

Sayeed, seriously awesome guide.

I have a card somewhere if anyone is going to the Sinai. 

Can't say anything but good things about this guy.

The final climb on the last of the three canyons we went to. This ladder was not to reliable, but  who cares?

An oasis we stopped at, along with the other cars of tourists doing similar treks. 

Another shot of the oasis.

Christmas dinner. 

Katie and a friend came from Taba Heights, Toby and Ken from Dahab, and their friend Chris who was visiting from Sweden. Randomly there were a few members of the Egyptian orchestra there who treated us with a post dinner show. The food was delicious and the scenery was divine. 

Ted and Katie.
Big food, good times. Go Christmas!

I have decided that spending Christmas in a non-Christian country is the way to go. We were able to really focus on the people we were with, the meal, the good times, and not on the hype. I do love Christmas at home and while nothing can replace a warm fire, classic treats, and family love this was a nice change.