DAHAB, Egypt: It is a city is dividing the Red Sea coast in half, located on the way from Sharm el-Sheikh to Nuweiba in Egypt's Sinai Peninsula, untouched by the hand of technological progress and Western trends, Dahab fascinates with the balanced combination of Egyptian traditions and Western touristic approaches. 108 minutes in Dahab can drown one's soul in the sea of joy, crystal-clear waters between Egypt, Saudi Arabia and Jordan, colorful coral reefs, desert horizons of Sinai, smiling Bedouin faces, curious local children who try to sell you a piece of their handicrafts. Obviously, this little city is full of romance and adventures, so those who expect to spend their entire vacation next to the swimming pool of their fabulous 5-star hotels keep away from this place. The main road to Dahab is secured with a check-point, to ensure the Egyptian government keeps track of all people staying in the area and is always ready to provide help and support whenever one may need it. Once you cross the check-point at Dahab Gates, the bus (if it is your main mean of transportation) delivers you to the town, where experienced locals will try to sells you Snickers chocolate bars for $5, bottles of water for $10 and cigarettes for another $50. Of course, this is a slight exaggeration, but this gives you the taste of the fact that any tourist unless he/she speaks Arabic always pays up to 100 percent more than any other Egyptian. Therefore, you have to be a really good bargainer to succeed in your travels here. Let's start our time counting from the moment when your foot touches the Dahab soil. Make a deal with any taxi driver for up to 40 Egyptian pounds to get you to the shore that is scattered with cafes, restaurants, small hotels and hostels. 94 minutes left. You are on the beach in front of small cafes that are spitting dozens of smiles into you, shouting WELCOME TO EGYPT, inviting you for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Choose the one you want and let yourself rest in peace with a good meal. Here prices are a little higher than in Cairo, but come on, you're on vacation. Then choose for yourself a reasonable place to stay (30-200 LE per night). Throw your bags and run to either Club Red (they have good offers for diving). In any case try to DIVE or at least snorkel. If you were in Dahab and don't do either of these, better to have stayed in polluted Cairo. Since we have short time, my suggestion will be to purchase a snorkel mask and jump into the waters of the Rea Sea just in front of Club Red, which is close to municipal station or bar Churchill on the opposite side of the bridge, which tries to pull up together the two parts of Dahab. Wherever you go, remember that nothing is better than a stay of more than 108 minutes in Dahab and a day at the Blue Hole, one of the most irresistible places to snorkel or dive in the area. Try to discover, explore everything – people, characters, flora and fauna of the location, bars, mentality, culture, musical instruments, Dahab market, paintings, Eastern flavored coffee, shisha, spices, camels, traditional clothes. Let your eyes drown in the foggy horizons where the mountains of Saudi Arabia cut the haze over the blue crystal waters; let your mind swim with fantastic fish that seems like greeting you while starring directly at your eyes once you are in its wonderland. If you walk from the police station towards the only bridge and keep walking for another 15 minutes, you will reach an abandoned beach, where umbrellas, paper boxes and chairs rest lonely in anticipation of your company. At sunrise, you will find desperate romantic couples who fall asleep in the quiet whisper of the waters, sweet wind, filled with history of the lands it passed by and the sun that carefully wraps the whole of Egypt. Note that even if at some point you become tired of endless greetings “Welcome to Egypt” – enjoy it, because this is the flavor of a different culture, reflection of the naïve perception of Westerners. All people are different, but yet so much alike in their desire for happiness, joy, family, laughter and prosperity. In Dahab, the locals are gifted with a sophisticated taste of colors. After living all their lives among the yellow and blue – the brain compensates the variety of colors with wide imagination, a sharp eye and deep inner feelings. This is where talented artists, musicians, and all people fill the colors of their land with creative and an unrivaled range of light of their spiritual minds. Dahab is one of those places which I probably will never forget because it can fill all hidden, hurt, empty space of one's soul with warmth, sincerity and nature. BM
