Enjoying Dahab - Snorkeling and Motorcycling

I am really enjoying Dahab. I had a really fun day today snorkelling on the reef outside of the main strip about 2 minutes away from my camp. I also rented an enduro 125 motorbike and rode it around for an hour this afternoon in the desert. Very fun and I am pretty tired now (it is not even 6 in the evening yet).

Yesterday I met a very nice couple: Mike and Ulrika from Sweden. We had dinner together last night and will be going to Mt. Sinai and St. Katherine's Monastary tomorrow morning.

As I mentioned above, I am living in a 'camp'. What this means for me is that I have my own little straw hut on the top of a hotel type building. It looks alot like a hut that Gilligan and the Skipper might live in (no hammocks though! I sleep on a mattress on the floor). There is a big hole in the ceiling to let air and maybe smoke out. I don't think they get much rain. There is an electric light though. If I look out to the left from my hut I can see the ocean. To the right is a desert mountain range. In front of the range are a couple bedouin renting camel rides. One of the best things is that it costs 5 dollars CDN a night. This is the cheapest I have paid so far as European hostels cost between 25 and 30 dollars a night for a bunk in a shared room.

There are alot of flies here. It is just normal for there to be about four that start to circle you while having lunch. The other pest are CATS. There are tons of cats in these warm countries... There were cats all over the relics in Rome, there were cats all over Jerusalem and there are Cats all over the place here in Dahab. The sandy area of the beach is not so wide... so often there is a smell... I wonder if the cats see this place as their own little um...sandbox.

Along the main strip/boardwalk there are tons of hustlers that try and get you into their restaurant or souvenier shop: "You speak English?" "Where are you From?". I get asked these questions about 100 times a day...or..150 times if you include people asking if I need a "Taxi?".

Aurally, the big thing is the call to prayer that goes on during the day. I don't know how to describe it (Aaaaoooooaoaoaoaooooo is not sufficient). On the way from Taba to Dahab our Bedouin driver picked up a young Egyptian police officer (a fater of two children) who was very friendly and excited to meet us. He explained that when he heard that sound it resonated in his heart.

The big discovery today for me was the - now obivous - scuba diving culture here. It was amazing to be within 5 minutes walk and wade to be able to swim through a tropical fish environment that looked like it was straight out of a National Geographic spread. I saw lots of small colourful fish, an eel (scary!), some bigger (1 foot circular) fish and tons of coral. I just missed seeing a milk shark apparently... I did see a nurse shark in Mexico so I now wonder if a milk shark is the same as a 'nurse shark'....

Riding around on the little enduro was just plain fun. While you can argue that I am free to go wherever I want - so I am free - I always have to deal with busses, taxis and trains. It was very cool to just drive around on my own and get a little dirty in the process.

The wind is really picking up today. I don't know if this is normal here or not. I hope the weather is good for tomorrow. That. And I hope my hut doesn't fly away.