Ras Shittan is a secluded area located on the Red Sea coast, just outside of Nuweiba. When I say secluded, I of course mean desolate, as are most places in the Red Sea at the moment, due to the crippling lack of tourism across the country.
Our trip began late on Thursday 22nd December at a sleepy coach depot in Cairo. For those of you who have studied your Arabic numbers and can read signs, the Turgamon bus station is a place where you can see the variation in costs that I talked about in my previous blog – with coach tickets for foreigners being 10LE more expensive than those for Egyptians. Although it irks me a little, for most visitors to the country the prices are still very manageable. For a one way, 7 hour coach trip to the Red Sea it costs in the region of 80LE or approximately£8 (prices may vary according to the company, or the station you pick the coach up from).So we descended the stairs to await our coach, not before I almost suffered again for my foreignness. On deciding that I wanted to try avoiding the coaches facilities at all costs (whether planes, trains, automobiles I am not a fan in general of toilets in moving vehicles) I thought I would check out the depot’s lavatories. Big mistake. Ladies, if you have any care for your health try to avoid such places as service station toilets here! Follow your mother’s advice and go before you leave! I crept into what felt like the mouth of hell, to stare in horror and disgust at the broken, dirty mess of plumbing before me, only to retreat almost straight away; needless to say, without having relieved myself! On exiting the scene of the crime against hygiene I was immediately collared by the toilet guard- a terrifying woman sat at a desk outside the toilet to shrewdly monitor everyone who passes her threshold. She demanded 1LE for the privilege of looking at her facilities, to which I was thrilled to be able to piece together an answer in Arabic- telling her that ‘I was not making a toilet because they were not good’. Ok, so it’s not Shakespeare, but one month ago I certainly would not have been able to argue my case in Arabic at a public toilet! Massive thanks go to IH Cairo ILI for giving me the language to survive the most unexpected of situations! In my opinion, apart from the obvious emergency and everyday survival situations which may arise, irritating circumstances like this really emphasise the need for basic language skills when living abroad. My guess is that the lady was so shocked that I even knew how to make myself understood in Arabic that she probably would have let me leave without paying even if I told her I liked her handbag!
Once on the coach there was just a long haul overnight journey between us and pure repose. I snuggled down for a kip but the journey is not one that favours sleeping. Along the route there are check points, including a highly inconvenient stop where you have to offload the whole coach and let an army sniffer dog check your luggage. I can but guess that this is because although the Red Sea is still technically in Egypt, it is an area which has had its fair share of troubles (not least due to its geographical links to Israel/Palestine) and therefore this proximity brings with it high levels of security. For this reason I hereby give you two words of warning when making this trip, which should not at any cost be ignored…
One absolute necessity when crossing the Cairo threshold, and vice versa, is to take your passport. Although it is the same country, Cairo needs VISA evidence to enter (whereas Sharm El Sheik doesn’t). I would advise buying one beforehand (for example at the airport) although you can buy them on the coach if necessary. Prices for the same visa vary drastically from £15 English to 15LE depending on where and when you buy it. The best thing to do is just accept the inconsistency and roll with it. VISA or not, there could be big trouble if you don’t take your passport at all- I have not yet been witness to what happens to those who forget their passport but I would say don’t test the system!
The other warning goes without saying- For your own safety do not try and smuggle any form of illegal substance onto the coach. For that matter, do not indulge in any form of illegal substance consumption at all whilst in Egypt. (I would like to openly state that I have never touched any drugs and never will!) Drug abuse, as in the UK and most other countries, is not legally permitted in Egypt. I have not borne witness to someone being found in possession of narcotics however I cannot imagine it would be too pleasant for them. My advice would be just don’t even think about taking the risk, unless you want to end up in prison for the rest of your trip.
We arrived just after dawn at our camp ‘Beduoin Home’. The coach dropped us off right at the end of the lane and we were greeted by the owner of the camp, one of my boyfriend’s friends. I have decided that it is about time now to introduce my boyfriend by name – I am sure he won’t mind. After all, he is quite an integral part of most of these blogs, being my ‘partner in crime’ and my fellow traveller for most of the trips I take. So Rami and I wearily alighted the coach, and waved goodbye to it before he realised that we were also waving goodbye to an unopened, oversized bag of marshmallows that he had brought for us to snack on! As the coach became a dot over the horizon and the marshmallows made their way to Sharm El Sheikh it taught us a valuable lesson to make sure we check the luggage rack before we leave! Thankfully all our valuables were safely about our persons, however I do wonder which lucky child ended up having a rather excessive treat that night when Dad got home from work!
