Minotel Ganet Sinai Dahab

... the place up. Islam found the broader shores and commercial influence waned towards Damascus and filtered out into new sea routes, leaving the hidden citadel to the dusty storms of local time.<br><br>Bedouins in the area kept it secret from the world, until Swiss explorer Johann Burckhardt stumbled upon it in 1812 while disguised as a Muslim holy man.<br><br>The land is flat, dry bone grey around, as far as the eye can see. Then the rocks begin to form on the encroaching horizon ...

... every angle possible up on the misty mountain top. We started our descent down the mountain and noticed a sign that read "stairs to the monastery" so we decided to take that way as we thought it might be easier, well it wasn't! We took a steeeeeep flight of rocky stairs from the top of the mountain, all the way down to the monastery!!!! Our legs were trembling once we reached the bottom. This poor elderly lady was being helped down by 2 bedouin men, what an accomplishment ...

... thing. <br> &#8220;If you pay extra we can all leave now.&#8221;<br> &#8220;No, no come on now you know 30 is a good deal.&#8221; <br> &#8220;But I have two free seats.&#8221; <br> &#8220;Yes but come on now you know 30 is a very good deal. How often does this happen, a whole bus load of foreigners?&#8221;<br> He smiled &#8220;Maybe once a month.&#8221; <br> He smiled again and asked Dino what he does for a living.<br> Dino quick off the mark replied ...

... disrepair and the whole place is a building site but it does - somehow - add to the charm. Apparently this is something to expect throughout the whole of Egypt.<br><br>So thats it, thats how I spent my lovely week in Dahab - with Kerry, loads of diving, loads of Sheesha and local rum, loads of friends, loads and loads of food and even more good times. Now reluctantly I am getting on a bus and leaving otherwise I will never see all the ancient stuff I came here for! I now have a night bus to Cairo.

... took a camel ride up into the mountains and then did a short hike up one for a great view of the mountain range, the sea and Dahab. We spent some time snorkelling, first as a day trip to the Blue Hole and then just across from our hotel. The snorkelling was amazing, the coral reef itself was colourful and came in many beautiful different shapes and structures, but of course the brightly coloured fish were the highlight. A swedish ...

... as hell. Lacking any tablets to break in half, I reached deep into the recesses of my memory of 12th grade French to figure out the best way to tell them to taisez-vous. But suddenly it didn't matter. Waves of amber and orange began emanating from the Eastern horizon and the previously impenetrable darkness receded to reveal the jagged mountain ridges of the Sinai. For a brief but glorious moment, all fell silent as the orb of the sun finally crested and hovered over the horizon ...

... on to Dahab in the morning. So we took a taxi to a hotel reccomended by the airport staff. the hotel was ok...but the area was wayyyy too fancy for what we wanted and the clothes we had. We were in Naamam Bay, it look basically like Vegas and the people, all european were dressed to the nines! needless to say we looked a little out of place in our 2 day old clothes and messy hair. So we found a taxi and came on to Dahab, we got here about 2:30 in the ...

... didn't want to send them by bus to Al Tur. Apparently they can be sent to jail if a passport in their custody goes missing. So we checked in the local Moses Bay Hotel and arranged with the manager to send a driver all the way back to pick up the passports. He came back at two in the night, we were fast asleep, with all passports. Travel could continue. After breakfast we gunned up the Destinator again and went south. We wanted to go to Shark's Bay, supposedly a nice cove close to ...

... on the road without breaking the bank. <br><br>We took a local bus for nine hours from Cairo via Sharm-el-Sheik and up the coast to Dahab. Formerly a Bedouin fishing village, now it is set up for independent travellers and is accurately described as being hippie mellow and resort chic at the same time, a nice mix i think. There is the element of a touristy dive club scene here and can see why it is many people describe it as their paradise. We loved it for it's cruisy ...

(Originally published at http://www.troysgonewalkabout.com)<br>< br>We bumped into Matthias at breakfast, where I had the most non-English English Breakfast I&#8217;ve ever seen. Spam took the place of bacon, and I don&#8217;t even know what legume was the substitute for baked beans. I think I was ready for more Egyptian food again. <br><br> A local driver then took us south at great speed in an old four wheel drive to Shark Caves, where he spent the rest of the day ...