Nov. 6 - Dahab

It was a long day of travel and wait, up at 4am, arrived at our hostel at 6:45 pm.  Michelle and I were both so hot and weary, we immediately stripped down to our undies and sprawled out on our double bed as the air conditioning blew down on us!  Once sufficiently cooled down, we found a tiny grocery store and bought yogurts, juice, spaghetti and sauce, veggies and tuna for $8.  Enough food for 3 meals.  Egypt is an inexpensive place for a vacation.  Our hostel is down a back lane from the Rea Sea.  By back lane I mean a sandy pathway.  I hear a rooster crowing outside our window.  Ashley, from our tour group, who was also continuing her vacation at the sea, arrived in Sharm El Sheikh an hour before us and waited for us to share a taxi for the 1 hour drive to Dahab.  The drivers told her 500 egyptian pounds.  She negotiated 350.  After we arrived we easily haggled down to 200 pounds.  that was good enough for us at the time as we were tired and negotiating takes a lot of energy.  We'd heard that we could get it for as low at 150 pounds.  The drive to Dahab gave me some motion sickness.  It was a windy, deserted highway that runs through barren desert hills.
I've become a vegetarian once again since being on this trip.  Eating rice, lentils, veggies.  I can't bring myself to eat the meat after seeing it hanging in the open doorways of shops in 39 degree heat with flies swarming it. Though others from our Gap group have found it tasty.
We have free wi-fi in our hostel.  Our flat has 3 bedrooms, a tiny living room and kitchen and shared bathroom for 6.  it's around $100 for 4 nights for both me and Michelle.  The front desk guy gave us free snorkeling gear to borrow, so tomorrow we snorkel, take a nap then leave at 11pm for Mount Sinai.  We'll hike up through the night and watch the sunrise.  Then a 3 hour hike down, 2 hour drive back to our hostel and sleep during the day on Tuesday.
We can now use our water purification system again.  10 drops purifies a litre of water.  We have been brave enough now to try a few raw veggies, which we were strongly advised against, but so far our tummies are fine and thankful to finally get a bit of greens.