Sunday 3rd July 2011

Not a cloud in the sky.............

Well it's Sunday already. Over half the holiday over and then that'll be it for another fourteen years.

We went for a walk along the road outside the resort the other day, to have a look at some of the shops. We had previously been told about how the shop owners will try to get you into their shops and the stories weren't wrong. I think everyone in Egypt who owns a shop has a relative or knows someone who lives in England.
One bloke wanted me to write a recommendation in English to stick in his shop window. He already had one in Russian. I hadn't even been in his shop, but it looked like it was full of tat, just like the majority of the others. I was so very tempted to write something for him, just to go back the next day to see if it was there. It would have gone along the lines of:

"This shop is probably the best shop in Sharm el Sheik. If you want the biggest load of tat that is probably made in China, where the four year old boy who makes it has never seen a real camel and doesn't know (or care) what the pyramids are, then this is the shop for you. The owner says he has a cousin who lives in West Ham, don't believe him. He thinks West Ham is in Kent. Enter this shop and you will not leave with all your money, only worthless crap that no one wants."

I wonder if he would ever get it checked? I may go back tomorrow and write one for him.

We went quad biking yesterday. That was good fun. Liz didn't want to drive her own, but you could book a double. It wasn't until we had our first stop that I saw the sticker on the back of the quad in front. This one also had two people on it. The sticker was in English and said: "Under no circumstances carry passengers. This may result in serious injury or even death."
Oh well, we weren't in England I suppose. I would have worried if it was in Egyptian.
We stopped in a genuine Bedouin camp half way through the trip. That was nice. They gave us some traditional Bedouin tea. Supposedly, this drink helps dicky stomachs and heads and the like. Tasted just like black tea to me. Not PG tips either.
We felt like we had to drink it though. They may have got offended otherwise, and we were in the middle of the desert in their own home.

I fell for my first Egyptian con today. Dirty bastard camel owner.

We were walking towards the jetty that stretches out beyond the coral reef on the beach when one of the thieving twats asked my if I wanted to photograph his camels. I told him I would on the way back, thinking that he would expect some money to let me do it, but I was happy to give him 20EL (£2). So we went along the jetty, had a look at the fish, of which there are many, and one the way back went to photograph the camels. There were three of them, two adults and a baby. They were all led on the beach and it would have made a nice photo. Before I knew it, the man was virtually man-handling Liz onto one of the beasts so I could take a photo. Next thing, he took the camera and told me to stand in front of the camel so he could take a picture of me and Liz together. Next thing I know I am on the other fucking camel and we are walking along the beach.
We walked for about 100 feet along the beach, turned around and came back. The dirty stinking thieving fuckwit bastard then asked me for 300EL (£30). I thought he was selling me the bastard animals. Eventually I had to pay him 200EL.
The funny thing is, we have already paid for a proper camel ride in the Sinai Desert tomorrow. At least we have got a bit of practice in, I suppose.

Off to dinner now. Hope there will be some traditional Egyptian food tonight, like pizza or pasta or something. There's a KFC and Maccy D's down the road, but we have resisted the temptation thus far.............