Both of my shark sightings left me a little unnerved. And truthfully, I’m not sure which made me more uncomfortable, since both were deadly in their own way.

Abundant Sea Life

I first dove Egypt’s Sinai (off Nuweiba) a couple of years ago and saw nothing. In fact, I didn’t even bother to dive my third scheduled dive. But since then I’ve been told repeatedly how great Red Sea diving is, so I decided to give it another go. And I’m glad I did.

This time I did 7 dives over 3 days and saw amazing sea life: plenty of blue spotted rays, sea turtles, alligator fish, and moray eels and lots of brightly colored, healthy corals.

Perhaps most thrilling was the opportunity to swim in the midst of large schools Suez fusiliers – hundreds of these vibrant blue and silver fish engulfing us.

Can’t see this video? Click on this link: Red Sea Turtles

Shark Sighting!

And of course, the spotting of the hammerhead was a thrill. It was in about 20 meters of water (shallow for them – they usually stay at about 40-60 meters). And was a ways off (I’m not sure how far – it was hard for me to tell underwater). But you could definitely see the shark’s distinctive head as it slowly glided by.

Apparently, there had been several Sharm el Sheikh shark sightings where I was staying in the appropriately named Shark’s Bay recently. In fact, I later found out that just 6 months ago there were 5 shark attacks (3 fatalities) in these very waters.

Two attacks were by hammerheads, and 3 by Oceanic white tips. Hmmmm…no wonder why my resort was so cheap!

Sink or Swim

My second shark sighting was of the 2-legged variety: my dive master. As a newish diver (under 30 dives), I usually stick pretty close to the dive master and actually appreciate a little extra attention. What I don’t appreciate is constant hand-stroking underwater.

Rebuffing the advances was a bit tricky – given that we were more than 20 meters underwater and the amorous was my secondary source of air. Thankfully, he finally got the message, but not until after my dive buddy Alison got some pretty great photos of me – arm fully extended, stretching the other way.

The epitome of the adage: sink or swim!

The warmth and generosity of the Middle Eastern Arab culture is beyond the pale. Truly I have never had some many people open up their homes to me. I was honored to be guest in their lives and their countries.

And yet, I was un-nerved several times while traveling around Jordan, Lebanon, Israel, and Egypt. Here’s just a snapshot.

Jordan

While in Jordan several years back, I was given the dubious honor of holding all the passports for my tour group during the ferry ride between Nuweiba, Egypt and the landing port of Aqaba, Jordan. As a “group representative,” I accompanied the passports to a back room on the boat where the Jordanian immigration officials would clear us for customs.

I was alone in the room, as the 4 immigration officials – all holding machines guns – made small talk with me. In those days, the favorite topic of conversation for all traveling Americans was how much they (insert foreign country) hated then-President George Bush.

After a time, the officials started laughing and pantomiming a beheading (the Daniel Pearl tragedy was fresh then). No matter what you think of our last President, or of Middle Eastern politics, it’s never fun to be the lone American woman in a room with 4 armed Middle Eastern men laughing about a beheading. Enough said.

Lebanon

There were a couple of times while in Lebanon, just this past month, when I felt, let’s say “worried,” and one time I felt that I should not be there at all. Here’re a few example of things that are “out of my comfort zone”:

• Example #1: Fireworks are going off at night and my friend and I are wondering whether these are bombs or a celebration. We pause in the middle of the street before crossing onto the far sidewalk – just in case.
• Example #2: We’re driving in downtown Beirut for a meeting and there is – uncharacteristically — no traffic. The reason is that there was a Hezbollah bomb threat. My question: then why are we the ones still driving around?
• Example #3: I’m on the balcony and notice a white car with its hood up, parked just outside the apartment building. I immediately think of “Blackhawk Down” and whether or not this is a signal for an imminent attack. I check to make sure there’s no “X” taped on the roof of the car. Whew!

Cringing in the Car

And the time I was really worried was when we were visiting the Roman ruins in the town of Baalbeck, a known Hezbollah stronghold (except I didn’t know this of course, because I never do my homework).

Outside the ruins, there were large revolutionary posters and patriotic songs blaring from the loud speakers. And yellow and black Hezbollah flags adorning every street lamp. And a picture of a Hezbollah leader and Syrian President Assad right outside the Lebanese Army barracks (to prove to the army that they are not in control). I believe it – the army is not in control!

