Good bye Sharm, Hello Cairo!

Two nights spent in Sharm El Sheikh – check! That’s two days out of my 28 day trip done… I’m going according to plan, that’s a good start!

I knew when I booked my accommodation that I wouldn’t want to stay much longer than two days. I’m not a resort sort of person and Sharm El Sheikh is very much a resort sort of town.

My hotel is nothing to write home about, bedsides the fact that it isn’t a hostel yet it’s as cheap as chips ($16 for two nights!) Yes, as one if the reviews clearly stated, there are misquotes in the lounge (thankfully not in my room), and yes I did get my first Egyptian mosquito bite on my face as welcome (thank goodness they are not in completion with the Ghanaian mosquitos!), but at least it’s clean and safe (the hotel that is).

The sand storms have prevented me from venturing out of the hotel (it gets pretty windy here, they forget to warn holiday makers that)… Though I doubt I could see myself sunbathing by the Red Sea… I’m saving all that for part two of my journey when I reach Eilat!

Overall, for the two nights that I needed to simply to recharge and get some writing done on my blog (check out my new blog The Educationally Frustrated Student), this place suited me fine. Food isn’t included with my room (I love a bargin but that would have been a steal!) though nothing on the menu seemed to appeal to me so I opted for a big bottle of water and (before you think I’m on some diet) a big packet of crisps! Even the flavour was written in Arabic so I couldn’t tell how many calories I consumed… That’s what I call guilt-free!

One of my pet peeves (which includes people picking their nose in public and being “sssss”ed at) is walking into a shop and they have no prices on the items – nada! It means any price can be called when I query. And that’s exactly what happend when I walked into the hotel store to buy my, uuhmm, guilt-free crisps. It’s not like they were even imported for the price to be as high as back home. These crisps had every vital importation from the name and flavour down to the weight and nutritional information in Arabic. I couldn’t even read the sell by date. When I questioned the shop assistant why there were no prices, he said simply that

“The Russians don’t like seeing the prices on items!”

Great, so because of the Russians who don’t mind beig ripped off I had to pay the rip off price!

Anyway, besides that, all has gone smoothly, but that’s because I haven’t bothered to venture out or speak to anybody (you so much as greet a local and he’ll think you’re a sex tourist)! This evening while heading to the lobby to use the wifi (another pet peeve is when a description fails to to be completely accurate; wifi isn’t available in the rooms – only in the lobby), one of the staff greeted me “Good evening.” I responded (nicely, for a change). He then took the liberty to ask if I’m having good stay. I replied yes (was there something exciting to do in this place that I was missing out on?!) He then said he saw me sitting alone in the lobby not talking to anyone so he wondered if I’m ok. Perfect, let’s keep it that way, I thought. I don’t want any man thinking they can come and invade my space!

But in less than 20 minutes since that conversation, some man did came to sit in a seat near me in the lobby and try to make conversation; in Arabic. I thought my “not interested” gesture was enough when he moved to another seat in the lobby… But then he came back pointing at his phone. Really?! Wasn’t your man pride broken enough the first time?! So I gave him another gesture to go away. Can’t he see I’m working (writing for my blog)! At that point I looked around the reception counter for staff. I would expect this hassle if I were outside but not in a resort!

I must remember I’m in a foreign country where I don’t speak the language and they have a different culture to mine… Plus I’m travelling a lone. So I have to be careful how I say no to people… Though in my book no means no.

Anyone know a nicer way to put it?… Stay tuned and I’ll keep you posted as I arrive in Cairo later today!

My dodgy resort with tacky flashing 2013 lights which is missing the “3” on every other flash!