Trip to Ein El Sokhna Saturday 27th May2006

Me by the sea just after the first swim

Esin and I














The Ein Sokhna beach














Angela rolling in the sand














Daniel entertaining us with his guitar
















Sea level has gone down


After organizing with Peter and Angela we decided that we needed to get out from Cairo for the day so after a suggestion of Mohamed Saadany (colleague from work) we decided to go to Ein El Sokhna.

Peter picked me up at home and then we were off to meet the rest of the guys at 0830 in front of Star capital 3 (work yuuuuuuck) which is close to City stars Mall.When we got there i found Simona, Esin and Angela waiting and after the short introductions we still has to wait for Angela's friend Daniel which was running a tinny bit late. After a few Min's he arrived and we were ready to head out to Ein El Khan.

Took the road and we got lost a bit when we were around Maadi, not because we could drive but because of the typical Egyptian directions and signs, which Toledos us to go right and then suddenly it was not that way ........... hahahahahaha.
We stopped and asked a guy on the side of the road and he told us we had to do a U-turn and follow the signs of the road to Hurghada (which is another amazing beach in the Red sea but a bit too far for a day trip( over km away). We found our way and the road was sooooo amazing, it was almost new, almost no cars at all which gave us total freedom to push the car a bit into the 120-130Kmph.

In no time( i should say about 1,5hrs max) we arrived in Eon El Sohna and after a bit of local shock as its located in the Gulf of Suez (Suez canal) there are allot of factories and oil refineries.But our destination was not the visit to the Oil Refinery, we were heading towards Stella DE Mare which is like a village complex created with tons of villas and a few hotels. One of my little dreams to buy a small villa so you guys ( my friends) can come and chill with me or by yourselves whenever you want.After a few wrongs turns and getting a bit lost inside (yes it was kind of a big place) we finally were given directions by Peter's friend Albert.We arrived on the beach!!!!!!!

Finally we were going to swim and feel that bloody hot blinking sand in between my toes ( not a nice thing at 1200 o'clock) Anyway !!!!We didn't know that we had to have like a sort of card to get on the beach ( yes unfortunately in Egypt most beaches have an " I Own You" kind of thing and you can still find some spots which aren't "bought".After Peter managed to solve the issue we went in, found ourselves a nice spot under the huge umbrella, then Angela and Daniel were starving so they were off to breaker (breakfast).

We all got out beach gear (swimming costumes) out and we were ready to chill and rest.Sunbathing was a condition that even using children's factor 30 with extra protection the sun was "cooking" my skin, so we all moved to the shade.Simona decided to have a snooze and Esin was the first to adventure on the water which was like 2-3 meters away from our beach umbrella. She came back so happy and was cheering as the water had a wonderfully warmth and the whole sea bed was sandy (apart from some areas full of mud). Yes natural Mud from the algae.

Then it was our turn to go to the water, i dont quite remember if Simona went after or if me and Peter went later, anyway it doesn't matter as its was not a beach competition.We just stayed by the sea and sunbathing and swimming.Then Simona decided to stay behind resting so Esin, Daniel, Peter, Angela and I decided to have a water fight, played so long and getting on top of each others shoulders (can you believe that Peter was able to carry me?) I was shocked and worried about his back as I'm sooooooooo overweight.

Esin finally succumbed to the idea of giving it a go and getting on my shoulders for a water fight with Angela on Daniels shoulders. After a bit of wrestling Angela finally fell in the water and we scored points but we were so tired by then we decided to have some rest and dry up.Later me Peter, Simona and Esin took a peddle boat and we were off taking photos and 45 Min's we called it enough as we were supposed to take it only for Min's as the sea levels were going lower and lower and we could see all the small puddles forming around us so we couldn't peddle anymore.

Back to the towels for some sun and Daniel was playing guitar. Peter and I decided to go and search for food which was a blessing as the Pizza sausage was a delight to our stomachs, but then we got tired and decided to go and rest hehehehhehehe.Nothing better than a snooze after eating.Daniel was still playing guitar and it was sooooooooo amazing to sit there listening to him playing all those different chords and hearing the sea becoming rougher through the distance and all the silence surrounding us, apart from the odd loud pitch or rough Egyptian slang being spoken around us, or the tourists around us. There were lots of Italians and a few French people around.

Angela and I after a while became bored so we decided to dig a sand hole and bury our selfs which with Esin and Peter's help was a truly sweaty experience, specially when we were trying to come out and all the sand had become so heavy on us and we couldn't move, that was funny. Peter and Daniel also wanted to experiment so we helped them to get under that soft sand (what hard work digging those holes). I say that cause its early morning and I'm sitting by my laptop making this trip an immortal one with my words and my shoulders are killing me.