And we’re lost to boot and keep stopping to ask for directions. I keep cringing since I didn’t necessarily want anyone to notice that I’m sitting in the back seat (especially as this was just after the threat of the foreign kidnappings in retaliation for Bin Laden’s killing). We eventually found our way, but for a girl that doesn’t sweat, I was definitely starting to perspire.

A Complex Character

This last incident is a perfect example of the duality that characterizes much of the Arab region. While we were lost in Baalbeck, we stopped at a fruit stand to ask the right of way. The fruit merchant gave us a handful of plums to enjoy during our car ride through the countryside.

So while I felt some fear, I also felt this amazing generosity. This is the duality that marks the region – and not just for travelers like me, but more importantly, for the people who live there.

It must be an incredible strain to live your life tempering your fear while enjoying the generosity and goodness that abounds. I think it would be exhausting.

Although as we found out, the trip wasn’t quite “as advertised.”

In the end, we finally got up, just in time to start going down, down, down…

“Aren’t we a little close to the ground,” was a pretty common refrain that morning.

Check out the video of our little balloon mishap….

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January 2010 – All Around Egypt

On my first post about Cairo, I noted the crazy surplus of cars on the Egyptian roadways….Now I know why.

Apparently, the Egyptian government spends almost $11 billion each year to subsidize gasoline and cooking fuel, making gasoline only about $1.30 per gallon.

This is in comparison to the government spending $6 billion on education and $3 billion on healthcare. So you can drive in Egypt, you just better not be driving to the hospital.

A recent article in an English-language Egyptian paper discusses how the middle and upper class can’t live without the gas subsidy now (‘cause it’s not the poor Egyptians who are driving cars). It also talks about the McMansions, Egypt style, that are now common among the middle class earning good incomes working in the Gulf or as part of the globalized work force.

Egyptian at Train Station

Which is great — Everyone should be able to own a McMansion if they want one. (But why would you? Mini living so much more rewarding!) The newspaper article ends by saying that more Egyptians can now live like Americans, but even more Egyptians can’t afford to live like Egyptians.

To me, this means the lower class is being squeezed. Not only can they not afford a higher-end lifestyle, they can’t even afford their traditional lifestyle.  A pity when Egyptians have the longest and arguably the noblest traditions in the world.

I hope a few of my photos capture the essence of Egyptian culture and tradition. Enjoy some of my favorite shots:

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Additional posts about Egypt:

2010/03/13 Scaling Mt. Sinai: An Act of Faith
2010/02/17 Learn How to Talk Like an Egyptian
2010/01/23 Hot Air Everywhere: Ballooning Over Luxor
2010/01/20 My “Miya Miya” Life
2010/01/17 Egypt has Ruined Me
2010/01/16 Go-to-Cairo!

Posted By Erin on May 1, 2010

January 2010 – Morocco

C’mon y’all – Join me on my camel safari!

I head out to the Saraha Desert toward the Algerian border to spend the night in a desert camp. Check it out!

Can’t see this? Go watch the video on YouTube!

For more about my Moroccan adventures read:  Secrets of the Sahara

And these as well:

Posted By Erin on April 14, 2010

January 5, 2010 – Fez Medina, Morocco

Part of the allure of the Fez medina – in my opinion one of the hottest places to shop in the world – is the local craftsmen that are creating these stunning items right before your eyes! Join me on a virutal tour of the medina:

Leather Worshipper

Seriously, these leather goods were amazing! But seeing how the leather was worked and dyed in the vats was really mind-boggling. Is all this treatment of the leather really done by hand? Yep.

Watch The Video: Check Out the Craftsmen of Fez

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I managed to pick up several pairs of slippers as well as a hot new purse direct from the source – all the while congratulating myself on staying in control.

I got a two-fer! a red pair and an orange pair

My red leather bag is spankin’ — everyone says so!

Carpet Bagger

That’s right, I bagged me a carpet. I didn’t need it or particularly want one, but I got sucked in. Man, those merchants saw me a mile away. So innocent and yet so ready with the plastic.

But my pathetic attempt at self control isn’t really the point.  The point is that that carpet is BEAUTIFUL. It was hand made by the SuSu tribe (I think, seriously what do I know?).  I was originally going to put it on my wall, but it’s a little big – so on the floor it goes. The cats have only thrown up on it once.

Sam bagging her own carpet in Tangier.

A SuSu tribal beauty

Ceramic Connoisseur

Yep, bought dishes within my first few days of the trip. Uh huh. Dishes – those delicate, breakable objects. Well worth the effort though. Am fully enjoying my small appetizer plates with each Moroccan dinner party (now numbering 4!) I throw.

