The wind forecast from the windguru was actually a bit lighter than expected at breakfast, but there was some ride able wind to take advantage of, so after a tasty breakfast in the Panda, I was off to the beach. 

I got there to a decent slalom wind blowing out on the water, so I grabbed an 8 meter sail and the 125 Lt for some blasting out at Speedy, but it looked better in the lagoon today, and knowing Epp and the Club staff would be shooting photos and video, I changed venue to the lagoon.

This was powered most of the time, and a good time for sure.  I even managed to get on the club video doing a half-decent planning jibe! Very cool! (I’ll have to buy the DVD for this week!)  

Epp had taken my waterproof cam for some shots of the the lessons on the beach, and snapped a bit of this below:

  She then rode out to the shallows of the lagoon for some photos of everyone, and this was such fun for me to be on the other side of the lens! I got a new perspective being the one shot, and a feeling of trying to do your best in front of the lens came over me!  I can see why folks get so stoked to get photos, it’s not if you get one, it’s just the pump of trying to show off!!  Great fun! 

Epp had many a good shot, even if she did not get proper training from the camera owner, and had the typical dirty lens issues one has in salty water…  I gave her a training session, the spit/rub/rinse in the surf lens cleaning method, and the rest of her shots were clear and beautiful!  These are too good to be reduced in size to fit inside the blog, and I had to post them to the ‘Photos’ section so you could get some nice big 800 x 600 views.  Please look for the lagoon shots on the link by date…Enjoy! After the ride it was a quick shower and then a chill-out session in the Bar lounge over some tasty lunch with my lady Mirjam, with Epp joining us later for chat and some coffee.  She caught me enjoying life in the sun:

This was another fun day on the Red Sea! What a great ride!  Even though it was big stuff, I had fun blasting about, and the camera and video footage added just the right fun edge to it, and of course sailing with Mirjam, Tiuu, Epp, Ivy, and so many more new surf friends was the best!  Always more fun with friends! 

The afternoon faded into the evening, and we had the last night out with our Estonian friends Erke and Kate, as they had a flight the next day, so we made plans to start the night at the Club Beach Bar. We met for drinks and enjoyed the company of Yasser, and the guys, as we chilled out in the lounge area, making full use of the cushions and hammock, and we had a great night laughing and enjoying each others company.. 

We then made the trip to the ‘Friends’ restaurant for a fantastic evening of feasting on some mighty tasty food and enjoying the local shisha over tea and coffee drinks along with the requisite chocolate shake!  Love the food there!!  We all got stuffed, relaxed and enjoyed the meal with friends..  A great evening meal again in Dahab!! We were stuffed and ready for bed, since Erki and Keith had an early transfer at 8 am, we let them go pack and get some sleep, while we continued on to the hotels for some of our own.  Gonna miss you guys, hope to see you again in Estonia!! 

So the days are winding down, and each one is stored in the memories, hoping to recall them again once back in the cold, to retrieve a warm memory…  A few days left.. Recorded by: Timo

We had some very light wind today so it was just the day to do some foot-bag, and swimming, and just chillin the day away, absorbing some sun while we can.. 

I didn’t make much use of the camera this day on the beach, but again got some more funny shots of the towel creations the guys do at Panda, and these are below:

I am amazed at all the designs they can do! 

The day past, and the sun down, we adjourned to the fave restaurant, ‘Friends’ for some more tasty eats, and another evening of socializing together!  These are some fun folks to share a table with, and I always have a good time with them all! 

We started with the fresh fruit juices, then the fine food, followed by some amazing desert with coffee drinks, and of course a shisha to share!  Some of this below:

Looking over the photos, I am reminded that we had a great night, and like the final cat photo, we just had to lie down for some sleep, more to do the next day!! 

Shalom,Timo

The wind was lighter for the morning, so I managed to chill out with friends at the center, and enjoyed the company as the day slid by.

I was so lucky to be able to meet up with Irina one last time at the beach that morning, after she had a final swim in the lagoon, and we said our sad goodbyes with some final hugs thrown in to try and keep her warm for her return to Riga, Latvia.

I will miss you girl!  Thanks so much for the help shopping and being such a good friend this trip!  I love you Girl!! :)  Hope to see you again soon, maybe Margarita?  Or I could always come for a visit, as I do owe you the return of the Paris head scarf!  I’ll keep it safe for you…

I later got the word that the Estonian folks were thinking of a camel trip for later in the afternoon….  This seemed a perfect idea, as the wind had dropped some more, and it looked like a good day to take a trip. 

