Vindication--a bit
Being a female in Egypt, especially a solo female traveler, does not have many perks. You're hit on by every shady guy in sight, often hassled and hustled, and rarely feel entirely secure.
Today I went snorkeling around the Lighthouse (beautiful) and the Eel Garden coral reef areas. The latter is right in front of the hostel here. It is also the latter that somewhat made up for my experiences as a female traveling in Morocco and Egypt. As I was making my way over to the end of this more shallow and not-so-good part of the reef, I ended up constantly bashing my feet and fins (which I rented after a particularly bashy--and bloody--run in with the reef earlier in the day, IJW 0: Reef 1). These three Egyptian boys rescued me on their surfboard, which they were paddling around and using as a base to spear exotic fish (for sport, or perhaps for food, I'm not sure). Then one of them took my hand and guided me around the entire reef like a tour guide, pointing out different types of fish, camoflouged fish in the rocks...it was spectacular. It was like my own private aquarium all around me, and now I am very excited about the diving course (eek, I have lots of studying to make up tomorrow). Anyway, he did try to put his arm around me while swimming, at which point I merely peeled his hand off and pushed it away while shaking my head; then he stopped. Seriously I can see why this is the best diving in the world. I saw a lion fish, swordfish, one of those blow fish things, eels, and at least three dozen other varieties of fish. Geez it was beautiful.
And now, in a couple hours I will be leaving (at 11 p.m. local time) for Mt. Sinai. When we get there at about 1:30 or 2 a.m., we will hike for about three hours and then catch the sunset on top before climbing back down and checking out the museum there, with a "descendent" of what is believed to be the burning bush, and then head back to Dahab...arriving around 11 a.m. Whew, I bet I'll be exhausted. Dive classes start the next day!
Anyway, here's hoping I have the energy to make the climb and that it isn't too freezing up top. Holler at y'all tomorrow.
Today I went snorkeling around the Lighthouse (beautiful) and the Eel Garden coral reef areas. The latter is right in front of the hostel here. It is also the latter that somewhat made up for my experiences as a female traveling in Morocco and Egypt. As I was making my way over to the end of this more shallow and not-so-good part of the reef, I ended up constantly bashing my feet and fins (which I rented after a particularly bashy--and bloody--run in with the reef earlier in the day, IJW 0: Reef 1). These three Egyptian boys rescued me on their surfboard, which they were paddling around and using as a base to spear exotic fish (for sport, or perhaps for food, I'm not sure). Then one of them took my hand and guided me around the entire reef like a tour guide, pointing out different types of fish, camoflouged fish in the rocks...it was spectacular. It was like my own private aquarium all around me, and now I am very excited about the diving course (eek, I have lots of studying to make up tomorrow). Anyway, he did try to put his arm around me while swimming, at which point I merely peeled his hand off and pushed it away while shaking my head; then he stopped. Seriously I can see why this is the best diving in the world. I saw a lion fish, swordfish, one of those blow fish things, eels, and at least three dozen other varieties of fish. Geez it was beautiful.
And now, in a couple hours I will be leaving (at 11 p.m. local time) for Mt. Sinai. When we get there at about 1:30 or 2 a.m., we will hike for about three hours and then catch the sunset on top before climbing back down and checking out the museum there, with a "descendent" of what is believed to be the burning bush, and then head back to Dahab...arriving around 11 a.m. Whew, I bet I'll be exhausted. Dive classes start the next day!
Anyway, here's hoping I have the energy to make the climb and that it isn't too freezing up top. Holler at y'all tomorrow.
posted by IJW at 11:50 PM
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