So here is my long overdue second post about my trip to Sharm el Sheikh!
Without further ado...
We went to a nearby shopping precinct called Soho Square one evening. I would compare it to an Egyptian version of Westfield but on a smaller scale. Most of the shops were quite upmarket, it was laid out and landscaped beautifully and there were plenty of bars and restaurants.
My favourite part of it was the water show. There was a huge fountain in the middle of the square and every half an hour or so, music would suddenly start blaring and choreographed jets of water would begin shooting from the fountain, along with the odd burst of fire! It was very entertaining to watch and drew quite a crowd.
The following day we headed to the Market in Sharm's Old Town. Mister 'Whatlisawrote' needed to buy a scarf for our trip into the desert later that day. I was more interested in laughing as the market vendor demonstrated the best way to tie a scarf, on Mister 'Whatlisawrote'.
The tables were soon turned however when a lovely man we'd been buying tea and spices from decided he'd like to make me look like 'Cleopatra'.
I think 'deranged goth' is a more accurate description.
Our next stop was a perfumery and apothecary.
'Like a boss'...
In here the mirth continued as the shop keeper plastered my face with aloe vera and papyrus lotion.
Once he'd wiped it all off my face I must admit it left my skin feeling very soft and clean!!
So I did the obligatory 'walk like an egyptian' to celebrate.
That afternoon we were taken in a very hot, very cramped mini bus into the desert for our quad biking and bedouin star gazing experience.
We put our scarves on to try and prevent all the dust flying into our noses and mouths.
And sped off into the desert along with the rest of our group. Quad biking was exciting but also pretty painful, sand dunes are not so soft when you're sat on the back of a quad bike and after a while my ribs began to ache from all the bouncing around!
I was incredibly glad when we arrived at our next activity point - a camel ride.
Our camels were quite good natured considering they hoike people around on their backs all day long and it was a very pleasant and gentle interlude after the quad biking!
We arrived by camel at the bedouin camp where we were immediately told to scramble a little way up the mountain to a viewing platform where we watched the most incredible sunset over the desert.
After we came back down eventually from the viewing platform we were served a bedouin feast of beautifully tender and aromatic lamb, with saffron rice, grilled vegetables and salad.
And then the evening's entertainment kicked off!
Traditional Egyptian dancers, a whirling dervish and even a fire acrobat all performed for us. Later on there was an audience participation section but I don't have photos of that!
On our last full day in Sharm we decided to go to Ras Mohammed National Park. We did some sightseeing and also had more snorkelling planned.
Barracuda Point
The Gate of Allah
This is called the 'Magic Lake' - apparently if you stand in its waters and throw a tiny pebble over your right shoulder your wishes will come true. Kind of like an Egyptian version of the Trevi Fountain!
There's a rock that looks like a lion's head too.
We did a bit more snorkelling but sadly the Go Pro camera battery died so didn't get many underwater photos this time.
On our last night we decided to have a few cocktails at the hotel bar then head to the a la carte restaurant for dinner instead of hitting the buffet like usual.
We weren't disappointed - the food was sensational! Italian themed, beautifully cooked, with lovely fresh ingredients.
I decided to order the beef medallions with mushroom sauce, which was accompanied by sauteed potatoes and plenty of veg. It was delicious.
I followed it up with a warm chocolate brownie topped with ice cream and whipped cream.
Needless to say I virtually had to be rolled onto the plane the next day!!
All in all we had a lovely relaxing holiday, with a couple of adventures thrown in for good measure and plenty of sunshine.
Lx
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