So after some lunch, and a quick shower and change of clothes, it was back to the club lounge to gather for the jeep and truck rides over to the camels at the base of the mountains, at the edge of town.  We were there in no time, after negotiating some amazing traffic, and witnessing some stellar taxi driving skills, what with the typical crazy drivers you seem to see in any place with tourism…  Always fun to experience a good road trip!  Once at the spot, we all were led to a camel, and mounted up for a short ride up the mountain to see the sun set from a peak, and have some bread and tea over an open fire, as the sun sets… 

Epp was again instrumental, and grabbed the camera from me right at the start, and started snapping the scene, and really getting some great shots, and some very fun stuff got written into the memory!  I have such a hard time selecting which ones to keep, as the blog gets pretty big, and slow to load, but I had to put up these she took;

                                         I know, too many…but that was just the trip up the mountain!  I was amazed at Epp running along the camels, and taking such fun shots of the ride!  She is such a skilled photographer!  Much respect sistah!   You really know how to take care of us! 

Then we finished the ride, and the fun part of getting off the camel came next, this is not as easy as getting up, but we all managed, even if does feel like you might fall on your face!   See below:

        We were at a small campsite, and the Bedouin crew got started making a fire to make bread and tea with, while we got together for a short hike up a rocky peak nearby for a look at the sunset. 

It was a bit cloudy this late afternoon, so not a perfect sunset, but we had a great view of Dahab, and Epp was still snapping, and even handed the cam off to Marko for awhile so we got a nice mix of shots of it all below:

         OK, I know the shot above is kinda goofy, but it is so funny how the flash freezes things… (Sorry Epp..) :)  Ok, some more good shots:

After this, it was time to hike back down the scrabble and return to the camp, but I found a cool rock with a head sized hole in it, and had to goof off for Marko to get some fun snaps below:

We got back to the site just before it got dark, and they already had a fire burning, and the local Bedouin cook, was making some flat bread for us!  This was a surreal scene, the stark desert around us, and he was making bread on a metal dome!  To realize this is how they have lived here, was quite humbling, and cool to see, below:

             And some shots around the campsite…

We all sat down for the meal of fresh bread and tea on the mats that our saddles were made from, and relaxed as we waited for the water to boil, and the breads to get cooked.  We passed the time with photos and chat, as they finished the bread, and got the candles lit, and began to pour us tea.. some images below:

After the meal, the guys from the crew got together and started to pound on the empty water jug with a good rhythm and the boys started in to singing and chanting to get someone up and in the middle to dance. A few of the guys make a few tries at it, but my crazy Cherokee happy feet got the best of me and I decided to jump up and give it a try!!  I do love to dance, and with a great beat provided by beat-master Bedouin, I was doing the native dance, and trying to get anyone else to join in! 

One of the local guys joined me and we had a good time dancing about, and showing off our various moves, this was a great time for me, I just love to dance, and we had a blast!  Some of it below:

Then came the special trick to try and pick up the cigarette stuck in the sand with only your mouth, while hand-standing on a cement block!  Very funny, but it was possible, as shown by the locals, and even Hans stepped up and showed us all how it’s done!  Action below:

Then came the water cup balance trick, and a few of the guys made attempts, but only one could get up and lie back down without spilling the cup.  They put on a good show for us, and I snapped the last few shots of the day as they did..

So another brilliant day of Dahab fun was coming to an end, and we made our way back down the trail to the jeeps waiting to take us back to town or the hotels, and we split up and went on our way to finish the day with some fine supper and a good night’s sleep. More to follow..Cheers!Timo

We got a bit of a break on Monday, and got some wind in the morning for some good rides on the Red Sea!  The wind was steady and stronger than it has been, and I finally got down to the center early for a board and sail, and a morning of rides! I got out on a 6.9M and a 107Lt wave board, as per Epp’s suggestion for a warm-up at Speedy, and then she would join me for some waves out on Kamikaze!!  I was a bit worried with this large sail/small board combo in the swell, but figured I wanted the power of the sail, and needed a shorter board for the turns, so I got suited up, and hit the bay of Aqaba! 

The runs at Speedy gave me enough time to get the harness lines in proper position and length, the boom height just right, and the practice on the jibes to help with the bottom turns coming up! I had a nice hour or so warming up, and then met Epp on one of the runs, and we chatted up, and make the plan for a wave session!  Time to do a down-winder to get around the point of coral that marks the Speedy/Kamikaze border… 

The 6.9 was still perfect for me, and I was quick to get to the markers that show a path thru the coral and out to the open sea and the amazing swell!!  Epp and I passed thru, and we were off to see how big things were! We found the heights to be moderate, only 3-4 meters on the huge ones, and a couple meters on the small stuff in between.  But who am I kidding…This is Frickin Awesome!!  

