Hello, Red Sea!
It was the beginning of spring and the end of the third term. It was rather unusual because it was snowing. The days were grey, boring, ordinary. As a normal student by the end of the academic year I was waiting for vacation and that meant sun, sea, beach and adventures. My friend’s parents had been planning to visit Egypt for a long time. As I’m fond of snorkeling and the Red Sea is famous for its underwater treasures and brilliant blue, they naturally invited me. My parents are pushy, so my mother accompanied me. Our packing did not take much time. And after several hours we were seated in the plane. It was pleasant to imagine that soon I would be able to relax, while my classmates were studying. When we arrived in Sharm El Sheikh, it was 13:00 and the temperature was 27°C.
The procedure of registration was quick. But getting the luggage occupied too much time. It was not a laughing matter. The airport looked rather attractive – bright and modern. The tourist bus was comfortable, with a cheerful and friendly guide with a good sense of humor, Seiv by name. The way to the hotel was surprising because looking out of the window you could see very interesting scenery: the city was changing into desert. As I learned, 30 years ago Sharm El Sheikh was a desert. The bus stopped in front of a resort complex “Savita” named after the owner’s wife. It was really a dream under the sun. There we were going to spend almost 2 weeks.
 First, it seemed that the hotel had 1 or 2 levels, but when we came up to the reception we were informed that we were on the seventh floor. The hotel, with its tennis courts and swimming pool, looked like an oasis in the centre of the desert. Opening the door of our apartment, I understood that my dream had come true: a heated swimming pool, a swimming pool with different kinds of bars, a 3-leveled beach, and a terrace with the entrance to the pool. By the way, the sun is quite strong in Egypt, so it’s necessary to use sun protection. Our timetable consisted of visiting the beach, eating, sleeping, entertainment, and different excursion programs.
Being on one of the excursions I learned that Sharm El Sheikh – “The Bay of the Sheikh” was a glitzy seaside resort town with many faces, many moods, and many choices. Whether you like to laze around at the beach all day long, or explore your surroundings, have a taste of the local ancient culture, or spend hours and hours in the water, you’ll find a very wide range of activities offered at your hotel in and around town. For those who are fascinated by the ancient history of this biblical land, a choice of one day excursions are available. As for our company, we chose a show “1,000 and One Nights”, Cairo, yachting, and a motor safari. All excursions were mixed with diving and sunbathing. Sunbathing is ranked at the very top of the “what to do list” with most holiday makers. Actually, snorkeling and diving occupied all my free time. Snorkeling and diving are the most popular ways to explore the beauty of the underwater world of the Red Sea and I had a chance to try it. Plenty of diving and aqua centers offer equipment, various courses and boat trips. If you can’t dive, snorkel or even swim, a glass-bottom boat might be a chance to get at least a glimpse of the underwater world. I got acquainted with a man of the rescue service, thanks to my English skills. His name is Mohammed-Ali. He was the only person from the native population who my mom really trusted. So I was snorkeling both under his guidance and in his company.
As is known, the general economy of Egypt is oil, construction and a rather new source of income, tourism. Excursions, of course, are included in tourism.
 Our first excursion in Egypt was the show “1000 and One Nights”. It is staged in the Club Leila and may be in English, Russian, Italian. This show is about Egypt and its culture. After the show we went to Cairo. Cairo is the capital and real heart of Egypt. If you went to Egypt and didn’t visit Cairo with its pyramids, that means you have seen nothing, because every aspect of Egyptian culture is represented throughout this city, including the most famous Pharaonic, ancient Christian and Islamic monuments. And, of course, we couldn’t help visiting that city.
When I woke up on the bus we were coming to a light brown building – the National Egyptian Museum. As it is not allowed to take photos, we had to put our cameras away. The only place where we could make historical, exotic photos was Club Leila. One more place of interest was the papyrus factory, which we visited after the museum. We got a unique chance to see papyrus production. You may order natural papyrus to your liking. Also, it’s possible to buy souvenirs, to do this it’s enough to go upstairs. The shopping which you can do only in Cairo are cartush and papyrus. A cartush is a golden or silver plate with your name in ancient Egyptian hieroglyphs. Other souvenirs you may buy in every city of Egypt.
The next destination of our excursion was the Sphinx and Pyramids. When the guide informed us that the pyramids were at the end of the street, everybody burst into laughter. All of a sudden it was true! It’s difficult to imagine that all of them were created and done by humans. I can’t express my emotion; everyone must see them with their own eyes.
Side by side with these historical beauties, there are people who ask for money. After you admire the great pyramids, you will go to see the Sphinx. We then went to the perfume factory. Many countries all over the world buy their fragrances from Egypt and then add their own ingredients to make the brands that we all know. So, Egyptian perfume oil is the second thing that you must buy, by all means. You will be tired and the perfume factory may help you to relax, because you can try some of the relaxation effects of natural curing oil. After we made purchases, we went to our bus to return to the hotel – tired and happy.
So Cairo is the necessary point to visit. As for the population of Egypt, they are very hospitable; sometimes even too communicative. Their typical phrases are: “What is your name?”, “Where are you from?”, “How are you?” They often want to make you a present, but be careful! It may be a trick to attract you.
This unforgettable journey inspired me for new adventures and impressions; so I plan to visit the International Youth Camp with my best friends and make new acquaintances from all over the world.
By Yana Mikhnevich,
Almaty, Kazakhstan |