So pretty and colorful!.

Wish I could’ve lugged one home…

Painstakingly perfect

The tile tables were truly amazing and you could really appreciate them as you watched those young men (I saw no children working) painstakingly push each tile into place.

Seriously, if I were them, you’d have to shoot me…

Metalwork Madam

I didn’t actually buy any metal work — unless you count all the amazing jewelry I bought that was hand-worked silver with enamel inlay. OK, I guess that counts. Truly spectacular pieces.  Seriously, when is jewelry not a good thing? Even if you have to buy it for yourself. Sigh.

So pretty and colorful!.

Hard at work etching the detailing

 

Me and a proud craftman!

There you have it: a tour of the Fez medina from the point of view of the craftsmen.

Where in the world could you go into one marketplace and see the wealth of workmanship that we witnessed here? No where! (Actually, if you know of another place, for God’s sake write and tell me!)

For more back story on the joys of shopping, check out:

• Erin’s Guide to Haggling
• Erin’s Top 10 World Market Purchases

And go ahead and provide me with a little of your own back story:

• Where is your favorite shopping place?
• Tell me about your “bestest” purchase…
• Send me a pic of your hottest buy and I’ll post it!

April 7, 2010 – Sahara Desert, Morocco

Substitute sand for snow and you’ve got sandboarding!  Sandboarding is a new adventure sport that originated in the northeastern Brazil. Like snowboarding, your 2 feet are strapped to a board about 5 feet long. The objective is to launch yourself from the top of a mountain or, in this case, the tallest dune you can find.

Erik Johnson, a professional snowboarder and sandboarder, holds the Guinness World Record for speed on a sandboard at 51 mph (82 km/h). Unofficial speeds of 60 mph (97 km/h) have reportedly been clocked — Wow!

Watch me as I flail around and achieve a whopping 5 mph…Argh!!!!!!!

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Can’t see this? Go watch the video on YouTube! If any of you watching my video know what I did wrong, *please* write in! I need to know so next time I can rock the dunes like this chic!

I’m reading a book, Dreamers of the Day, recommended by my friend Jane.  A work of fiction, the novel offers a glimpse of the supposed personalities of T.E. Lawrence (Lawrence of Arabia), Gertrude Bell, Winston Churchill, and others during the 1921 Cairo Conference. The conference presided over the break-up of the Ottoman Empire at the end of WWI and determined the boundaries of the modern day state of Jordan (and Iraq for that matter).

It’s a bit of a nostalgic read, written from the point of view of a 40-year old American woman traveler who sets off to explore Arabia on her own, with no true understanding of the history or significance of the region. (Ummmm…..yeah…..)

In any case, the book made me look up old maps offering different interpretations of the tribal boundaries and flip through my photos of Jordan, which seem like a distant memory now that I’ve been home for 6 whole weeks.

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You might also want to read a couple of my posts from late January that you might’ve  missed (I know, I know, not everyone reads every post):

• Picture Perfect Petra
• Getting Dirty: Dead Sea Style
• Go-To-Aqaba
• Go-to-Amman 

Do you have any book recommendations for me? I am reading more these days and welcome suggestions!

January 23, 2010 — Sinai Desert, Egypt

I was excited to check out the Sinai. Here we were in the cradle of Judeo-Christian-Islamic civilization.  I was going to get educated and get some exercise – a great day! Let’s go on a quickie tour of the Sinai Peninsula: 

Sinai Desert

The desert itself is described by the guidebook as craggy, barren and rugged, which is a pretty apt description. And while in my mind the Sinai wasn’t as beautiful as the Sahara, there’s a lot of history here, starting with the Suez Canal.

Suez Canal

Do you see the ships? Me neither

The Suez Canal links Asia and Europe by providing passage between the Red Sea and the Mediterranean Sea. Owned and operated by Egypt, the canal was built between 1854-1869, employed more than 30,000 people, and is 192 km (119 miles) long. I was looking forward to seeing the Suez Canal, only problem is you can’t see it. You cross the canal via a 1.63 km (5,347 ft) long tunnel, emerging a ways away so you never get a good look. If you squint you might be able to see a few container ships in the distance, but that’s as close as you can get. 

Bummer, man.