I blasted thru the smaller stuf, and found some smooth rides in between the waves, for nice sweeping bottom turns, as you play with the lip of the next crest, flirting with the idea of a blast off its juicy ramp, but waiting for the next one instead… Boy I love to ride in the waves!!  Such fun, and to see Epp ripping it up carving thru turn upon beautiful turn off these sweet half-pipes was a total boost to the already amazing high of the ride just for myself! 

We were sailing some amazing stuff, and watching for each other, and making sure you always have an eye on your ‘surf-buddy’, so we got to see and enjoy not only our own ride but the energy and bright light of your fellow sailor beaming off the waves and into your own souls!  I had the most amazing time out there!!  It is surf-heaven! I got to score some HUGE FAT air, and so many nice planning landings it was just the perfect session!  I made so many bottom turn jibes, it was a new record for me, and it really helped that the swell did not break too much, so when I did blow a turn, and had to flounder a bit in it, I was not tossed into the washing machine, but allowed the time to water-start, and get back on it! 

This was easily one of the best days sailing in my life!  A session like this is what a trip is all about!  This has made the trip here for me, and to learn that it is typical, and this is just a weird year for wind, makes me want to come back and find this ride again!  We sliced it up for a good two hours or so carving, jumping, and blasting and eventually agreed, we were a bit tired, and getting sloppy, so it was time for the ride back thru Speedy, the lagoon, and on to the beach for some lunch and water! 

Epp; I thank you, for encouraging me to come to Dahab, and to get out early for the ride today!  You are a windsurf angel to sail with me this day, and I am forever your surf buddy after a session like that!!  Mucho Amor por Ti! :)  She trailed off somewhere in Speedy to check up on all her other amazing surf-buddies of her group from Estonia and all, while I continued on for some ‘maya’ (water, a key Arabic word you might need in a desert..) from the Club bar. 

A great session and the shower to get the salt off and cold water to slam after three hours without it in itself an amazing treat!   I was so thankful for the session, and the chill out in the shade of the bar lounge on the beach was a perfect après windsurf luxury one cannot miss!  The rest of the day was so relaxing, after a good session you really do feel great for hours, and I enjoyed this into the evening for dinner, and then on to bed, the best sailing day yet!!  I do hope for more to follow.. See ya!

Timo

Well after the great wind yesterday, the light wind continues here, and I am simply not able to short-board, but at least have been able to get out with the big kit for some planning sessions now and then.

I am so spoiled from the scheduled wind of Margi, where the mornings are light, while the afternoons are blasting, so my lazy morning habit is bad for catching any wind, as the small amount there is arrives at opening around 9 am, and is gone by noon.  Ya gotta get out early!

Epp is quick to point this out, and I have missed a few mornings slalom sessions, but don’t think I have missed any short board action, and this morning the water was very still, so there was nothing to do for me but enjoy the relaxation the beach and center offers. 

I was up early again and snapped a couple shots from the hotel to capture a bit of the beauty of the Panda Hotel pools, and these are below;

The lighter winds were still enough for the beginners, and they got out for some practice on the water, while I managed to ride the hammock and a few chairs throughout the day, and of course enjoy the lunch menu from the club bar…  

I gave the camera to Epp, and she took a few shots of the daily classes the instructors hold each morning and afternoon, and some of these are below;

We were surprised this week to have Mart from Estonia join us for the final week here!  He snuck out of work, and joined us on the beach for some of the Egypt fun!  Glad you could make it Bro!  A shot of him below:

To keep some energy output going, I did some more Footbag, and then a bit of swimming to cool off.  The salty Red Sea makes you float, and this is still amazing for me, as I tend to be a sinker otherwise… The beauty of the place from the water is quite wonderful to behold, and the water is so darn clear!  You can see bottom everywhere you look, so pretty!

So it was a nice relaxing day at the beach for me, and I again enjoyed the evening, but was a bit bummed to know that Irina would be leaving the next day, and missed joining her for supper, so I would have to wait for her last visit to the beach in the morning…  Another wonderful day in the beach life, time to recharge for another on Wednesday..

Bookra Asop..

Timo 

It’s hard to relate that I have already been here three weeks, and only have one week left to go!  The time is just flying by.. 

