Email to Friends: Totally Out of Place In Sharm el Shiekh‏

After my days in the desert, I took a day for laundry and coming up with a plan. The travel warning of demonstrations did not amount to anything on Wednesday, but apparently el Sisi announced his inevitable run for President that day. Friday is usually the day of demonstrations and since we don't know how big they will be, I don't want to be cooped up in Elisabeth's house, driving her nuts while she tries to work. So I ruled out staying in cities such as Cairo or taking the train alone to Alexandria, and booked a flight and hotel in Sharm el Shiekh, the super touristy south end of the Sinai Peninsula. Elisabeth and I grab a delicious dinner in what will likely be my last night in Cairo, and meet up with another of her friends for shisha and coffee.

Head to the airport the next day for the 45 minutes flight to Sharm from Cairo. I get in an argument at the airport trying to catch a taxi to my hotel. I usually copy the pages of the guidebook for places I think I will be going so I am mire prepared and can chuck them out after I visit a place, making my backpack lighter as I go along. And since I didn't think I would be coming here (I originally wanted to go diving here, but my broken face is still not healed enough to dive), I have no information on the area. So I get to the airport and there is someone inside for taxis to different hotels, but it seems very expensive. Walk outside for a minute and a taxi driver approaches me and tells me it is 150 Egyptian pounds to get to my hotel that is less than 10 minutes away (in Cairo, that would be less than 20 pounds). Went back inside and asked at the stand and he said 125. Walk outside with him and the other guy starts yelling at me and tells all the airport can drivers not to take me, running behind me and yelling. I grab my pack and just walk out out of the airport to get away from him. Luckily, an older taxi driver waves me into his cab and drives me for 50, apologizing for the others and saying something about Mafia? But he keeps asking me about my relationship status and whether I have babies as he tries to kiss my hand. He received a solid reproach as I finally arrived at the resort. At least the resort is nice, has a big pool, and my room is huge and super clean.

My days are pretty routine. Eat my free breakfast alone and take the shuttle to the beach. Spend the days jumping off the jetty into the Red Sea and snorkeling in the coral reef wall right along the jetties. Saw tangs, parrotfish, trigger fish, box fish, and pipefish. One day, we saw 5 dolphins from afar and a small sea turtle came right up to the jetty. The coral looks to be in pretty good shape, and I am sad I can't dive yet. I did get to practice with my GoPro camera my parents gave me. I kind of suck at trying to stay still underwater and take photos. Out of the 50 I took, one may be good. And then pool time, a walk (to which everyone looks at me like I an nuts, since everyone is shuttled about by the numerous resort buses), shower and go into Naama Bay, the ultra-touristy, super-expensive area covered in neon with blaring disco music everywhere you turn. Annoying people call me "honey" and "sweetie" and using the same lines to try to get you to their restaurant or overpriced shop (including Chilis, McDonalds, KFC, Baskin Robbins, etc). I hate it, but it seems like the only close place to get food, since I did not get the all-inclusive package and I don't want expensive hotel Thai, Italian, buffet, or room service (the only options at the resort).

The tourists are mainly from Russia, Germany, and England. Still no Americans to be found here, but maybe they are at the Hilton or Hyatt (the Hilton just lost their license for the rape of a British woman by a hotel security guard last week so I opted for elsewhere). Everyone seems to fly directly here and then fly home. Everyone is on the all-inclusive package and they spend their days getting drunk and getting sucked into events like dancing on stage or learning how to salsa dance by these persistent, bubbly young adults in "Follow Me" t-shirts that make up the "Animation Crew". I am surrounded by leathery skinned men in banana hammocks and women that lay about topless, even though the hotel has specifically asked that they not. Many of the girls/woman dress in outfits that would make strippers blush when they head into town.

If this had been the only Egypt I had seen, I would hate it with a passion. I am the only solo traveler with most others being couples or groups of drunk guys leering at me, so I have kept mainly to myself. I am a bit lonely and VERY out of place. At least an older English couple snuck me drinks and I met a sweet Egyptian couple who speaks no English but invited me to sit with them and let me try some if the snacks they bought in Naama Bay. I don't think I will ever be an all-inclusive resort type of person, but I guess I got to see another part of Egypt and avoided getting caught up in the protest areas. But I really miss the desert campfires under endless star-filled night skies with people who are real, genuine, and honest and not just seemingly existing to see how much money they can get from tourists.

Finally all checked out and can't wait to get out of here. I have a midnight flight to Cairo and will sleep for a few hours at the airport (already scoped out the terminal that doesn't have armrests between the chairs so I can stretch out) before Elisabeth, Muhammed 1 (I am now keeping track of them by the order in which I met them), and his friend arrive for our 5:30am flight to Luxor. Likely won't have much (if any) Internet access for the week, but will send another update when I can or when I leave Egypt and arrive in Amman on April 6th.

Love,
Betsy