From the first time I had read about Dahab I knew it was a place I wanted to visit. As soon as I arrived in Dahab I knew I wanted to stay longer than I had planned. And when it came time to leave Dahab I knew I would come back, sooner than later. Dahab, a small backpacker paradise, located on the Red Sea, is more what I would’ve expected to find somewhere in Thailand than in Egypt. Upon arriving I was immediately greeted with warm hellos and an introduction to EVERYONE who worked at the hotel, before getting a personalized tour of the beachfront restaurants, dive shops, and cafes. Back at the hotel I dropped my bags, changed my clothes, and immediately headed to The Funny Mummy for a beer.
Finding a spot that looked inviting, only a few feet from a fire pit, and only a few more feet from the sea, I kicked off my sandals, sat on the floor, pulled up a cushion, and the rest is history. Watching the fire dance in front of me, I drifted off into reflective thought about this magical place, and felt as though I was the only one to discover it, until the silence was pleasantly broken by the people sitting across from me. At the other end of the fire pit from me were Jennie, Jo, and Arjun. Given the relaxed environment and Bedouin vibe, it only seemed natural to involve those around me in my experience. In the hours to come the four of us would share our stories, our travel histories, what brought us to this amazing place, the mysteries of Egypt, and where we would go from here. As the night came to a close, we said our goodnights, our see you laters, and headed off in our separate directions, knowing that our paths would cross again. Next morning I woke to find perfect 75 degree weather, threw on my boardshorts, my slippaz, a t shirt, and headed straight to the dive shop to book my dives. I was too late to dive that morning but was booked in for two dives the following day. With nothing to do but enjoy Dahab, I began walking along the promenade, past more restaurants, cafes,and cabanas, until I reached the lagoon at the far south end of town.
Here at the lagoon was everything one could want from a beachside resort town; kite surfing, wind surfing, water-skis, wakeboards, diving, snorkeling, or just pulling up to a cabana and order a beer. I opted for wakeboarding. After negotiating what I thought was a fair price I was soon trailing a Malibu boat up and down the Red Sea for the remainder of the afternoon. Being that it was my first time on a wakeboard I had no clue that you should not attempt to spend an entire afternoon indulging in the sport as I was sore from head to toe for the next four days! After I had had my fill of gliding over the water and from time to time hurling myself, at full speed, face first into the water I opted for the latter option of pulling up to a cabana and enjoying a beer under the warm Egyptian sun. Heading back into the main part of town I enjoyed a bowl of homemade lentil soup, which was fantastic, but still nothing like grandma’s, before heading back to my room for one of the most epic naps of my life. Slowly waking from my nap, I showered, put on some fresh clothes, and headed back to the Funny Mummy for a little dinner and a lot of relax. Pulling up to a table by myself I enjoyed a spread of dips accompanied by fresh pita, followed by a beautifully seasoned dish of chicken, rice, and vegetables. As I finished my meal, Jo, Jennie, Arjun, and a few others I had yet to meet, noticed me from across the restaurant and invited me to join them in their “pit” for a bit of sheesha and a few drinks. A few others joined as the night carried on and we made plans to go to the local coffee shop, or “Ahwa” to watch the England vs Egypt football game the following night. As this night came to a close and most of the others left I enjoyed a couple of hours of talking story with Jennie before I headed back to my room for some of the most comfortable sleep I’ve had in a long time. And so it was, a wonderful day topped off by a wonderful night, and you wonder why I didn’t want to leave?
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