Christmas in the Mountains!
For me Christmas Eve 2008 will forever be remembered not for the tree, not for the party or the huge snow storm but for the amazing night sky. With candles placed in the cracks of the mountains the night sky was dark but the valley of the mountain was warm with candle light. As the candle glow faded we could see the stars dance across the night sky. When the first shooting star came out I made a wish.
Waking up Christmas morning in the mountains there was the pure beauty of nature. The sun slowly rose. The sky went from black, to dark blue to a deep shade of pink until the morning sunshine arrived on Christmas Day 2008! Merry Christmas!
The Unplanned Adventure Continues…
So after the long camel ride from the Blue Hole to Ras Abu Gallum we were eager to unpack our gear, have my new favourite drink Bedouin tea and then jump into the water.
On the surface Ras Abu Gallum is beautiful but under the water, well it is a dive paradise! Literally just meters from the shoreline is a vast, complex and incredible underwater coral reef. There was huge amounts of fire, mosaic to salad coral. Incredible vibrant coral. Schools of colourful fish swam in and out of the coral. From the moon grouper, napolean fish, bi-colour parrot fish to the odd looking humphead parrot fish each time you turn around a new fish is strolling over to you. My heart skipped a beat when a school of barracudas swam by.
Ras Abu Gallum has been a protected national park since 1993. Not only are the fauna and flora protected here, but also the habitat of the Bedouin, who still live a life relatively free from the influence of tourism. Besides our small group of people swimming in the water and two divers from Holland the only other people we saw were two Bedouins fishing, they have the right to fish in this protected area, to all others fishing is prohibited.
Getting tired we finally forced ourselves out of the underwater wonder, relaxed in the sun and then enjoyed some lunched cooked by the Bedouins. After lunch we went for a walk. As I looked across the water I saw another large mountain coastline. Just then my phone beeped to tell me I had a text message. It read, ” Wataniya (my Kuwait phone provider) Welcomes you to Saudi-Arabia! Dial 112 in case of emergency Kuwait Dipolmatic mission is 0096614883500/4883401. Call for assistance if needed.” We were so close to Saudi-Arabia that my phone actually though I was in Saudi!
We continued to walk until we came to some rocks placed in a giant circle and a line of rocks. Thinking this was some Bedouin art or symbol with historic meaning I asked the Smiling Man on His Day Off, what we were looking at. He smiled and said, ” Sometimes people get bored here.” I couldn’t help but laugh because that in a nutshell sums up the Bedouin life. Unaffected, simple and practical. They deal with the tourist but don’t let the tourist shape them. After seeing several cultures, from the people of Honduras to the Nubians, change or bend to go after the tourist dollars it was refreshing to see a people who could take or leave the almighty dollar.
Before diner we went snorkeling in search of more fish and giant turtles! Such wonderful creatures to be seen. As the sunset we prepared camp for the evening. I am not a big camping fan. Most of the time my idea of camping includes a Marriott Hotel however when pulled out the candles, unpacked giant blankets and started dinner I knew that the night sky here was worth all the hassle of camping. So far from any type of power or street lights each star in the sky sparkled the way it was created to do. It was like a black canvas filled with little bursts of pure white light.
With a backdrop like that we had no choice to head to the beach and dance under the stars! The waves rolled in and the stars sparkled down and my heart was smiling. Sometimes days blur together, you get caught up with work, routine and the ho hum of daily living. It is moments like dancing under the stars in Ras Abu Gallum that remind you that each day is truly a gift. A precious gift to be made the most of!
