SHOCKING SHEESHA SHORTAGE- Hurghada, Egypt

.....our last blog post from the end of our Balkan summer in Montenegro and Serbia.....

Much of the last two months in Montenegro and Serbia had been spent pouring over the internet, trying to decide on the best plan for onward travel, bearing in mind costs, weather, appealing cultures (to us), and mentality of the local people. Then, of course, there was the irritating issues of restrictions inside the destination and the hoops to be jumped through in order to enter a country which one must take into consideration these days. Egypt kept popping up as an option, and since we had loved the place on our previous visits, we decided it could be a perfect place to begin a new phase. 

Al Mina Mosque sitting on the water, Hurghada, Egypt

Once the decision had been made, there was a surprising amount of last minute running around to do in just a few days to facilitate an effortless exit from Serbia and entry into Egypt. 

It was a wrench to leave Serbia, the wonderful country that had saved us in 2020 and had been so good to us, as had the Balkans in general, for the past year and a half. Saying goodbye to our friends at the Sun Hostel in Belgrade was emotional, as we didn't know when we would see them again.

Rugged up, last days in Belgrade, Serbia

The journey to Egypt turned out to be relatively smooth and hassle free, and were glad at having put in the effort and research to make it so. We were ready with masks in pocket to put them on whenever we were asked to during the trip. But the whole time from the taxi to Belgrade airport, inside the terminal, checking in, boarding the plane, on the plane, arriving into Hurghada terminal, and finally at Egyptian immigration, no-one asked us once to mask up, and we were far from the only mask-less passengers. That was surprising, and a relief. 

Hurghada was pretty much as we'd imagined it to be- a dusty, tacky town built for the sole purpose of luring tourists to the Red Sea coast for swimming, diving and year-round sun. It mostly catered to Russians and Eastern Europeans fleeing winter, often staying in all-inclusive resorts. Most of the Egyptian hospitality and shop workers migrated to Hurghada from other parts of Egypt, and there was little of cultural or historical interest in the town. As a result, the whole place was lacking a soul, and was definitely the least interesting destination we had visited in Egypt. Having said that, it was brilliant to be able to fly directly to the south of Egypt from Belgrade and it was an adequate location to get our heads together from the previous month, and reacquaint ourselves with food, culture and language before heading out into more interesting locales. 

Having been terribly rushed in Belgrade, and not being familiar with the different areas of Hurghada, we had inadvertently booked a dud hotel. The man on reception was a grinning, wide eyed idiot- an Egyptian version of Manuel from Faulty Towers, and totally clueless about practically everything. After a couple of days searching Hurghada for something more suitable, we ended up at a fabulous guesthouse professionally run by an Egyptian/Filipina couple with five kids and an Indonesian nanny! Unlike our first choice, it was spotlessly clean, and the whole family was welcoming and spoke perfect English. Unfortunately, Hurghada was not a town for budget travellers, with very little accommodation at the lower end of the market, so we just bit the bullet knowing we would find cheap and cheerful digs more in keeping with our style in the weeks to come. 

Spice stall, Egypt

Our first priority was a visit to immigration in order to find out how long we were allowed to stay in the country. We had read contrasting stories online- it seemed to depend on the office and the whim of the officer. After lining up with all the Russians one morning, we were ushered into the modern facility, and swiftly given an extension of five extra months, making a total of six when added to the 30 days we had received on arrival at Hurghada airport. It was a relief to know we had plenty of time to explore the country, and also had some months before we would potentially have to start the dreadful process again of establishing which countries were accessible to us for travel.

Sightseeing was limited. The main street of Hurghada was full of flashing lights, Cyrillic signs, posh cafes and restaurants, sunburnt tourists waddling up and down and shops full of gaudy carpets, knickknacks and perfumes. A turn into the back streets immediately brought a more authentic feel with smaller, more basic establishments and cheaper prices. The whole town had a feel of a concrete construction site with rubble and dust underfoot and more buildings being haphazardly built to add to the already hundreds of apartments and resorts. Having said that, it wasn't all bad. It was lovely to have a smile returned on the street, and the town held some semblance of exoticism for us after being in the Balkans for so long.

Local man, Hurghada, Egypt

Touristy marina, Hurghada, Egypt

During our stay, we gained an understanding of how the beach situation worked in Hurghada. All the beaches were carved up and were in private ownership of the numerous resorts. In order to enjoy them, people (including locals) had to pay a hefty fee of LE 100-200, the equivalent of £5- £10 per person . We have only ever paid once to enter a beach, on Long Island, New York, and we have never gotten over the experience! Richard still talks about it. It seems such a foreign concept to us! We had heard there was one free beach in the southern part of Hurghada, and when we saw it, we saw why there was no fee. Although the water looked blue and clear, the shore was a mess with bits of random concrete laying around, and not at all appealing. Directly next door was an upmarket resort/residence where the manicured flower beds and perfectly swept beach could not have been more different. Unfortunately, it was rocky and no good for swimming, and we hate to think what the entrance fee there would have been! Having had an amazing time on the Balkan beaches during the summer this year, we didn't feel a desperate need to idle on the sand, and were happy to simply sit on our guesthouse rooftop. 

