Dahab

23rd December 2003
Good morning! What a lovely day! I awoke at 5.30am and woke Guy to view the sunrise coming up across the sea. Then we promptly went back to sleep until 7am when we woke to see our beautiful esplanade in daylight for the first time. Hardly anyone was around at this hour - Dahab doesn't seem to come to life until around 11am and pulsates well into the night.
We walked along the esplanade and found a delightful place called Aladdin to have breakfast. Guy pigged out on the whole "sausage, egg, etc" (but no bacon, being Muslims) and I had an omelette and fresh guava juice. Yum!! I think I'll like it here!

After breakfast, we had to start looking for alternative accommodation, as our beautiful room at the Penguin was only for one more night. So sad!

We eventually settled on the Muhamed Ali Hotel at the exhorbitant cost of EP100 (A$21.55) a night but wow - we have a seafront room with a balcony and ensuite! Hmm, mebbe Doug can sleep on the balcony! We just loved the room and decided it was worth spending a little extra for the Christmas holiday.

We also found a place to burn a CD of our photos for EP35 (A$7.55) (ouch!) but at least we can clear the digital camera and start photographing again.
Honestly, you just have to be here to see this place! A bay lined with hotels and restaurants. By the seashore are cushioned "pits" with fires and candles where you dine in romantic corners. At night, the palm trees are garlanded with ropes of coloured lights and the fragrant smoke from the fires discourages the mozzies. Across the waters of the Gulf gleams the Saudi town of Magda. Lights flash on the water from passing ships on their way to Aqaba or south towards Sharm el Sheikh.

We priced beginners lessons in scuba diving at US$220.00 each for 4-5 days and will think about having a course.
Clothes are cheap here - Tshirts about EP15 (A$3.20). Nothing is well made and the designs are pretty tacky but apparently better than in Egypt proper. There are many stores selling "precious stones" and gold jewellery. They dazzle the eye with their sparkle but the authenticity may well be questioned. The famous sheesha pipes are much in evidence too, both in shops and at every restaurant. All manner of tobaccos are offered, particularly the fruit varieties - apple, mango, melon, etc.

There are some small carpet shops with local weaving. I have my eye on a lovely Bedouin carpet which could be used as a wall hanging but I've only bargained it down to EP250 (A$53.95). It's also quite heavy and I have to carry it in my backpack. (Somehow I think it will be staying behind when we leave.)
There are now 2 ATMs in Assalah - new this year. The first ATM we found was not working today. We didn't discover the second one until we had changed some American dollars. Luckily, the supermarket changed some on the blackmarket as we got EP6.8 to the US$ - I think the bank rate is EP6.18 at the moment.

Back at the Penguin, we claimed our laundry and got a very pleasant surprise. I had left EP100 in my pocket and it was still there - cleaned and ironed! Yay!
That evening we went down to dinner at the Penguin restaurant on the esplanade and who should we run into but ANA AND IVOR, our friends from Croatia!!! We had met them first in Amman in Jordan where we were staying in the same hotel, then we met them in Madaba and Petra as they followed the same route to Aqaba. Actually, only Ana was there to begin with because they had just arrived in Dahab and Ivor was looking for accommodation.

They had come overland from Aqaba through Israel to the border town of Taba and thence down to Dahab. 
Ivor eventually turned up and we had dinner together and chatted. They are both students and have only been married one month and are on their honeymoon. Ana is studying Banking and Economics and Ivor will be an architect. At present they live with Ana's parents but hope to emigrate to New Zealand or Australia. I hope they remember us and look us up if they ever come to Perth.
During the night, Guy exhibited all the classic signs of food poisoning. The squid, methinks!! Of course, Old Iron Guts was just fine so my penance was lying listening to Guy's agony and wondering if I should fetch a doctor. Somehow, we made it through to the morning but Guy was still extremely ill. And we had to move that morning!