The wind has been lighter in its pattern, and I have not gotten out too much, except on bigger kit for some slalom runs at Speedy.  This has been fun when it’s available, and the social scene is still very good fun! 

The hanging with Erke, Kate, and Mirjam has been a total blast, such young folks, and hanging out with them makes me feel like a kid again!  Such fun people to enjoy the beach life with, much thanks youse guys! 

We make the most of the light wind times with chilling in the bar and lounge area of Club Dahab, and enjoy each other’s company over some food, coffee, beers and what-have-you, as we lie in the couches, and cushions of the chill zones. 

This is a perfect relaxation spot!  We were goofing off this lazy Sunday, and took some goofy photos to mix it up a bit..  Some of this beach-brain stuff below:

Thanks to Rachel and Becca, my UK GF’s, for the most awesome pyramid penholder from Ciaro!  This looks like a museum piece in the pic!

And this is an example of the face I make when I don’t get to go shortboarding…

After this fun, it was time to get some photos of the on the water action, even if there was not that much wind, as I really needed to get some photos of my friends from the UK, since they were going back to the cold today! 

So I grabbed the Canon S80 and its waterproof case, and waded out for some snaps of the fun they were having in the light wind practice session, and to show off for the folks back home!! 

Rachel was a great model, and even in the super-light winds, she put on a good show, as did Becca, Irina and a few others here and there, so I snapped it all, and you can see these on the ‘Photos’ link for the 16^th.  I also shot a short video of Rachel playing around with some freestyle, so see that on the ‘Video’ link.  Not my best for sure, but something at least. 

After the photos on the water, I played around with some fun shots in the shallows with Becca and Bruce, the other photographer at the moment.  Becca put on a great show for the lens, I just had to include them below. So cute girl!  You photograph so well!

As the day wound down, and the departure of my two friends came closer, we enjoyed some last shots on the beach of Rachel in her new Egyptian robe/hoodie.  She also got into it, with some direction from the photographer, and we got some more fun shots below.  You also follow direction well!  Nicely done Girl!

So after some final hugs, and goodbyes, the girls made their way back to Britain and the cold, with the warmth of Egypt and our friendship to keep them warm!  Hope to see you both again!  Ciao Girls! 

The beach life of course continued on, and we spent the day as usual in honor of those that cannot, and had our fill of the relaxation and moved on to dinner and the evenings fun in town. 

The food was great again, and the friends plentiful, so it was another fantastic day here in Dahab.  Time for sleep and some more of it again tomorrow… Later..Timo

The days have been flying by, and I have been very lazy on the blogging!  I am getting very good at the relaxation bit, and so into it, I have been failing to write at all!  So time to complete a few reports… The wind has been very light for a big 100Kg sailor like myself, and I have only managed to get out a few times, on bigger gear for speed runs out on the nice flat water of ‘Speedy’ about a mile or so offshore of the club. 

The few times I have been able to get out have been awesome for the jibe practice!  I have completed more jibes out there than anywhere else I have sailed!  I know I have improved over the years, but the flat water of ‘Speedy’ is a pure joy for the nice big planning turns!  I even tried a few lay-down jibes, and although nothing correct, it has been a good time trying something new. The social scene continues to be the biggest attraction!  I meet more and more great people, and deepen the bonds of friendship with those I have spent the past couple weeks with!  I just adore Irina and Natasha, and we have had a few excellent dinners out on the town together.  Thanks for the awesome friendship girls! 

The Indian food at a spot in town is actually close to hot and spicy enough for me!  I found some good friends there, and the cook loves to show me how hot he can make the chicken roll!  I am in heaven each time I visit, as I really miss the super spicy foods…  A few shots below of the fun with the girls..

The guys at the club bar are also amazing, and the nights spent there sharing the fun of the beach bar have been so great!  We got some fishing in one evening, sitting out on the beach sand in a couple chairs, and Ramadan actually caught a nice fish!  Erke, Kate, and Mirjam got this to take home for some fresh fish dinner, and we spent a few more hours trying to catch more, and lying under the near full moon, learning Arabic.  So fun to try a new language, with a good friend to help you!