One thing I realised as soon as the sun rose higher was that this place was hot! Although the winter nights were chilly, in the days we basked in glorious sunshine, made stronger by the fact that we were not on open ocean: Saudia Arabia and Jordan are just a few kilometres away across the water from Nuweiba, maybe 20 minutes maximum by speed boat, which meant that the sun was caught and contained in what was effectively a mountainous bowl from the moment it rose to the moment it set. Eating a wonderful fresh breakfast that first morning on the beach in the sunshine, staring at a clear view of the shores of foreign lands was an experience I will never forget!
Whilst we were there, it was Rami and my decision to expend as little energy as possible. So we enjoyed snorkelling, walking along the beach and some moderate mountain trekking, but we did not bother to book onto any trips or excursions – choosing instead to save the adventures for when I have family or friends visiting. However, we were presented with many different options and there is definitely enough to keep the average adventurer busy even in the most secluded of spots. From scuba to desert safari, our campsite manager had all the contacts necessary to arrange these trips, as I think most reputable campsites should. If you are only in this part of the world for a short time, unlike myself, I would definitely recommend that you explore your options.
When approaching the camp and taking in the environment I was overcome with the same mixed views of beauty versus desolation that I have about a vast amount of Cairo. I was left breathless at the stunning landscape that we had landed in. In front of us lay ocean that sparkled like crystal and behind us the austere mountains guarded the tranquillity of the beach. The camp was made up of around 10 adorable bamboo beach huts called ‘kosh’, positioned just metres from the ocean; minimal in design, with just a bed and a table and some cushions, but perfect for our camping needs. The rest of the campsite was made up of Beduoin style communal areas like bamboo canopies sheltering floors covered in rugs and cushions and with low tables dotted around. At night we were covered in a blanket of stars while the calming sound of the waves lapping the shore lulled us to sleep.
Nonetheless, all around the camp and right on our doorstep it looked like the end of the world. The beach was strewn with litter and as far as the eye could see there were the eerie remains of abandoned building projects and half-finished or deserted holiday resorts, left open to the elements after tourism failed and brought a whole country, relying on this industry, to its knees. There was barely another soul in a radius of about 10K except resident Bedouins living in the empty buildings, the owner of the place and a handful of his friends... and a camel.
I would sincerely like to return to this area when the tourism in Cairo is improved. Although I was able to look past the desolation I could not help but be heartbroken at how badly the whole country has been affected by the lack of tourists, frightened from coming because of political turbulence occuring many, many kilometres away. This will be a recurring feeling I believe, until the situation improves. The small area of shops that we visited on the second day looked like a town out of an apocalyptic thriller. Us and three Italians, who made a speedy departure as soon as they arrived, were the only foreign visitors that week. Unfortunately for a group of people who have learned to rely on foreign money as their only income, the situation is fast becoming desperate. After having spoken to someone here at the college who made the same trip as me, but to a different camp, I am reassured, if not more saddened, to know it was not exclusively our area that was badly in need of maintenance and an injection of cash and people.
One other criticism that I have of the place we were staying is the lack of evening entertainment of any kind. The darkness drew in early, around 6pm, and the evenings were long and oppressive. Without mental stimulation we were both incredibly sleepy very early. Actually, we revelled in the chance to sleep however if we had been hoping for something to keep us occupied into the night, this would definitely not have been the best place to stay! Maybe this again will change when the camp comes alive with people. I will have to report back if ever I find out.
For now, I will just say that we were able to block out the slightly unnerving surrounds and the lack of evening amusement and focus instead on the incredible natural backdrop and the chance for fresh air and exposure to some nature. We revelled in the chance to eat fresh food in copious amounts on the beach and I spent Christmas day paddling and swimming in the ocean, watching a comical crab scuttling along the beach and tasting freshly caught oyster that I had actually witnessed being fished through my snorkel mask. If you are able to open your mind look past the after effects of a country in political turmoil and economic trouble you can instead start to appreciate the holiday for what it can give you: sun, sea, sand and the chance to escape the hum drum of everyday life for a short while.
Trips such as these desert stays can be booked through the IH Cairo ILI student services. Our stay at Beduoin Home was found privately as it was an invitation from a friend – This venue is owned by a young company, and the place was taken over from another owner, so the facilities need to be spruced up a little bit before I feel it is ready for wider publicity and personal recommendation. If you are not at the college studying then I am sure that you can find many such resorts on google or tripadvisor, although I will not be held responsible for any bad experiences as a result of this advice! However you book, during your time in Egypt I would thoroughly recommend a trip to the middle of nowhere for a few days rest and repose and a camping experience like none other.
The Camp over-looking the sea
The camp over-looked by the mountains
Sunrise on Christmas morning
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