Dahab, Egypt

What a change of pace. Dahab is as laid back as you’ll get in Egypt. This cool little town is a Mecca for sun seekers and divers. We set up shop in a nice hotel, pool, sea-side, nice clean rooms, restaurant and bar on site, lounging chairs, very nice! The best part, $31CDN per night. Sweet! Not only was Dahab inexpensive but it is home to most of the best diving and snorkeling you can do in the Red Sea. The reef right off the shore is easily accessible and contains thousands of species of coral and aquatic life. The only thing missing in Dahab is a beach. The shoreline is rocky, making beach going non existent, although with loungers by the pool, next to the bar, who needs a beach! The shoreline has access points along it to get in and do some snorkeling if you so desire, but most of it is lined with restaurants, lounges and cafes which are comprised of cushion seating on the floor and low tables creating a distinctly laid back, middle-eastern flair. Our first day in Dahab we made the trip to St. Katherine monastery at the base of Mt. Sinai. For those of you who don’t know this is the mountain where Moses received his Ten Commandments. The monastery is built on the sight of the fabled “burning bush” and claims to still grow a descendant of that bush for all to come and see. And they do! The place was absolutely crammed with tourists. Wall to wall they crowded through the gates to fill the small space that was open to the public (the monastery is still active, one of the if not the oldest still active Christian monastery in the world and as such only allows entrance to a small portion of the grounds. This info would have been nice to know). The monastery itself is not very impressive but it makes a cool sight nestled in the valley at the base of the mountain. The highlight of the monastery for Jeff was watching a woman boldly walk up to break off a piece of the bush that was said to be the descendant of the burning bush. This brought a chorus of cries from the tour guides and dwellers of the monastery. Unabashed, she pocketed her trophy and made a hasty retreat out of the monastery. Some people! After the monastery we made the hike up to the summit of mount Sinai where Moses sat, at one time in history, to think about things for a while. The trek was a bit grueling, the wind was bitterly cold, but the sunset was spectacular enough to make it all worthwhile (just barely). The trek down the mountain in the dark was far less grueling but far more treacherous. Lucky for us (and the rest of the group) the ever resourceful Canadians came prepared with their head lamps, otherwise the group would have had two flashlights between 15 people. Not exactly planning ahead by our tour guides. For the next three nights and four days we enjoyed the laid back vibe, lounged by the pool, played cards, went diving, and just enjoyed ourselves. It was just what the doctor ordered!

Pictures:

0- Inside monestary with burning bush descendant

1- top right- Erik working hard by pool side

2- Supper in Dahab

3- Sunset on top of Mount Sinai

4- Climbing Mount Sinai

5- View of St. Katherine Monastery

6- Lunch by Red Sea (can see Saudi Arabia in background)

7- Erik and Lisa walking the boardwalk

8- "Pufferfish" (Jeff), "Goldfish" (Anelia), and "Floaterfish" (Erik) getting ready to go under!

9- Church on top of Mount Sinai

10- Admiring the view from the top of Mount Sinai