We had to start getting ready to leave as it was already PM and we all didn't want to get back to Cairo too late so it was time for the last swim. After I convinced Peter, Esin & Angela to have a face mask done right there by the sea with that algae mask i found allover the sea bed. They all looked at me really weird but i managed to convinced them that it was gona be good. Our skins looked so clean and amazingly bright even though that some people didn't believe that till today..... what it matters is that i had a free mud mask by the sea, and i swear next time I'm going there i will be collecting some and rubbing my whole body with it cause my face skin today, even though after all that sun, and without any cream looks so fresh and clean....... lets see if the guys agree.

Then it was the time to get ready and pack the car and leave as the sun was going down and it became dark Peter let me drive his car. Gosh it has been so long since I last drove. all was going well till I saw this bloody van coming into my lane, and thats when i panicked and after a few minutes i was ready to give Peter back his car as it all became too much.We dropped the guys in Heliopolis and then me and Peter waited for a cab who would take them home.He dropped me off home and it was the end of a glorious day.

Yes it was lovely to come home and Sherif (my flatmate) to tell me he had fixed the air con in my bedroom.Guys you have no idea how cool it is to just be able to sit in your bedroom without sweating.

It was almost AM when i finally gave up being awake and decided to go to sleep with a cold bedroom where i didn't have to sweat all night (problem being every time it got too warm i had to get my ass of bed and switch on the air con).

Now i just have to wait for the photos, which should be on their way pretty soon I hope ( Peter and Esin please hurryyyyyyyy).

Its now AM and i have been awake since AM. I think its time to go for a nap.

Cant wait for a new adventure.

Watch this space and thank you for reading.

Love rules! Peace makes the World shine!

P.S. I have now been here for 4 months, time flies when you are having fun.

My true color is Blue !!!

Nuno, your true color is Blue!
You're blue — the most soothing shade of the spectrum. The color of a clear summer sky or a deep, reflective ocean, blue has traditionally symbolized trust, solitude, and loyalty. Most likely a thoughtful person who values spending some time on your own, you'd rather connect deeply with a few people than have a bunch of slight acquaintances.

http://web.tickle.com/color/

Here you have my new cousins Miguel & Pedro

Photos May 2006

Beary and I February 2006









me on my bed
May 2006

Free Translation

A break for Coptic Easter,

It all started by crazy Angela convincing me to go on this trip with her and her flat mates and some other guys which we both didn’t know very well.

So we then decided that we would go to Sharm, Nuweiba and Sait Catherine’s (in Sinai).
We started looking for accommodation and here and there and because it was such a busy period we ended up booking accommodation in sharm the day before for cheap price in a hostel (Youth Hostel) which was simple but it was cool for what we wanted, in nuweiba we didn’t book anything and we just left it to faith.

We left Cairo on Wednesday night at 0100am by bus all the way to Sharm. If you ever travel by bus use SUPERJET much better and more comfortable than EAST DELTA but then I was very excited about the trip and the guys were ready to sleep, Angela still spoke a bit with me and I introduced myself to the other guys and then was listening to some music.
We finally stopped at 5am half way into Sharm where my ass was screaming and my back damaged, we got off and desperately run for the loo which was not available on the bus (not that I saw)……………

After a few shakes and jumps I was ready to get moving and took some amazing pictures from the sunrise in the mountains, as the sky was not cloudy I solarised them and it looks fantastic. After a few chats with the boys (of course Angela had to get her beauty sleep as well as the rest of the girls) we finally reached Sharm at 0800am and it was blazing hot (imagine by lunch hr) so we caught a cab and made our way to the hostel where we waiting for many hrs till rooms were ready, once we got into the rooms (boys in one side and girls in the opposite side of the building).

I unpacked and rested for like 1 hr, we went out and hit the town, walked around looking for a place to eat and then we sat by the beach and swam (or the other way around) lets just say I wasn’t fully sober by then.
As we sat on the beach (which you have to pay to sit on as public beaches are rare) we were asked to leave or pay so we just got up and started walking by the shore and we walked and then decided that it was time to fill our tummies so we headed to a fish restaurant (also published on Lonely Planet, Thank you Sarah for the excellent choice) and then head back home, we drank a few beers and a few smokes later we decided to call it a night as we had to get up at 03am to watch the sunrise from the mountains. No sleep for the 2nd night..

Ok so we got to the place where we were supposed to meet a guide who would take us on those beach buggies through the desert as to watch sunrise but unfortunately a bloody English couple who was coming with us was late and we waited for them so long by the time we left the sun was up already!!!!!!

Oh well we still drove through the sandy desert and stopped by a Bedouin camp where we had tea and I decided to escalate a mount with Mustafa and Crunchy (Ahmed) while Angela was so entertained taking pictures of us LOL.

Then I had a great experience of adrenaline which was driving back to the start point, I wish I had the freedom to have speeded through the sandy desert and on the main road where the grip to the tiers was so light and I felt like I was flying while Crunchy sitting in the back kept telling me to slow down before I could hit the buggies in the front.