“Hurry. You don’t want to keep your camel waiting!“
-SMILING MAN ON HIS DAY OFF-
The Unplanned Adventure
The official tour description: Camel Safari to Ras Abu Gallum At 8:00 a.m. you will leave. You reach the Blue Hole by jeep. There you spend 2 hours snorkeling. Then you take the camel until you arrive in Ras Abu Gallum, where you can go snorkeling. You will have a Bedouin meal and tea in at tent. At about 3:00 p.m. you will leave Ras Abu Gallum by camel back to the Blue Hole. From there you will take a jeep back to Dahab. What actually happened: The tour guide and driver had partied in the mountains the night before. They arrived at 9:00 a.m. looking a little worse for wear. We stopped at the store to get water and snacks. We arrived at the Blue Hole and after a little work convinced the guide that we could snorkel at the Blue Hole for an hour before getting on the camels. There was some camel riding and some walking with camel for about and hour and a half, over crazy terrain with an incredible view. “Hello Saudi Arabia” Ras Abu Gallum was a breath taking underwater experience. The idea of riding a camel for three hours in one day was too much for any western women to handle so we spent the night eating food cooked by the Bedouins and dancing under the stars. We woke up in the morning we went snorkeling again at Ras Abu Gallum, walked the camel back to the Blue Hole, snorkeled some more. The tour ended when we drove the jeep home. I took a long afternoon nap! Sometimes the unplanned is way better then the plan! Even if I tried I don’t think I could adequately explain the sense of pure joy on this adventure. Many times I have wondered if there still exists simple peaceful non-tourist places. Today it took one heck of a camel ride over rocky terrain and mountains but I found such a place in Ras Abu Gallum; clear water, sand for miles, larger than life mountains and only a handful of people. A few Bedouin wooded houses close the shore line faces the mountains of Saudi Arabia that was across the body of water. It was perfect! 
Alright let’s talk about the camels! For those of you who have not ridden a camel, and let me tell you I was not eager to be one of those camel riding people, it can be an effective means of transportations over big and little rocks, over boulders and up and down steep hills. A camel, who has walked a path many times, sort of puts himself on auto camel and seems to just know how to find the quickest and best way to walk to any destination. Camel take off and landing taking a little getting used to but once you know what to expect it really isn’t that different from climbing on and off a horse. So having ridden three different camels from Ras Abu Gallum I am by no means any type of camel expert but I feel comfortable saying that the key to a successful camel ride is how the seat or saddle is packed. Lots of cushions and a strong saddle handles to hold on to and you are good to enjoy you ride for at least the first hour. Stay turned for more on the adventure to Ras Abu Gallum…
The Birds
My Kuwait friends might find this more interesting as they too hear the same chirping birds.
The seating area for the beach front Dahab restaurants hugs the shore line so close you can sit at your table, stretch out your feet and feel the splash of the waves.
The cooking area of the restaurants is just across the boardwalk so to let the waiters know that there orders are up they need some sort of bell. So as not to distract from the atmosphere of rolling waves and late night music they have chosen a bell that sounds just like a fluttering, chirping bird.
Yes my Kuwait friends the food is ready bell is the exact same sound as the doorbells in our apartments. Each time I heard the chirping bird I would look up, wonder who was at the door and then laugh. My apartment door was miles away from Dahab and I am on vacation. I do wonder when I get back to my Kuwait home and the door bell chirps will I wonder what is for dinner?
Always Time for Horses
Alright so I should be packing because early tomorrow morning I fly back to my home in Kuwait but really who ever likes to pack!
I sat this afternoon and wrote a little about some of my adventures in Dahab this week!
Always Time For Horses!
So as scheduled at 4:00 p.m. the horse and the guide arrived at my hotel front door. I kind of want to write that they pulled up but cards pull up to pick up guests, horses just sort of arrive or trot to the front door! At that point I was still sorting out camera batteries when I heard someone yell up to my hotel room, “Christina, your horse is here!” Now I don’t think I have ever heard anyone say that to me! I walked out the front door of the hotel and got on my horse. We were off to ride around the mountains of Dahab for two hours!
After riding camels yesterday I was a little surprised that the horse needed more direction than the camel. I think it took some time for the horse and I to sort out what was the perfect “horse speed” to travel up the mountain. The other challenge was that the horse guide had a vision for our mountain ride and I had another vision. He wanted to include a shopping trip so he could get a kickback and I did not. He kept talking to my house to get it to go shopping while I was trying to enjoy the ride.
I must say horses are pretty wise creators and the horse soon realized he couldn’t serve two masters. The guide soon also realized that he couldn’t serve two masters either. A trip to shopping in hopes of kickback would effect his tip from La Tourista!
We continued to ride as the sunset over Dahab. I watching the street and house lights come on I was again amazed at the beauty of this tiny perfect costal town.
Dahab!
