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, “what we were looking at?’ The answer was 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!“
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.
Kuwait City, KUWAIT