Yo, I am in Egypt! It is very lovely. I do not want to come home. But I will, at some point. But not today! Today has been much like the day before and the day before that, either sitting around the pool or on the beach, reading my book or playing Angry Birds on Max’s itouch. We know how to live it large.
We landed on Saturday night, quite late, and didn’t escape the airport until almost 1 am, because some poor chaps were kept in immigration for about an hour. They don’t like Chinese here? Eventually they were freed and we were all allowed to leave and head for the hotel. But the long wait did give me the opportunity to prove Max wrong, something I always relish. He had mocked me somewhat when I asked before we left England if he wanted to get snacks for the plane. Nah, he’d be fine, what you want snacks for? Hah! Who wanted snacks when we were trapped on a coach for ages hmm? Who wanted my pringles and chocolate digestives then?
We managed to be the first ones off the coach when we got to the hotel and so the first to check in and get to our lovely air conditioned room and crash out for the night. We made it in time for breakfast the next morning although felt like death, then sat by the pool a bit before a meeting with our holiday rep to tell us all about the place and trips we could go on. There is not much to do in Taba itself, it is basically lots of posh hotels next to beaches to bring in tourism, and therefore jobs, so people will move out of the overpopulated cities and come here. We are right on the border of Israel. I think I can see it from the hotel room. I could happily wander across it and through security, though I would have to pay to get back in. We were warned if going to maybe not get the stamp in our passport, as it can cause problems in other countries. I would quite like an Israel stamp, if I were going, and frankly, what are the chances of me going to Iraq? Oh and in Taba you can see three countries from one spot. There’s Israel, Jordan…and another one. Brain freeze. I am also a bit miffed since I was excited to come to Egypt as I hadn’t been to Africa before, new continent and all that. Yeah, I still haven’t been to Africa as I am in the part of Egypt that’s in Asia. Grumble.
There are lots of tours that we could do, including Jerusalem and Cairo, but they all involve getting up at the crack of dawn and sitting on a coach for hours (5 there and back for Cairo) which does not sound very relaxing to me. Plus, if I wanted to see Cairo I would do it properly.
Some other highlights include:
- Wondering every day what animal-shaped towel will await us in our room. Day one was a lovely swan/heart combo with rose petals. Day two was a rather terrifying man/rabbit, with a toiletpaper face. I will post a picture when I am home. Today’s was a duck/swan, sitting up in bed reading, with the remote next to him and the telly on. I think he’d been having a lovely time before we got there.
- Trying to figure out what the godawful cover songs are that play on loop in the hotel. We’ve had Nirvana’s Come as You Are, something I think was originally by Kim Wilde, Moloko Sing it Back, all done in weird soft tempo elevator music style.
- It took me longer than it should have to realise no women work here, when you’d think I’d have twigged earlier. Also, there seems to be some sort of attractiveness scale when hiring, either that or all Egyptian men are hot, because I have yet to see an unattractive one.
- Trying not to kneecap people who don’t know how to queue. How hard is it people? You just don’t butt in!!
- Swimming in the sea. We’ll probably go snorkelling at some point. The water is beautiful and clear. Also, the weather is not too hot. I mean, it is, but there’s also a lovely breeze so I am not dying.
- Being amused by Max’s one man mission not to burn. I had thought he was like me, very pale and needs to be careful, but he is so much worse. He only has to stick his nose out from the shade for two minutes and he starts going red, no matter what factor sun cream he has on. It’s his delicate Irish skin. I have the best photo of him sitting under the umbrella with his head wrapped in a scarf, but he won’t let me post it, on pain of death. Spoil sport. I won’t be coming home with a tan though, or any colour at all I imagine. I am in the shade most of the time.
Anyway, this has gone on far too long, so if you skipped all that just know I am having a very lovely time.
*Sorry but it had to be done
Tags: egypt, holiday