I was going to write something about the most recent tentatively encouraging news coming out of the Northern Ireland peace process, but then I remembered that this is "a blog written mainly for the benefit of family and friends." So, why not post some photos of my recent trip to the Sinai instead?
Friend S1 at sunrise after a long, well-spent night of cussing and discussing. In the far distance across the water you can see mountains at the western coast of Saudi Arabia.
Friend S2 is shown with a Tarabin camel curiously extending a palm frond.
Friend S3 is sitting in the main tent at our camp during Casual Friday.
Friend S4 is standing in the Gulf of Aqaba with Sinai mountains and Tarabin behind him.
Last weekend, myself and four friends (who will, for the time being, remain nameless as I find it strange asking them if they'd like to star by name in my blog) went from Cairo on a large comfortable bus to the eastern edge of the Sinai peninsula, about seven hours over the desert, under the Suez canal, past numerous checkpoints and rest stops. This part of Egypt is culturally somewhat distinct from mainland Masr, and is a tourism hotspot along the Red Sea inlets. We went to a small town called Tarabin, on the Gulf of Aqaba, about 40 kilometers from the southern tip of Israel. We stayed at a place called Soft Beach Camp in small huts. At 10 EGP per night, and 50 meters from the Red Sea, this was a steal. This is perhaps one of the only experiences I've had that might turn me into a hedonistic, martini-swilling, lobster-skinned novelist. In the past, I had supposed that a few decades of smoking and seeing urban decay were the prerequisites for such a lifestyle, but now I wonder if instead you can skip that and commit yourself to lazing around on a beach thinking of character names.
No comments:
Post a Comment