Uninspiring Hurghada beach, Egypt

A few swimmers, Hurghada, Egypt

Not impressed, Hurghada, Egypt

We launched straight into our beloved Egyptian cuisine. Our all time favourite ful (beans) was first on the list, accompanied by dips such as baba ghannoug (eggplant), hummus (chick pea) and tahina (sesame). Shakshouka (fancy eggs), salads galore, lamb shawarma and kofta (long meatballs) could all be all stuffed into delicious soft shammy bread. Fruits in season included creamy guavas and the absolute best mangoes we have ever eaten. Being well and truly into the habit of a (at least) daily visit to the café in the Balkans, we were happy to find plenty of local ahwas with strong Turkish style coffee and fragrant teas to continue this custom. What was devastatingly missing, however, were the shishas. People puffing away on a shisha was always an ubiquitous sight in Egyptian cafes, and was an adored pastime for us whilst travelling in Egypt. Unfortunately, it's yet another thing to be ruined by government Covidian policy. Sal, at least, was able to console herself with sahlab, a thick creamy, milky drink topped with nuts which is normally drunk in winter. Technically it was winter, although the constant 30+ degree days had us fooled!

Egyptian feast, Hurghada, Egypt

The Hurghada central market was fantastic- partially covered against the heat and piled high with outstanding fruit arrangements. There were a few portly butchers tending meat stalls with carcasses hanging out the front, but mostly it was stall after stall of fresh in-season produce. Guavas, mangoes, melons and grapes sat alongside peppers of all sizes and large, perfect cauliflowers. Having quickly re-learnt the Arabic numbers on arrival, we were able to decipher the correct and incredibly cheap prices easily. 

Alluring produce market, Hurghada, Egypt

The biggest pomegranates, Hurghada, Egypt

Butcher's stall with cheeky cat, Hurghada, Egypt

An abundance of goodness, Hurghada, Egypt

Artfully arranged fresh produce, Hurghada, Egypt

Another food market, equally interesting in a different way, was the seafood market on the shore next to the main mosque. No prices were on display here, as bus loads of tourists were overcharged for the novelty of buying fresh seafood and having it cooked straight in front of them. The range of seafood stuffed onto the market tables was staggering. Not having qualms about catching undersized or rare fish, fishermen could supply the market with every imaginable creature from the sea, including varieties of shrimp, squid, colourful coral fish and huge fish from deeper waters. We stuck with eating modest, but fresh shrimp sandwiches with dill and tahina from a basic little stall out the back.

Fish galore, Hurghada, Egypt

Smiling blue variety, Hurghada, Egypt

Chatting with the stall holders, Hurghada, Egypt

Yummy seafood sandwiches, Hurghada, Egypt

Nearby to the fish market was Al Mina Mosque, one of several new, but splendid religious buildings in Hurghada. We admired the white domes and spires from the outside and timed the visit well, coinciding with the midday call to prayer. It was extremely dismaying to see numerous tourists dressed in singlets and shorts ignorantly stepping inside, completely disregarding obvious cultural and religious practices. Unfortunately, this insensitivity was on display everywhere in Hurghada, and we even spotted the occasional person lingering in the streets displaying their bare-chest (men!) or in a bikini (women!).

Never before have we been in a town with such an enormous number, range and size of craft scooting around on the water. From magnificent ferries, luxury yachts and live-aboard dive boats down to squid fishing vessels with their gigantic gas lights on the rear, to tiny fishing boats. The harbours, marinas and boat building yards with their sparkling clear water and range of craft were fascinating to visit. No-one seemed to much mind us wandering around having a sticky beak.

Boat building yard, Hurghada, Egypt

Happy man working in boat yard, Hurghada, Egypt 

Harbour at Hurghada, Egypt

Different generations of fishermen, Hurghada, Egypt

Renovating an old boat, Hurghada, Egypt

Compact minibuses were the best way to get around Hurghada. Being a relatively small town spread out along the coast, only a few different routes were needed to be able to access most places of interest or necessity. Riding one consisted of flagging down any passing white minibus, jumping in and finding an appropriate seat (women generally don't sit next to men if it can be helped), passing LE 2 (£0.09) to the driver via fellow passengers and yelling out when one arrived at the desired destination. Simple.

Long distance buses were equally straightforward, as we found out on our departure from Hurghada, as we headed inland. An extremely organized and comfortable bus line took us the five hours to Luxor, in the south of Egypt. Firstly we crossed through arid, light-brown desert, with craggy peaks rising all around. An infinitely watchable route south along lush canals came next, with sugar canes fields on either side, and many small villages with donkeys and carts, and residents looking like they were living their lives in an ancient age.

The feeling of adventure at being in a new, exciting place overwhelmed us upon arrival in the middle of Luxor, and we looked forward to spending time in the burial lands of the Pharaohs.  

..........our move to Luxor and the commotion staying on the East Bank for a week.........