One way to describe Dahab might be to call it the Middle East version of Key West. Although I’d have to say Dahab is way more interesting than Key West! Beautifully nestled on the Gulf of Aqaba, the colourful shops, unique restaurants, dive and shore excursion places paint a perfect picture along the coast line.
Like Key West larger than life personalities stand outside their shops looking to engage, entice and entertain the customer and their wallets. All during the day the tourists walk along the beach front in different layers of swim wear and wet suits.
In the morning Dahab wakes up slowly. Cleaners toss buckets of water out and with brooms scrub the cobble stoned street. Unlike the hustle and bustle of Cairo car horns are replaced by the sounds of waves crashing against the shore. The early morning divers smile and slowly wheel tanks to their boats and early morning dive destinations. Gradually shop keppers open their store windows, drink their first turkish coffee of the day, pray for happy customers and good sales.
Mid-day in Dahab is filled with laughter and stroes from the night before. Late breakfast runs into early lunch as the beach chairs that cover the coast line quickly fill up. The clothes are peeled off an for a couple miles of shorefront the sun gods and sun goddess soak up the rays.
The waves and techno continue to roll in. The morning divers return and peel off their wet suits for a while and enjoy lunch. The afternoon sun starts to fade and evening plans start to be made. I’d tell you about Dahab at night but I really have yet to experience the coastline at night. Adventures to Bedouin Villages and sleeping in the mountains under the stars have been my style thus far and that is a whole other story. (Yes, coming soon 
)
Dahab enjoys large numbers of tourists. It is world-renowned for its windsurfing. Reliable winds provide superb flat-water conditions inside Dahab’s sand spit. Further away from shore, wavy conditions couple with strong winds to provide formidable conditions for keen windsurfers. SCUBA diving and snorkelling are also popular activities with many reefs immediately adjacent to waterfront hotels. The nearby Blue Hole and Canyon are internationally famous dive spots. Land based activities include camel, horse, jeep and quad biketrips. Mount Sinai is a two hours drive, with Saint Catherine’s Monastery being a popular tourist destination.
Historically, most visitors to Dahab have been backpackers travelling independently and staying in hostels in the Masbet area. In recent years, development of hotels in the Medina area has facilitated the arrival of a wider range of tourists, many of whom visit Dahab specifically to partake in the windsurfing, diving and other activities.The word Dahab is Arabic for gold and is possibly a reference to the geographic locality; gold washed down from the desert mountains may have accumulated on the alluvial flood plain where the town was built. The name may also be a reference to the colour of the sands to the south of the town itself. Some locals attribute the name to the colour of the sky, just after sunset.
Egyptian Photo Fun At Karnak
The Karnak temple complex, universally known only as Karnak, describes a vast conglomeration of ruined temples, chapels, pylons and other buildings. It is located near Luxor in Egypt. This was ancient Egyptian Ipet-isut (“The Most Selected of Places”), the main place of worship of the Theban Triad with Amun as its head, in the monumental city of Thebes. The complex retrieves its current name from the nearby and partly surrounding modern village of el-Karnak, some 2.5km north of Luxor.
Searching for Egyptian Buried Treasure
“They painted the tomb to make it look so good! They knew we were coming!”
-Fantastically Funny Coupon Girl From Australia –
Traveling in Egypt I am constantly amazed by the fact that on a daily basis I am living a piece of history. Visiting the Valley of Kings I watched countless men hunting and un-covering the next great tomb. It is thought that only 30 percent of the tombs, temples and treasures have actually been discovered. That buried deep under the sand lies Kingdoms, Kings and countless hidden worlds. It amazing to think that in this day of discovery, from space exploration to underwater adventures so much history is hiding under the sand.
The tour director or Egyptologist the on our trip not only had a vast amount of knowledge of the past and present of Egypt but he was also a patient teacher. Answering my countless questions he helped me to understand the time consuming process of how these hidden treasures are unearthed.
When the archeologist come to a mountain or piece of land they wish to explore they have hired labor work in the hot sun to remove, by hand, the outer cover of rock and dirt. When they arrive at hard rock they make a grid, to ensure they check each part of the rock. They then drill 3 holes in each section. Depending on how soft the rock is these holes are anywhere between one and seven meters deep. In these holes they put sensors and x-ray type machines. If they discover something hollow they then begin to start digging.
