New Year's Eve in Dahab

New Year's Eve

Well after I arrive at the airport, I spend an uncomfortable couple of hours waiting for my plane. I have a relapse of the Pharoah's Curse and the poor English guy I'm talking with is very tolerant when I continue to interrupt our conversation every 20 minutes so that I can run off to the bathroom. I find my medicine and wait for the Immodium to take effect.

Waiting for the plane to leave at the Luxor Airport is uncomfortable. The waiting area is divided into two sections but there is no information on what time our plane is leaving or from what section. My travel agent had said that the plane leaves at 8.30pm but I look at my ticket and it says 10.20pm. I feel pretty angry so I go to get a drink and some chewing gum and peppermint lollies to help with my stomach but put the three items back when they want to charge me 20 EP. Once again a matter of principle but these three items would have cost me around 6 EP if I had bought them in Luxor from a normal shop and that is getting ripped off with tourist prices there.

I try and look outside the terminal to see if our plane has arrived and I see it sitting outside looking very lonely. I don't understand why we are still waiting when there is only one plane waiting to take off. Its not as if we have 50 planes to compete with like they do in Heathrow etc. This is a bit unsettling for me and I get pretty frustrated and impatient. Then the staff call passengers boarding the plane that is leaving for Cairo after ours to board. I didn't know where that was so I assumed they were going to use our plane. There is so much confusion within the small airport waiting area that I just sit back and allow others to figure out what is going on. Finally after waiting another 15 minutes, we are asked to board but because it is only a person yelling out and not a PA announcement I don't understand anything and believe its for another plane. I remain in my seat. It is not until there is a final boarding announcement (once again someone yelling out) that I get up and ask which plane it is and realise that its for my plane. I grab a bus and board the plane which thank god looks new.

I finally arrive in Sharm el Sheikh at 11.40pm very tired. I meet up with my transfer and begin the journey from Sharm to Dahab which can take up to 90 minutes. We arrive around 1am after going through some amazing canyons that I can only see from the illumination of the moon. I pass through numerous check points that are manned by the ever vigilant tourist police and military (NOT!!!). Most of these guys are sleeping and we even had to beep the horn once to wake someone up to open the gate. Really tight security.

My accomodation in Dahab turns out to be really nice. Well it should be for 30 euro per night. That is nearly 240 EP. It clearly is one of the most expensive places there. My room is huge and clean. I fall asleep as soon as my head hits the pillow in my first queen size bed of my trip so far.

Waking around 9am to the sounds of families (speaking in Italian) getting ready to go to the beach and of course the sounds of the small waves lapping the beach in front of our hotel was a very pleasant change to the normal street sounds that have greated me up till now. I look outside for my first daylight view of Dahab and congratulate myself on spending the extra money to get over to the Sinai. It is beautiful.

I quickly get dressed and join a few other late risers enjoying their buffet breakfast in the restaurant overlooking the water. I am in heaven. I eat sparingly because I am still a bit sick and then go out to hit the beach.

Walking along the boardwalk that seperates the beach from the accomodation is just so relaxing. I can choose numerous camps that have sunbeds and tables and chairs etc under canopies and palm trees or just lie on the sand. These camps all offer food and drinks so whilst working on my tan or reading a book I can order whatever I want and have it brought to me. I walk further around from the accomodation area to the more sheltered section of Dahab where all the restaurants are. The wind is very strong and I really want to sit on a sunbed and relax and not feel the cold. I find the ideal place and whip out my book whilst relaxing in my swimmers. In the waters in front of me are people learning how to dive or having their first dive. I have settled down in a section called the Lighthouse and it is a wonderful way to spend the day.

After spending the day in the sun and meeting a nice girl from New Zealand I retreat back to my room in the late afternoon. It is New Year's Eve and I have agreed to meet up with this girl and her friends for some dinner later. But first I want to take a walk and check out some of the other things to do in Dahab. I go for a walk in the opposite direction as I did during the day and come across some boys offering camel rides. Knowing how painful this is I don't take them up on their offer and continue to walk along the boardwalk.

Once I return back to my room, I take a quick disco nap to help me get through the night. I am still exhausted but put on a brave face to at least see in the New Year. I meet up with the New Zealand people at a restaurant but decline their generous offer of some food and stick to water. We have some interesting conversations and then I run into some Italian guys I had met in Luxor at the Karnak Temple.

I join them and then we make our way to a nightclub up the road. It is full of Australians and New Zealanders. Supposedly a tour group called On the Go had at least 250 Australians in one of their tours along with all the other groups and independent travellers from Down Under. It was a little too much for me and after seeing in the New Year I walked home around 1am.