My Egyptian Adventure-the last days

Our last day in Sharm was a wonderful laid back day of shopping and a "Cleopatra Massage" in the spa at the resort.  After the diving and climbing in and out of the pyramids, I really needed it! We topped off the day with an ATV safari. We were driven out into the desert where we each rode an ATV farther out into the desert. There were 100's of ATVs and many were in questionable condition. The fenders were held together with duct tape and screws, throttles were really stiff or really loose and brakes were iffy. Sometimes they would just stop running. It was quite a contrast between 3rd world adaptations with US equipment. And lots and lots of fun! We had a blast! 

We rode to a bedouin camp where we had tea and got to bake fresh bread over an open fire. It looked like a big flour tortilla but baked to a wonderful chewy texture. Afterwards we rode camels and then mounted our ATVs to go farther into the desert. We went to a compound where we had dinner buffet style, sitting on cushions. Xime and I smoked a hookah and were treated to native dances and a whirling dervish. It was all lit up with colored lights with a big stage. A little surreal. Once most of the other people had departed, we got to stargaze with 3 telescopes. As you can imagine, it was very, very dark out there. There were no clouds so it was a perfect night. Then we rode back in the dark. Quite a thrill ride! (Pictures of our desert safari)

May 17th we flew back to Cairo and everyone went their separate ways, for the most part. Marleea (a friend I met on the trip) and I decided to go see the Pyramids and Sphinx lit up at night. Co travelers, Jeff and Paul were staying at a charming boutique hotel right next to the pyramids so we went there to enjoy the sunset and decadent fruit drinks. It was beautiful and a vey different perspective on the Pyramids. Afterwards we went to dinner in the Cairo Tower (Information on the Cairo Tower) The tower is the most remarkable contemporary monument in Egypt and is a vivid contrast to the Pyramids. It is located on Zamalek, an island in the middle of the Nile. The restaurant is on the top of the tower at almost 525 ft and revolves to see a 360' panorama of Cairo and Giza. It also has a outdoor platform for truly incredible views. (Pictures of my last day in Egypt)

My flight for Heathrow departed at 7am so it was a short night! I have to tell you, if you think security is bad in the US, go through it in the Cairo airport. Women and men are in separate lines and you get a pat down search at each checkpoint, of which there are many! I finally got to my departure area and got some real coffee, not Nescafe. Yea! Once we were airborne we were able to see the Pyramids from the air. So cool! Check out the pictures. (Cairo from the air). My flight home was 11 hours, from Cairo to Denver vs 30 hours from Denver to Cairo. Crazy. Some of our group were going on to Jordon to dive and they shared some pictures too. 

I was glad to get home but really sad for my travels to end. It truly was a trip of a lifetime! 

I hope you enjoy the story.

My Egyptian Adventure - Diving the Red Sea

Sharm-El-Sheikh is right on the Red Sea on the lower end of the Sinai. Information on Sharm. We dove with Reef Oasis Dive Club. Our Dive Masters, Ahmed and Hossam were great and our dive boat was amazing. It was huge boat, especially for just 13 of us. The whole back deck was set up for "wet" with a "dry" salon for meals and relaxing. There were 2 heads and they were almost bigger than the bathroom in my RV! The upper deck had cushions and was partially covered. Absolutely pristine.  If you've ever been on a boat for diving or fishing you can appreciate this.  After our dives we had lunch on board. Quite the spread every day! Really good food. (Pictures of the dive boat and views. Dive site maps and fish ID charts). We did shore dives at the Temple and Far Garden as check out dives the 1st day. On May 13th, we dove Jackson and Gordon reef from the boat. On the 14th, we dove Shark Reef and the Dunraven wreck. We also did a night dive at Far Garden. On the 15th we drove to Dahab (Information on Dahab) and dove at the Blue Hole (History of the Blue Hole) and the Canyon. (Pictures of the trip to Dahab) We returned to town and had a wonderful lunch right on the sea and went shopping in a charming street bazaar. Such fun!

Every dive, everyday, was incredible and a unique experience! (Pictures of lots and lots of fish)

My Egyptian Adventure, Part 2 Sharm-El-Sheikh

 After 3 busy, incredible days in Cairo, we flew to Sharm-El-Sheikh on the Red Sea on the Sanai Peninsula.  It was quite a difference from Cairo! It is a resort town that became a popular destination  after 1982, so it is only about 50 years old. Most of the buildings are white with colors and lots of flowering plants so it is much more colorful than Cairo. We stayed at the Safir Resort (Pictures of Safir Resort). It was beautiful, right on the beach. We were on  the ground level, next to the pool. There aren't elevators, only a 6 person tram that ran up and down the incline of 4 more levels (funicular). It was an all-inclusive hotel (no alcohol was included as it is a Muslim country; but you could go to the bar and buy it) The buffets were quite amazing. The assortment of pastries in the morning were incredible. Also the coffee is from a Nescafe machine with many choices. Raw veggies and some lettuces were plentiful for every meal but no salad dressing. Or oil and vinegar. A whole table of yogurts, honey also meats and cheeses (no pork) Lots of mystery foods, LOL. 

The 1st night we were in Sharm we went to a "nightclub" that Engin found. What an amazing place! It was called Farsha (Pictures of Farsha Nightclub). You walked down many flights of stairs and sat on cushions. Lots of hookahs, people and cats. Then you walk back up the stairs! 

We went downtown several times to shop and sightsee. We went to Elmasrien restaurant and had dinner 1 night. We ordered the sampler dinner- so much food. The mosque is so, so beautiful. It takes your breath away. It is so tall, its hard to get the whole building in the frame. it is lit up at night as are all the shops. So many colors! (Pictures of Sharm-El- Sheikh, downtown)