At the second stage of this process, if they find a tomb, they start to dig a trench around the outside wall. Finally, and this process is that hardest part, they start to look for a way into the tomb. It is a little bit like solving a puzzle under the ground. You don’t know where the tomb or the door starts or ends.
“Rushing Through History”
As I watched some ugly tourists in the Valley of the Kings sometimes pushing, complaining and sometimes speaking very loudly I wondered what would the kings think of people rushing past their stories, their works of art or their history. It is amazing that in amongst this Disneyland like experience for trams, lines and photos for sale the treasure hunters continue to dig for an ancient civilization under ground.
They move dirt, rocks as the tourists move up and down into the tombs. They dig up history as we look up to the hieroglyphs. They basically move a piece of the mountain as we move along to the next tomb.
These men are the under appreciated angels who are rescuing another world. Hopefully one that will properly appreciated!
A Good Day at the Edfu Temple
We arrived at Edfu temple, about 60 miles north of Aswan, just after sunrise. The air was clean and it seemed that some how the sun was peaking through every corner of the temple. Before we entered the temple we took the standard tourist photos. As everyone posed for photos, the Silver Fox gracefully slide up to two Japanese tourists posing for a photo. He put his arm around them and smiled. They laughed and gleefully took their picture with him, always a kidder that Silver Fox.
I later learned that the temple had been brilliantly designed so that the sunlight could reach each corner of the temple. No electricity required to bring in the sunshine, just proper design.
Edufu was also designed so that the King could see out but nobody could see into his temple. They have also found a tunnel under the temple that leads straight to the Nile. What a wonderful escape route if needed.
As I explored the temple I branched off from the tour to follow a Bedouin man. As gatekeepers of the temples they often engage the tourist, for a small fee. It was interesting to have him point out the characters engraved on the temple walls. We walked up and down stairs. I peeked through a locked gate and wished we could stand outside. Quietly he produced a key and silently unlocked the gate for me. It was interesting to stand on the second floor of the Edfu temple, although I realized that for safety reasons it did make a lot of sense not to have large number of tourists stand on a crumbing balcony.
I sat outside the temple for awhile, soaking in the sunshine and marveling at the wonder of all the Egyptian people had created. When a kind man wished me good morning in Arabic I knew it really was a good morning.
People surprise you if you let them.
People amaze you if you let them.
A Funny!
The Aswan people say that because of the currents the Nile water is the cleanest near Aswan. Went we went to the Nubian Village someone said, “if you drink the water in Aswan you must come back to Aswan. If the tourist drinks the water they will never come back to Egypt!”
Back to the Bridge!
After living on a ship for years it is always interesting experience for me to come back to a ship as a paid guest. You enjoy life as a guest but I do believe there will always be a piece of your heart that belongs to the crew. That even longs to be crew again.
When I embarked this Nile cruise ship on Tuesday we were the first guests to arrive.
I remember thinking oh what a bother we are being those early boarding guests but it was what we needed to make our travel plans work. Later on that day I had a question for reception. The first thought that passed through my head was not I’ll go down there and ask instead I thought I’ll ask tomorrow everyone knows you don’t bother reception on embark day.
As I watched a few people interact with the crew it struck me as odd that there were some people who took the time to ask the names of those that were serving them. Such little things make a difference. I remember when sailing far from your home the small kindnesses of a guest is by no means required but is usually appreciated.
The crew on this ship were all men, all from some part of Egypt. They were fun and funny, sweet and charming. What they lacked in proper training they made up for in genuine desire to do a good job.
I do believe that it was through such kindness and desire to serve people the Silver Fox, the funniest pharmacist I have ever met, and I ended up on the bridge as we crossed parts of the Nile River.
For me walking onto the bridge was like going back to your childhood home or your old university. There was something very comfortable and familiar about being back on the bridge of a ship. I spent many days and wonderful nights watching the sunrise across the ocean, seeing the moon paint the waves and appreciating the wonder of our planet. For small periods of time in between by youth staff or crew activities I was privileged enough to catch a glimpse of the life of a sailor.
