Another wondrous day in Egypt, just putzing around mostly, but did get out and about Sharm el Sheikh for a little tour with our guide and a mini van of other people later in the afternoon after spending most of the morning answering e-mails and working on my blog.
First we stopped at a mosque and we were able to look around, although not go inside. 
Apparently on a Friday one can see 
4,000-5,000 men going to prayer there…so many that 2-3,000 must be outside. Our guide explained that they must all face Saudi Arabia towards Mecca and how the women are divided from the men, but there aren’t many Muslim women here in Sharm el Sheik, because this is strictly a tourist city. Many people who work here live in Cairo or some place else as they can’t afford to buy property here. Only the very rich can live here, and of those few they are mostly from other countries, such as Tony Blair from England, who lives in a gated community.
Those who work here, mostly stay in little hovels. I know that at the little Internet place I go that the guy who runs it sleeps in a curtained off corner of the narrow room (the shop is like a hallway.). He opens the shop when he wakes up and today I was there about 9:30 and he was closed, but one of the people in the other shops banged on the door and he opened up and let me in though he was still in his night shirt/robe. He did his religious prostrations a few minutes later, praying on a little mat, slightly behind me, but oblivious to me.When I went to take photos of the perfume shop later, I had to wait because someone’s brother was sleeping inside.
They are all quite a friendly bunch, though at times a little too friendly. I’ve had my hotel buddy tell me he loved me this morning, but I had to disappoint him and tell him I didn’t 
love him. I avoided the diving guy/owner of the bar and will continue to do so.
And then tonight, my buddy from the shops across the road (he's on the right in the photo) asked if I would go to the 1001 Nights Entertainment place with him. I told him no as I have to be up for 4:00 am to leave for Cairo. I’ve never had so much unwanted attention for quite a while. Trust me, I will not be coming home with an Egyptian! They are lovely, polite men, but women are not well respected here.
One of the places we went to today was a place where there had been an air crash and 76 people had died in the Red Sea (photo below of Red Sea). Apparently art students form the university in Cairo had designed the memorial in memory of the people who perished. Their names are engraved in both English and Arabic on the wall of the structure and there are 76 birds flying in the sculpture in front of it. The water
is so deep there- at least 1,000 feet so that they could not rescue any bodies, nor any of the aircraft…they couldn’t reach them and at those depths there are many sharks as well. Very sad to see whole families named.The next stop was the Old Market --- what a place! Merchants and stores everywhere. Then we went to the “new” market where it was a little more upscale, at least in terms of new
buildings and restaurants and fashionable stores….still lots of gaudy touristy stuff. 
I chuckled when our guide ordered what I thought of as a hookah and began smoking it. He was smoking tobacco though, not hashish, which I accused him of. Hashish is illegal here too. The scent of the tobacco was a lovely mix with apples in it and it was quite a sight to see various people sitting there calmly as could be smoking from these floor standing "hookahs," while sipping coffee from glasses. I've discovered in Arab countries this water-based pipe is actually called a "shisha." (Hookah is the Hindi word for the same thing, apparently.)
His wife came along as she had never seen his work before. They have only been married three months and they live in Cairo, though he comes here to work.
I’m off to Cairo at 4 a.m…..wonder what I’ll see there. Got a smoking deal on a return flight, and guided tour, plus lunch, entrance fees, etc…..$150.00 Canadian (Regular $220, which was still a good price, I figured).
1 comment:
Very cool
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