I skipped on a trip to Mt. Sinai, but it's not going anywhere, and I really just wanted to relax. As much as I'm enjoying life in Egypt so far, I feel like I'm always busy. There are only 2 nights per week that I just come home and don't go back out. Whether it's dinner, drinks, softball or walks, I feel like I'm on the go a lot more than I was at home. It's nice to have a feeling of community again. At home, as much as I love my family and friends, I always feel like I'm just that guy that pops-up for a few week and then disappears again. Here, I belong and hopefully won't be going anywhere for awhile.
Saudia Arabia across the Red Sea On my first 4-day break from school, I found myself traveling to the Red Sea with a small group of friends. The decision to go to Nuweiba, a small port town on the north-western edge of the Red Sea, was an easy one. I wanted to get away from the lights, horns and military seen everywhere in Cairo. I wanted to simplify and just enjoy serenity once again. And I didn't want to pay much for it. The ride took 6.5 hours directly from school to Nuweiba (with a couple bathroom breaks and a few more check-points). The part of the ride through the Sinai Peninsula that we could see was just barren. Being a Marylander, I'd never experienced desert like this. It was just empty, interesting and boring all at the same time. It wasn't the typical dunes that you see in movies all the time, but more little bluffs, some scrub brush and old gullies running like veins through the barren landscape. The 'Sababa Camp' in which we stayed was only about $6 per day, including a good breakfast. They had beer, shisha and pretty decent food. All meals could be consumed while laying sprawled out on pillows gazing out at the Red Sea and the distant Saudi Arabia. The accommodations were pretty basic, but I didn't need much. I had a small grass-hut with a bed, table, mosquito net, ceiling fan and a light. Considering that the only time I was in my room was for sleeping, I didn't care to have anything else; and I better enjoy it while I can handle it. I spent the days reading, listening to music, swimming and walking up and down the beach. The views were stunning; stepping out of the grass-hut and walking towards the bathroom, the backdrop was towering eroded mountains with gray, brown and black hues seemingly just meters away. On the drive in, there was a point where we could see Israel, Jordan, Saudi Arabia and Egypt with a simple turn of the head; just ridiculous. Randee, Annie and I went snorkeling one evening as the sunset behind the mountains in the west. The snorkeling was nice, not amazing, but still pretty cool. There were a ton of lion fish, one just a few feet from the boat when we jumped in, a scorpion fish and a lot of the other usual suspects. Our boat broke down on the way back, but only for a few minutes, and the guide entertained us with "Mambo #5" played by his cell phone as his partner sucked gasoline out of the line. I skipped on a trip to Mt. Sinai, but it's not going anywhere, and I really just wanted to relax. As much as I'm enjoying life in Egypt so far, I feel like I'm always busy. There are only 2 nights per week that I just come home and don't go back out. Whether it's dinner, drinks, softball or walks, I feel like I'm on the go a lot more than I was at home. It's nice to have a feeling of community again. At home, as much as I love my family and friends, I always feel like I'm just that guy that pops-up for a few week and then disappears again. Here, I belong and hopefully won't be going anywhere for awhile.
0 Comments
Your comment will be posted after it is approved.
Leave a Reply. |
MuggsJust a little journal about my life. Click 'Comments' or the Titles if you'd like to add anything. The words printed here are concepts. You must go through the experiences.
|