Escape

You have just discovered that the driving force which brought you back to Egypt is a severe disappointment. You spend some time to yourself in your room, trying to figure out what is next for you in your life. Your friends and family back home expressed their concerns for your situation and hope you return. The idea of returning home sounds appealing, but at the same time, it feels like taking a step backwards. Why did you travel all this distance just to return home? You didn’t accomplish anything except spend money and get on a plane. So the school didn’t work out. There is another reason for you to be here, you just have to figure out what it is.

A few days after finding out your purpose here is unknown, a new traveler checks into the same room where you currently sleep. Her name is Tanya and she is from Russia. She is the first female traveler, who speaks fluent English, you have encountered on your trip. You spend an evening speaking about experiences in Egypt, travel, and life. You realize quickly that Tanya is a person who acts spontaneously when she decides, in the spark of a neuron, she doesn’t want to stay in Cairo until her visa will be ready to be picked up, in ten days, but she wants to travel to Dahab- tonight- and invites you to join her. For one minute, you seriously consider it. The idea sounds thrilling, but then your conscience steps in and tells you to wait a minute. You have just met this person, and have no idea who they are. You think if she were leaving in a few days, you would have more time to get to know her, but she is ready to leave tonight, and you aren’t.

You spend another week in Cairo contemplating your situation. A friendly man who works in the hotel offers his opinions and ideas about what you should do in your situation, even though you never ask him. He takes the initiative to ask a network of people he knows about available teaching jobs in Cairo. He practically demands you to comply with his requests, and you resist. Your hopes of finding a suitable employer in Egypt have practically diminished, but he doesn’t accept this.

“You have a hard mind, but I will break you,” Ahmed says.
“Okay, fine,” you say.

You realize that submitting information to other companies in order to find another job can’t hurt. So, why not?

Meanwhile, you have convinced yourself that you are incapable of carrying out your “plan B”- travel. You start having extreme doubt about your situation, yourself, everything.

“You must prove to yourself that you can do it.”
“I don’t think I can.”
“You have to. Do it. Do it for yourself.”

A few days later, you pick up the phone and call Tanya.

“Sara? Nice to hear from you! When are you coming?”

You decide to take a chance, go somewhere you haven’t been yet, pack up your shit, and take a bus to the Sinai Peninsula.

The bus arrives at the Dahab Bus Station at about 9:30am. You haven’t been able to sleep much and feel disoriented. You step off the bus and are immediately approached by a taxi driver. You are his last chance for some money from this busload, so he has nothing to lose and no reason to leave without you. You tell him to go away. You scream and shout, showing your angriest face, but he only stands there smiling, watching you. Suddenly, you recognize a Japanese man from your hotel in Cairo. After talking with him for a minute, he spots a man who works in the hotel he had just stayed in, in Dahab. He recommends to stay at this hotel, but all you want is a ride in that direction so you can meet Tanya. The taxi arrives and the driver asks for money. He demands 10 pounds and you have been warned not to pay more than 5. Tempers flare, harsh words exchanged, and you are wondering if the whole trip will be like this.

Finally you see Tanya, and she takes you to meet some of her Russian friends and eat breakfast. You plan to spend only a few days there, but end up staying for 2 and a half weeks. This is the curse of Dahab.

There are not enough pictures or words to capture the atmosphere of Dahab. One must see for oneself. However, you decide you can’t leave until you attempt to capture it in writing, the best you can:

Mud-squishing toes,
Rocks sculpting feet,
Wind dances playfully.
Turquoise water,
Lucid dreams,
There can be no such place, it seems.
Time doesn’t exist,
Only night and day,
A week’s vacation turns a year-long stay.
Together in this vortex, called
Dahab.

Bracelet, cheeky-bugger, girls,
Follow salt-crust faces.
Coral,
Fish,
Swimming in the Red Sea.
Have you seen?
This is Dahab.
Cats and dogs your best friends,
Take your lentil soup,
In a bag to-go,
Drink it through a straw by the sea.
Come with me,
The beach-front in Dahab.

A black sheep drinks Nescafe,
Refuses to swim in her lingerie,
Wondering what the future will be,
After moving from this lazy town.
The mountains and the sun,
Scuba diving fun.
Generous faces,
Abandoned places,
You can find yourself
In Dahab.

[The day after you arrive in Dahab, you immediately make reservations to climb to the top of Mt. Sinai and visit the monastery of Saint Katherine. The most desired trek starts at the bottom around 1am and you reach the top to watch the sunrise. This experience requires and entry of its own, so stay tuned.]

The remainder of your two weeks is spent lounging by the sea, meeting people from all over the world, swimming, snorkeling, and exploring. You feel welcomed by all who stay there and are even offered opportunities to live and work there. The idea of staying sounds tempting, but you have other things to take care of first. Toward the end, you are presented with an opportunity which you cannot refuse- to go scuba diving absolutely free. A generous dive master offered to take you out for a semi-shallow dive, no strings attached. You are skeptical it will happen after you wait two hours at the meeting place, but eventually you go, and it is like a dream come true. Never did you think you would get an opportunity to go scuba diving in the Red Sea, and now you have.

The expiration date of your visa is slowly approaching, and after days of trying to decide what to do and listening to advice from others, you decide the best option is to go back to Cairo. It is time to leave Dahab for the time being.

“Sometime next week, if you would like, I will take you diving in the Canyon.”
“Oh, I am leaving tomorrow, but I’ll be back for sure, I mean, insha’allah.”