Now there are many, many differences between a Nile Cruise ship and the mega, major cruise lines but for me one of the most striking differences is how you never see or hear about the captain of the ship.
Sometimes things in the Middle East get close to what I know but there is always that wonderful Middle Eastern twist the makes things special. So walking onto the bridge I had no idea what to expect. In the middle of the bridge sat the captain’s chair, a large wooden chair with a decorative flower print pillow. A joystick was used instead of a steering wheel but like many mega ships the old wooden wheel was still there. Beside the main control panel was three silver gear shifts to power up or down the engine.
The man driving the ship had no stripes on his arms. He was dressed in his brown dishdasha, his sandals resting on the floor near his feet as he skillfully steered us through the lock system. It was perfect!
As we went through the lock the tourism police sat on the outside of the bridge, with a large machine gun resting comfortable on their lap. It was a little odd for me to see such a large fire arm out in the open, on a bridge but perhaps necessary. We are in a day and age where pirates are making a come back. It is better safe then sorry.
I stayed on the bridge for hours, having tea, playing with one of the children that lives on-board, honking the horn at passing ships and enjoying trying to speak with the captain. His English was limited and my Arabic needs work a lot of work. At one point in the afternoon the second captain came up so that the first captain could go for his time to pray. He places a prayer mat outside the bridge and made a spiritual connection. It was so natural.
It was great to feel back at home. If only for an afternoon on a cruise ship on the Nile!
At The Airport! From Cairo to Sharm El Shek!
There are a ton of great travel stories from our Egypt adventure that will be written soon. Most likely as I hang out and watch the waves roll in Dahab. Right now this is just a little status update. I am at Cairo airport waiting for my flight to Sharm El Shek.
Bring on the sun, sand and surf! I have seen enough pyramids and temples so it is time for a change of scenery!
Wish you were on your way to the beach with me!
Horns…
In Egypt we don’t drive cars, we don’t drive vans, we don’t drive trucks, we drive horns!
-Horns the Music of Egypt-
So much history..so much beauty…
Sometimes when you are in a museum where there is so much beauty, such deep history and incredibly unique artifacts you just have to stop. Stop moving, stop spinning and start to find a way to take it all in. A way to create a lasting memory of the cultural richness that surrounds you.
So today when I was in the Egyptian Museum I sat down under the colossal pieces of hard limestone that were put together and carved to create larger then life images of King Amenophis III and his Queen. From the Temple of Madinet Habu: XVIIIthe dynasty. I looked at great stone inscribed with even greater details of Egyptian history. As I read a translation of the inscription where King Amenophis III recalls all he has done for the temple of Amun I began to wonder how will historians remember or display the was we record our history?
“Restoration consists of the methodological moment in which the work of the artist is recognized in its physical being and in its dual aesthetic and historical nature in view of its transmission to the the future.”
Ceasare Brandi, The Theory of Resotartion
So that history may continue………
360 Degree View From The Citadel in Cairo
So as I walked out of the Citadel in Cairo, a historic Egyptian Mosque, an older life-weathered Egyptian man shouted to me,” Mrs. Obama. I had to smile for even this far after the actual election Obama mania continued and has spread across Egypt. he Egyptian man continued to shout at me. When I asked him who the Canadian Prime Minister was he had no idea. As my taxi cab driver explained to me later that night Egyptians do not like any type of war. He said,” We like Obama because right now he plans to get out of the war business. We shall see what he actually does and if we keep liking him!”
The view from the Citadel is 360 degrees of amazing Cairo!
A Day Of Pyramids and More!
Where to begin, where to begin!
So our day of excursions was incredible today. We started by traveling to the Great Pyramids of Giza! Seeing the pyramids in the daylight is a whole other experience. My mother says that in the daylight they look taller and much more rugged. I am sure she is not describing my father but is in fact talking about the seventh wonder of the world the Pyramids of Giza!
We arrived to the Pyramids, bought our tickets to go actually go inside the second pyramid and left our cameras on the bus. We left our cameras on the bus because you are not allowed to take pictures inside the pyramid. I don’t really believe this is to preserve such a historic monument but more because if people saw photos of inside they would not make the crazy miner like climb down into the burial chamber. However it was a once in life time thing and we all climbed down and then up and then back down and then back up and out. We saw the sarcophagus in the middle part of the climb!