St. Katherine’s

The oldest monastery in the world

Founded in AD 330, St. Katherine’s is considered the oldest continually functioning monastery in the world. St. Katherine herself was a martyr who was tortured on a spiked wheel and beheaded. Supposedly the spiked wheel spun out of control and killed all the spectators and her body was carried by the angels to Egypt’s highest peak, subsequently named Mt. Katherine. (Nice bible story!) Inside St. Katherine’s is the Church of Transfiguration and the Well of Moses.  Inside the church is a relic: St. Katherine’s hand. Now, it would be both impolite and impolitic to say that the hand looked like a dried up drummette. But there you have it. It was kind of gross.

Concerning the Well of Moses, if you drink from it, you’ll be blessed with marital happiness.  However, if I recall correctly, the well was dry, which pretty much sums up my view of marriage anyway.  

The Burning Bush

An overgrown Burning Bush

Also inside St. Katherine’s is the famous burning bush. Because I’m not so religiously inclined (as I’m sure you’ve surmised by now), I needed to look up its significance.

Here’s the story for all you fellow Sunday school dropouts: The Angel of Yahweh spoke God’s wish to Moses at the site of the burning bush, which was alight with fire, but not consumed by flames.  God’s instructions were for Moses to lead the Israelites out of Egypt and into Canaan, also known as the “land of milk and honey.”    

So there’s a picture of the burning bush. Not quite what you imagined, eh?
Seriously this thing was like an overgrown bougainvillea.
I don’t know what I expected, but I didn’t imagine it to look like a shrub growing in my own backyard.  

Mt. Sinai

Soaking it in on the summit of Mt. Sinai

The mountain itself is only 2,285 meters tall (just shy of 7,500 feet). Muslims, Jews and Christian all believe that Moses received the 10 Commandments from God on the summit. 

There are 2 routes: 
The first is via the 3,750 Steps of Repentance. Upon reflection,  I decided I wasn’t that bad and elected to take route #2: 

the camel trail. The camel trail, however, might have been the greater of the two evils since I had several Bedouin following me with their camels dangerously close to my head for the first third of the climb. 

At this point, I was going on a full 4 weeks in the Arab region and I had developed an understanding of camels:

• • Camels stink, and
• • Camels spit

I admit, I felt the need to voice my displeasure with a fairly stern warning for the camel trailers to back off.  When I finally made it to the summit of Mt. Sinai, the sunset was gorgeous. Very peaceful and the view was spectacular.

In the end, I was moved by my trip to the Sinai. And I might venture to say it was a close as I’m likely to get to a true religious experience.

If there is a God, this is his language

January 2010 –All of Egypt & Jordan (and Morocco)

Rarely have I a traveled to a country or region and absorbed so little of the language. Rats!  Arabic got the best of me this trip, but I’m still fascinated by the language, especially the beautiful script. The Arabic alphabet was recorded in the 4th century, with the earliest written records dating from AD 512. The form of the letters changes according to where they are in the sentence (beginning, middle, end) or if the letter stands alone. You write modern Arabic from right to left.

My tour guide Adel said that in ancient times – I guess we’re talking hieroglyphics and not the modern Arabic alphabet — you could read the language right to left, left to right, and top to bottom. You could tell which way to read the writing based on the direction the images were facing. So if the image of a bird is facing right, you’d read the sentence from left to right. Fascinating!

So do I read this top to bottom?

While Arab nations all read the same script, the pronunciation varies widely between countries and regions – so much so that local colloquialisms can’t be understood.  In fact, my virtually un-used, but much carried, Lonely Planet Arabic phrasebook has separate sections for Egyptian, Gulf, Levantine, and Tunisian Arabic.

Painted hieroglyphics from the Valley of the Queens, Luxor, Egypt

Fun Factoids:

• • Arabic is one of the 10 most widely spoken languages
• • Arabic has official status in 25 countries and is one of the 6 official languages of the UN
• • 200 million people speak Arabic

A few Arabic words that are common in everyday English include coffee, cotton, candle, mattress, syrup, and alcohol. These are the 5 words I used most:

• • Hello — Salaam
• • We go – Yella
• • No– La
• • Stop – Ba
• • Go Away – Im-shee

The fact that No, Stop and Go Away were used more often than Please, Thank you and Good bye should tell you something of my experience…

To read more about how to read Egyptian hieroglyphic writing, check out these sites:

• Importance of the Eye of Horus
• Ancient Egyptian Hieroglyphic Writing
• Difference between Egyptian & Chinese & Mayan Hieroglypics