Red Sea

Do you know when people talk about how they “needed a vacation”? As though not getting it would have some detrimental effect on their sanity. I always thought it was a dramatic thing to say, and what you should say is “I don’t feel like going to work or school because it sucks.” Cairo makes you NEED a vacation. I just got back this morning from a long weekend at the Red Sea.

FYI: the holy day of the week in Islam is Friday so the work-week goes from Sunday to Thursday.

Yeah it was beautiful, many places in the world are. But it was also perfect. We took an over night bus (not bad at all), got there in time for the sunrise and did nothing for two days. We stayed in these Bedouin huts right along the sea: slept, drank, smoked, swam, talked, and read.

Despite having spent over a month in Belize and Australia, two places known for their coral, I never took the time out to go underwater. I didn’t want to put that thing in my mouth. The Red Sea is apparently also known for its aquatic life. It was beautiful. I, a pair of goggles, and some courage swam out through countless schools of fish. The colors and patterns made me rethink never wanting to dive. The wildest part of my water adventure was the jellyfish. I remember my sister getting stung in Puerto Rico and it being a pain in the ass. So when I heard I was surrounded by them, I freaked. But the jellyfish here never evolved the ability to sting. There were so many; I’d never seen any before… they look so delicate. There were portions of the sea where you felt like you were swimming in tapioca. The entire experience turned 4 grown ass people into giggling school girls.

I’ve been here two weeks and this city manages to wear you down; especially if you can’t see the beauty it has to offer. You have to really want to see this beauty… it’s hidden under dust, trash, noise, blueless skies, and aggression. Honestly, I really needed to get out of Cairo because of an ever-so-slight personal crisis that rounded out last week. I’m good, it’s good, we’re all good and forgotten.

I’m now on a dash to do all the tourist things. I’ll be back in Houston in less than two weeks; plus my time in Cairo has been cut short a week because I’m making an impromptu cameo at a family gathering in Dubai. I forgot that I am still a tourist and will have to make time for appointments, work, making dinners, visiting new friends, poker nights, creating drama, and the pyramids (which are just a metro ride away and I still haven’t done.)

by the way... the Egyptian Museum is amazing!