From Hugarda!

[aggienaut]

   Friday night - I'm walking to a club in Hugharda (sp?) with my three new Egyptian friends. Of my travel companions, Amalie and Aaron have gone to Cairo to pick up another one who's joining us, Tonja, and Mark is feeling under the weather for the evening, so I'm surrounded by nothing but Egyptians. Egyptians and Russian tourists.
   And I'm wondering why people in the club are wearing costumes. Is this some theme of the club or something?

   And then it suddenly hits me. Oh my god, it's been Halloween all day and I never realized!!

   A new low for halloween (in completely failing to observe it), or a new high (by experiencing it emersed deep in Egypt?)

---

   Since last update, we flew across the red sea from Sinai to Hugarda here on the coast of mainland Egypt. We'd heard horror stories about the Sharm el Sheikh airport we were departing from but they must have renovated it because it was totally top notch (and a giant tent!!). Flight across the Red Sea (the fourth sea we've seen this trip btw) only took 40 minutes and we could see ample reefs below.
   Arrived here and found the resort/hotel we're staying at to be pretty nice. Was promptly scammed by the internet cafe in it though (turns out sitting at a computer after the warm invitation of the proprietor, then getting up after less than five minutes and letting your friend use it just as quickly incurs the full 20 pound fee as a whole hour).

   Friday Mark and I learned to windsurf, while Amalie and Aaron went on a mad adventure to Cairo and back. Apparently they spent the whole day in transit (gettnig back around 2:30am), having adventures that are an entire entry to themselves.

   Saturday (today) we went and saw the sights at Luxor. Presently I'm in the internet cafe hoping to steer clear of any scammy pitfalls, while outsite Russians sing karaoke. And one of my Egyptian friends just called me (they gave me an extra Egyptian sim card they had which I popped into my vodaphone and voila I have an egyptian phone!) about going out tonight so I'm gonna go see if Mark's ready. Cheerio!

Comments

[fsk8ing-judge.livejournal.com]

Def a new high--traveling in a foreign country should be all about immersing yourself in it's sights and sounds.

Luxor, I envy you.

Stay safe.

[blythe025.livejournal.com]

Wow. It would never have occured to me that they might celebrate Halloween in Egypt. Very cool.

[emo-snal.livejournal.com]

Just at the bars ;) I think around the world it's an excuse for costume nights ;)

[http://users.livejournal.com/amalie_/]

Actually we've seen 5 seas!

1. Marmara Sea
2. Aegean Sea
3. Mediterranean Sea
4. Dead Sea
5. Red Sea

Also, it's Tanja.

Seas

[emo-snal.livejournal.com]

Too bad the finger of ocean Eilat on is called the Gulf of Eilat and not the "Sea of," it's certainly as big as other things called seas (like Marmara)