We headed back to the hostel where we went for a horrible breakfast at the canteen of the hostel, and then went for a nap (which us boys didn’t really get).
After a couple of hrs we went to the beach where we decided to go snorkeling.
Really it was amazing looking at all those corals and fish swimming next to you but I have a problem I cant stand the mask as it blocks my nose and I cant breath through my mouth and when I saw all those jelly fish swimming around me I had a panic attack and left the water while the guys enjoyed looking at all the different sites and corals.

After 2 hrs snorkeling we were hungry so we went to eat, when Sarah decided to go after a restaurant that was on the Lonely Planet guide (pls guys make sure it’s a walking distance cause we walked like 3 hrs..!!!!) No harm Sarah hehehehehe
Then we had planned that we would treat ourselves to a nightclub so we went to get tickets for Pasha which is a must be place in Sharm.
Back at the hostel we got chilled and few drinks and smokes, we headed off to meet the girls who by that time had gone through the biggest adventure ever which was escaping from the Hostel as they had a curfew and they had to jump 1 big wooden gate. As per laughs later Angela confessed she had her heel stuck on the gate as a piece pf wood had broken and Sarah had to help her to be released from that stuck on me moment …………… lol I wish I had been a fly.

The night a Pasha was cool until everyone went in their own way and I found myself standing in the middle of the extremely large dance floor in open air with different stages and swimming pool, nice comfy sofas and good looking waiters all around hehehehehehehe

By 4am the whole night was over and we were pretty stoned, drunk, tired from the intense days without sleep, so we got back to hotel again and one again Charlie’s Angel’s (Sarah, Angela and Esin( previously wrotten Yesin by mistake) had to jump the gates as to not break the curfew and pretend they had spent the night there.

At 0830am the 3 girls and me decided to leave hostel and head for bus station as we had plans to go to Nuweiba.
We all slept and rested for the 3 hrs it took to reach Nuweiba.

Can you imagine yourself in the middle of no where not many houses and the bus has dropped you there and you are with your 3 friends, you are the only guy who has to defend the girls and you feel like you want to scream? YES that’s what happened to me!
There we were being harassed by a taxi driver who wanted to rip us off for a small cab ride which 30mins later after lowering to a staggering price we took the cab and it was time for another Lonely Planet restaurant which was clean, food was amazing and people were so friendly.
After the meal Esin and Sarah wanted to go to cash point so Angela and me said behind and had coffee and I decided to check the radio were we found Brazilian music. We were so happy and marveled that in the middle of Sinai we could actually hear Brazilian music, words that we could understand and relate to, bring us memories of our countries and our friends…………….. aiiiiiiiiiiiii aiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii

The 2 girls were back and with transportation too. A pickup truck, which was going in the Camp’s direction. After a zillion stops we arrived to Ayash Camp (also know as Mubarak Camp). At first the simplicity shocked me a bit but this was the main reason I had traveled all those kilometers for. Sarah also panicked and we kind of settled in to our huts by the water.
Angela couldn’t believe she was seeing so many hippies, which made her even more excited.
The girls cabin was amazingly place higher in the small hill where you could just sit and totally space out with so much peace and quiet.
Then we found out that some other guys from work were also close by just like 10mins walk to the next camp Emile, Sherif and the other 2 guys I have forgotten their name ..... !!!!
You know names and me!!!!

After chatting for a while and having some drinks the hunger hit us and we all went to eat in the restaurant of Castle Beach camp where the guys were staying and we had an amazing meal, then we just sat around chilling, talking, drinking, smoking, telling stories.
After a while we decided it was time to crown the bottle of whiskey Angela had brought so we got a bottle of Coke and the guys had ice so we headed in the dark to the girls cabin where we drank, laughed and smoked till early hrs in the morning. We tried to wait for the sunrise but the alcohol, the tiredness got to us so we all headed to our own huts.
Early morning came and I woke up with flies pissing me off with the buzzing in my ears……….. I could have just killed them all. GRRRRRRRRRRRRRR

Then we went for breakfast and Atef and his friend arrived to the camp with their friend Valerie. The guys decided to share a cabin with me, which was cool, shame we didn’t spend much time together. Then we found out that Mustafa and Hossam (also Equant colleagues) had arrived to the camp and we went to meet them.
We spent all the day together, went to buy beers, had lovely food and once again not much sleep and lots of bad things for the body, but we rested loads.

Spiritually for me it was amazing going to Nuweiba, the return journey to Cairo was amazing as we passed some beautiful spots before reaching Taba where there had been so mixed up with the overselling of tickets. After a few arguments and me loosing my temper with the non Egyptian organizational skills we headed off back to Cairo where I found my friend Peter waiting for me at the bus station. After this he took me home and I tried to get back to my normal routine.

Here you are guys, after 3 weeks of being back I finally finished the tell.
For sure I will go back, it’s a romantic and calm place to be.

Love to all of you and Peace to the World.