Teen Travel Blog

“The camels are not cooperating…there will be a delay.”  Those were the somewhat nerve racking words we heard as we were waiting for our camels to transport us to a Bedouin camp for a traditional desert meal.  Seems they were being a bit ornery and needed a little extra prodding to start their journey.  We finally climbed aboard the creatures and headed out of town into a desert canyon.  Riding was surprisingly easy….cross one leg in front of you around the horn and control the camel much like a horse, relax in the saddle and sway along with its hypnotic gate.

Our Bedouin lunch was spectacular….best meal in Egypt according to Zach.  We were all seated on cushions in the shade of a large thatched 3-sided building.  A light breeze wafted through as waited for lunch.

In the background, live Arabic music played on traditional Bedouin instruments.  We were served the obligatory sweet tea to start, followed by grilled chicken, Kofta (Egyptian sausage—delicious!), grilled vegetables and of course pita bread and hummus.  Our groups will spend 3 days with the Bedoins deep in the desert.  It will be an amazing experience for our teens.

Things we’ve seen and heard:

• A lone camel purposely walking down the streets of Dahab, apparently heading home on its own.
• Egyptian mini bus drivers need special training and papers to drive American and British citizens.  Seems the government is extra cautious that nothing untoward happen to these nationalities.
• The most frequently heard language in Egyptian Sinai is Russian. They arrive by the chartered planeload.
• The beaches along the Sinai Peninsula are 4-5 miles wide and hundreds of miles long.
• Egyptian Airlines seat row numbers start at row 20 and get higher.  Who knows what happened to seat row 1-19.

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