Egypt

We went to Sharm El Sheik for the weekend and had a brief respite from here. The weather, if possible, was even hotter than here without the benefit of a constant breeze. Water temperature was about 30 C and the air 41 C. There isn't a beach as we know it, basically a very coral, rocky bottom with knee deep water for 70 feet or so and then very deep and fast drop off. The current is very strong so swimming is not recommended. The picture is really from where you sit and the beach is that far away even though it is considered beach front.

Naama Bay is commercial, it has a Hard Rock Cafe, need I say more? We stayed about 5 kilometers away in a quieter and more remote location that we thoroughly enjoyed, my spa bill alone is enough to indicate how much. Actually, the exchange rate with the Egyptian pound is favorable. Just to give you an idea, 5 massages (no, I didn't have all of them, David scored three of them for himself), a pedicure, manicure and facial came to about $400 US, not too bad by US standards. The rooms only cost $100 or so dollars a night for a suite with a full kitchen, dining room and 2 balconies so it's a cheap enough getaway.

As you can see by David's picture, he starts to look more native as time passes. No one believed that he wasn't Egyptian. They would rattle on in Arabic not realizing we were catching about every fifth word.

Date palms are everywhere but except for the interior of the hotel compound, it is truly a desolate landscape. The view of the mountains is fairly typical of the way it looks.
OK, just had to have this picture- horn is the second language in the middle east- this just cracked me up as it was a "no horns" sign in the commercial district. Blessed silence.