Recovery in Dahab

New Year's Day

Wow its New Year's Day, 2004 and I am up before 9am. How incredible. Feeling refreshed and ready to tackle another day at the beach I pack my bag and head on down to the Lighthouse area. I have decided that I need to really eat some food and make sure that I take a couple of Immodiums to get through the day.

I pass a place that seems to be the only restaurant that has bacon on its menu. I had completely forgot about the whole eating of pork thing in Muslim countries. I enter the restaurant that is also on the beach with tables and chairs and lounges all spaced out enticingly along the waters edge. I order the bacon and eggs, toast, juice the whole works. I am so hungry but when it comes out it my stomach is twitching nervously so I eat only a quarter of the food.

I then settle down on the lounge and read my book. The hours whittle away and I just hang out at this restaurant for the day. Between my orders of water and sprite I read, sunbake and sleep. I wake up for a late lunch and order up big again. I have some garlic bread and pasta which I once again eat only a small amount of. The waiter is a bit suspicous and asks if everything is ok. I tell him that I am a bit sick but that the food is pretty good. I retreat back to my book and get on with relaxing. I finally decide to end the day and ask for the bill. After all the food I have eaten and the drinks I have had the bill is 50 EP. That is equivalent to 9 euro. What a steal. I walk away happy and very content. The added bonus is the tan I have acquired. Yeah.

I decide that if my stomach can handle the food from during the day the least I can do is have some fresh fish before travelling back to Cairo for my last 9 days. I go back to the restaurant from the night before and select my fish from the catch out the front of the shop. Thirty minutes later I have a feast of fresh grilled fish, a small lobster, salad, vegetables, rice and chips on my table. It is all very delicious and I gobble it down with gusto. I just pray that there are no repurcusions later. I enjoy the solitude with no hassles from anyone and continue to read my trashy romance novel. A thoroughly relaxing night.

I go back to my room early to pack for my 4am departure for Sharm el Sheikh airport. I have truely underestimated what a great place Dahab is and wish I was staying longer. I will have to come back to climb Mt Sinai and see the desert.