Outside we walked around, took lots of photos, climbed the outside of the pyramids. The official tourist police even helped us climb in areas that we restricted, for a small fee. Gotta love when you bribe the police for good pictures! The Sphinx was cool and will have to do a little more research on the power of the Sphinx.
We headed off to Memphis to see the statues of Ramess and then we went to see the oldest pyramids at Sakkara. We also have become much better hagglers and my mom and Aunt Mary can now dismiss a determined vendor in Arabic. Halas, La Shukran Momma O!
In the evening we went to see Beit al-Harrai House, an 18th-century mansion. We listened to the musicians warm up their autoharps before the concert. We were shown a “secret” door from a compartment in a wall. This lead to a great evening view on the roof top. We also saw a lathe but aren’t sure what century it was from.
We ended with Dinner at Johnny Carrinos on the banks of the Nile. For all you Kuwait readers the Egyptian version of Johnny’s has bread just as good!
We are not sure about internet access the next couple of days as tomorrow night we are boarding our sleeper train to Aswan and then on our Wednesday our heading onto our Nile Cruise for three days! We will keep you posted when we can!
Ladies from Egypt saying goodnight to all!
Driving out to the pyramids I was struck by how close the pyramids are to civilization, to a main road and to the tourist shops. Very impressive structures none they less however I do wonder what they were like before they because a major tourist destination.
Each day the sun sets on the bustling city of Cairo, and the famous pyramids on the Giza plateau, south of Cairo, are absorbed into the night sky. These colossal structures are never out of sight completely, as they reawaken at night during the magnificent Sound and Light Show. Thousands of years have passed since the Pharaohs walked the Earth, but with your imagination, they will appear before your eyes. History comes to life with each show and provides the audience with a magical experience of learning about ancient Egypt, while staring up at the pyramids….
Tonight that is exactly what we did. Stare up at the pyramids and wonder. Wonder about the history, wonder about how they have stood the test of time and wonder what they would look like in the sunlight. Tomorrow we will find out… at least about what they look like in the sunlight!
Notes from Egypt!
Being that Egypt is now the second country in the Middle East that I have been to I find my observations are now filled with some comparisons. First of all the driving in both countries, Kuwait and Egypt, is well a little zany. However in Cairo it is so wild that at most major intersections where they have traffic lights they also have places real live police officers. Why you ask? Due to the fact that a majority of the drivers here simply ignore all the traffic lights. So the government solution to try to keep some sort of traffic order is lots and lots of traffic police!
Now I knew people in Kuwait enjoyed using their horn but the people in Egypt, while it is like the are constantly talking to other drivers with their horns. If you close your eyes in Cairo and simply listen to the sounds of the city you here the musical beeping of a variety of horns. From big loud truck horns to high pitched cab horns to these cars that have horns that start loud and then fad away. Five times a day the sound of the horns is drowned out by the call to prayer. When you come to the city the constant horn sound is a little shocking but as you adjust to the culture you can hear the rhythm in the horn section.
When I first arrived in Kuwait a wise man told me that I would soon adjust to the differences in the Middle East. When he told me this I was pretty sure I must have thought he was wrong that this would never be the case. As usual he was right. There are so many things that I didn’t even realize I had adjusted to until I listen to people who were new to the country ask questions about.
It is very interesting how coming here has also helped to improve my Arabic and bring on a new found desire to learn more arabic words. Ahhh the wonders of vacation!
Hope where ever you are this holiday season your vacation opens your eyes to something new!
Good Morning from Cairo!
Hello and good morning from The Cairo Marriott Hotel ! Click on the name of the hotel to see some photos of the grand, gold palace we are staying in! It is now travel with two Oastler’s and one Waugh as my Mom and Aunt have arrived in the Middle East too! We are off to explore old Cairo this morning and a few bazars. Cameras in hand there will be lots of tourist photos! Tonight we are going to see The legendary sound and light show playing at world renowned Pyramids of Giza, Temples of Karnak, Philae and Abu Simbel; four of the UNESCO World Heritage sites!
Kuwait City, KUWAIT