Dahab, Day Ithnaan: Yalla Yalla Hassan!

Something that I failed to mention during the last post was that on Thursday I stopped by the hotel's partner dive shop and signed up for a two tank dive on the following day (Friday, remember I'm kinda retro-posting here). So on Friday, the subject of this post, I woke up around 915 and got myself to breakfast in order to make it to the dive shop by 1030, as requested. On my walk to/at breakfast, however, I noticed that the winds were pretty high and the water did not look terribly hospitable.

Compare to identical picture taken Thursday morning in the previous post

The waves be jumpin

Since I wasn't feeling terribly adventurous that morning anyway, I went to the dive shop and talked to the owner about whether they would be visiting different sights if the winds were calmer the next day etc. He was more than happy to bump me to the next day for a couple reasons, first, there were already too many people during the time slot I'd signed up for, second I'd arrived an hour late. Now how did this happen you ask? Well Egypt does some silly things with it's calculation of official time. Around the same time that the rest of the world is getting itself on daylight savings time, Egypt is following suit. But then along comes Ramadan, and Egypt excuses itself from DST. As soon as Ramadan ends though, boom, back on DST. And then, ten days later, when the world is getting off DST, so is Egypt. Its confusing and messing with my brain clock, but hey, feels like Egypt. So I postponed my dive and headed instead to a new snorkeling spot, the lighthouse (also I popular dive spot, and protected from strong winds and currents). There are what looked like ruins here, pots and things, but chances are it was just modern trash, online searches haven't helped me to confirm either way just yet. Past a small sunken boat though was the beginning of the reef I'd snorkeled the previous day so I checked it out for a while and saw some new fish etc. When this was over I sat helplessly wondering what to do with the rest of my day, because you can only snorkel so much before your face feels like it's going to fall off. The fact that I can't afford sunscreen doesn't help. And suddenly I remembered that I had left dinner the previous night with a small profit in my pocket, so I walked back to my room and stopped to talk with one of the bedouins renting out their horses for rides along the beach. I left having negotiated Le50 for an hour ($10). I went back to my room to change into jeans (shorts=chaffing ow), a long sleeve shirt (no sunscreen), and tennis shoes (I'm a tourist). When I came back I was handed the reins to a beautiful white arabian.

I don't remember her name..

I followed Ali, the guide, through the streets and toward a more deserted part of the beach..

He rode with one hand and smoked with the other

... at which point he let me know that it would be an extra Le5 for him to go with me. I don't need to be asked twice whether I'd rather be left on my own or not. So he took off and instructed me to meet him back there in an hour. The horse (hassan in arabic) responded beautifully to a simple 'yalla yalla' (go, go) and we had a fantastic time galloping up and down a mostly deserted strip. We went in the sand some, but she was a little scared, especially being by herself (as Ali later told me). We were so close to the water anyway though that unless she had actually wanted to go in the water I couldn't have asked for much more. Now walking along the strip I meet a friendly bar owner and talk to him a bit. On the way back I wave again and keep going. Near the end of my hour though my little hassan starts acting up and throwing her head alot. Having watched a few kids riding her earlier and making her jump walls and rear up (while in the saddle) I didn't want to risk anything so I got off and walked her a bit till she calmed down. When I was ready to get back on though it proved a bit difficult, especially since my jeans were too tight, so the nice bar owner I mention before runs up to help me by holding the reins while I get on (a little embarrassing, but eh). As he was walking me back (he kind of wouldn't leave once I accept his help) he struck up a conversation and started asking me about where I was from, how long in Dahab etc. I told him I was from America and his eyes lit up, "My mother from America!!" If his mother is from America I'm not exactly sure how he ended up here, but he was just overjoyed that I was from the US. He then proceeded to ask my if I was Christian, and when I replied yes he got even more excited, "me too me too!!" and showed me his cross necklace and coptic tattoo (everyones doing it). He then insisted I sit and have a drink (He was way too excited so I just had water) and he talked to me more and more, culminating in the presentation of his cross necklace as a gift to me. I protested and asked why, multiple times, to which he would only reply "because I love America, I love Christian, I love you". Very loving guy. Despite my flippant narrative I can assure you this will be one of my most treasured memories and gifts from this trip.

Adryano's gift

Me, al hassan, and Adryano

Unfortunately I had a deadline to meet and I parted ways with Adryano to go meet Ali. He was a little confused as to why I was off my horse, but I explained and got back on then we set off back down the street, after he took a picture for me of course (he didn't really tell me when he was taking it unfortunately so its a bit more candid than I'd have preferred)

getting ready to head back..

The desert isn't so foreboding when the oceans at your back

I spent much of the afternoon just reading and relaxing by the pool, a little nearer to evening time I set out to take some token sunset pictures and walked along the shore until the sidewalk ended, and then I walked some more and discovered where all the locals live and such.

View from the steps of the hotel

shore after the sidewalk ends

moonrise over the mountains

nightlife from across the way

and more..

Around 830 I met up with everyone for dinner at Al Capone restaurant where we received a free appetizer, dessert, and shisha just for eating there.

noms.

The all had to leave around 1020 to catch their bus to Mt. Sinai and St. Catherines monastery. Lack of funding kept me behind, but since the shisha didn't come till around 1010 I had the entire thing to myself and smoked through two sets of coals. I was actually congratulated by two of the people working there and retired to my room feeling pretty good about life last night. Walking back the stars were perfectly clear and I could see Saudi Arabia across the water. I fell asleep thankful that I'm on this side of the Gulf.