A Middle East Expedition

A huge billboard welcomes us to Dahab. Friday is a holy day in the Moslem world. Government offices and schools are closed, and restaurants and shops don't open until after noon prayers. But Dahab, the Myrtle Beach of Egyptian Sinai, is wide open for water sports, safaris into the desert, entertainment of all sorts, and food, food, food. It was our respite after a hard day at Mt. Sinai.

Dahab, on the Gulf of Aqaba north of Sharm el- Sheikh and east of Mt. Sinai, was once a Bedouin fishing camp that was discovered by backpackers and hippies in the 1960s. It is now a smaller downscale version of Sharm el- Sheikh that appeals to European and Middle Eastern families.

Linda and I strolled the boardwalk, promising to meet our Group of 24 at the Ali Baba Restaurant for lunch. We passed interesting hotels (Bamboo House, Penguin Village, Red Sea Relax, Seven Heaven, Sphinx, Sunsplash Dive, Swiss Inn, and even a Hilton) and quaint restaurants (Funny Mummy, King Chicken, Nirvana Indian, Shipwreck Bar, and the Crazy House). Travel agencies advertised snorkeling, diving, camel & Jeep safaris, horseback riding, ATV challenges, and windsurfing.

This shoeman could probably take a lesson from our own Shoeman, Chuck Gerald. We wandered into a massage parlour and bargained with a masseuse and a masseur for foot reflexologies. For $23 we enjoyed an hour's worth of visceral bliss.

The Ali Baba was an open- air restaurant on the waterfront. Linda and I chose Chicken Kasta and Sphinx non- alcoholic beer (It was Holy Day, remember?). Delicious and refreshing. Linda flirted with the young waiters who winked at all the women old enough to be their grandmothers.

On the stroll back to the boat, Linda couldn't resist the hawkers who had just emerged from their Holy Day prayers at the mosque. She got a dress for her and a headdress for me for only $20, a REAL bargain. After a nap in our cabin on the MS Artemis and dinner prepared by our French chef and served by our Indonesian staff, we retired early with visions of Arabian Nights in our heads.

Next week:

The Gulf of Aqaba provides a beautiful view.

Saudi Arabia Impressions

This person was of no interest to this lazing dog. Linda and I received reflexologies from this masseuse (her), and masseur (me). The waiter at the Ali Baba Restaurant brings our Chicken Kasta. Dahab is a watersport center on the Gulf of Aqaba. These cute Egyptian girls asked for their picture to be taken.