We left Luxor minus the sheesha/hooka/nargila or what ever you want to call the Arab waterpipe. The story of why goes like this: smartly we though we would first check out the post office to see if, like Morocco, they were set up with all shapes and sizes of boxes for use to send goods home easily. Upon asking the first employee of the post office, we were directed to the guy sitting next to him. So, we asked again. After we explained what we were looking for, a box big enough to fit a sheesha, he went on to ask if we were buying today and if so he had a friend and we should buy today because he was almost finished work (it was 2:30 in the afternoon) and we would get Egyptian price from his friend. So....we walked out and gave up. Let's just home we can actually buy one in another Middle Eastern country with a bit more ease.
Our adventure that day continued with the bus ride to Hurghada. We booked the bus at the ticket office near the train station, as directed by the woman at the tourist information office. We arrived early to the station. As we sat and waited for our bus, we couldn't help but notice that other than two innocent looking asian girls, we were the only non-Egyptians taking this particular bus. This would be fine in other countries, (we took a few local buses in Morocco) but according to what we had read, tourists in Egypt were suppose to travel in convoy with a police escort from Luxor to Aswan or to the coast. No police escort was present when the bus departed. None followed us at what we believe was the meet up point near the airport. So, we are still unsure as to whether or not we were at risk traveling through al-Qaeda territory without protection.
Nevertheless, we got to Hurghada safe and sound and out of there quickly by fast ferry to Sharm, where I sit right now at an internet cafe writing this on a English/Russian keyboard.
We are off to the supposedly much more laid back town of Dahab on the 12th to learn how to scuba. I believe I will be fully recovered by then.
As for pictures, the current computer I am using is not modern enough to handle our camera, so those will have to wait a bit.
I meant to mention in my note from yesterday, we are pretty happy, with the current climate in the Middle East being what it is, to have decided to fly to Thailand on the February 8th in order to travel through South East Asia for three months before heading back to finish the tour of the Med.
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2 comments:
Perhaps there are so few Westerners travelling towards Gaza that they've pulled off the escorts? Are there many people where you are now? I read that Dahab was an Israeli town for awhile after the 6-day war in 1967. I think it said it was given back to the Egyptians in 1982. I hope you find it nice there. Maybe you'll get some good deals.
Yay! Sounds like fun times! Hope all is well. I am in Thailand in March! Kinda near you guys! I wish I had a schedule where I could get away and come to you wherever you might be! :S Oh well. We are looking forward to seeing you guys this summer in the Med!!!!!! Miss you both tons! xo
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