That evening I also got to lie on the beach under a near full moon, the stars brightly shining with Shakira!  And I have witnesses in Erke, Mirjam, Kate, and Marko joining in while I enjoyed the time together with her! I  (Ok, not the latin pop star, but Ramadans dog.. Still, it was nice to get some doggie love…)

The staff at my hotel has started to get to know me as well, and they have been creating a new design for the towels on the bed each day, using the local flowers and the room towels.  Each time it has been a new and interesting creation, and I had to snap a shot of each one, as they are such creative arrangements.  A few below:

The week had raced by, and it was soon near the end, and this meant it was time for the weekly Egyptian fancy dress party!!  I was of course ready with the last weeks belly-dancer outfit, and had added a few more accessories for this week’s outing, so I was again stoked for a great evening of fun!  Saturday night, and I got the costume on, and joined a couple of my UK girlfriends at the beach in their creative costumes for the club night.  We made the short walk over to the Club Dahab Bar for the festivities.  Always sweet to have some fun folks to share with, and these gals are a blast!! Thanks Girls!! Love Ya!

The place was rockin already, and it took off as we added ourselves to the mix!  It was bigger than the other nights I had been, and was filled with the staff folks, and almost all the clients!  Many in costume and many willing to party and dance the night away!  I got a few snaps upon arrival of my local buddies at the bar Yasser and Abdul, and some of the costume/outfits, and these are shown below:

I got to see the ritual of the ‘crawling thru the beams’ at the Club bar that night, as one staff member was leaving the next day, and also for Mohamed for the grand opening of his new dive center here in the club.  The procedure was to slam a large drink, then climb over the main beam of the ceiling of the bar, while the crowd cheers you on!  I snapped a bit of this action, and it is below..

Now it was Mohameds turn!

         We then got to see this week’s video of the many folks out on the water, and again the editing and music soundtrack was stellar!  The crowd loved it, and there was much laughs and applause as it finished. Good job Mon!

I took a few shots of my UK GF’s, and then a few bystanders snapped some of me with the Russian gals, but then Epp took the camera for awhile, and snapped a bunch of us folks having a good time, and a few of the dancing that was off the hook!  Several gals joined me on the dance-floor, four of the Estonians, four more Russian gals, and my friends Irina and Epp, along with my UK team.  This was fantastic!  I had the best time bumping and grinding with gal after gal!  It was easily the most dancing with the most women of my life!  There was also the requisite posed shots here and there, and a few of Team Estonia thrown in!  Such fun, and the evidence is below;

The party went into the wee hours of the morning, and we made the most of it, dancing, drinking, shisha smoking, and generally chatting and enjoying each other’s company, a fun filled night for sure!  I finally got tired and left the action around 2:30 AM or so to hit the shower to wash off the sweat, and get some sleep.  Another successful party, and another great week here in Dahab! Ciao for now..Timo

The wind has been on the light side for the past few weeks, so we have been working on the low wind practice of the jibes, 360’s, and duck, with a few back-wind thrown in out on the water.  The beginners have been diggin it, as it has a solid direction, and this lets them practice everything. I have been out a few times, with 6.9 to 7.5 meter sails, and the Tabou Rocket 115Lt for some slalom rides back and forth, but have been missing the stronger wind to let me get out to Kamikaze for the waves, so it has been time to try a bit of alternate activities. Ahmed had the plan for a group of us to try snorkeling out at the famous ‘Blue Hole’ dive area of coral reefs north of Dahab on the red sea, bay of aquba.  This was planned for the morning, to get started early, around 8:30, so we got out in front of the hotels for the taxi pickup. The ride out to the protected park area is a total trip!  The paved road ends, and we drive for a mile or two in the sands of the desert, with camels and folks walking the winding road along the beach as we went.  A very cool scene! 

Once we got to the reef area, we could see it was filled with restaurants and hotels along the beach, and it was dive central!  The majority of folks were there for diving, but a good portion were there to snorkel as well, and we gathered in a lounge of one of the restaurants for a sit down orientation with Ahmed on the snorkel basics, and the planned drift dive we were going to do. I of course brought the camera, and planned a bunch of underwater photos, but forgot to change the battery before getting in the water, and only managed a few shots of the reef and the many fish and sea-life.  These are below for your viewing pleasure..   

The view of the reef was amazing!  We had a great time floating along the edge of the coral, and it was just beautiful!  The photos show so little of the beauty, but at least I got a couple shots. After the dive, we sat again in the restaurant, and had a bit of breakfast together.  Epp took over the camera duties, and took a bunch of shots of the fun as we enjoyed our pancakes, tea, and coffee, while chilling on the cushions of the lounge area with some little cats.  A nice relaxing morning!  Some of the action below:                         

The dive session and breakfast was complete, so it was back to our jeeps for the bumpy, winding ride back to the pavement.  The desert and the camels caught my eye, and I dug the cam out for some final shots on the way out of the camels and the scene, these are below:

It was a great time sharing with my many Estonian friends, and though there was little or no surfing to be had that day, we still had good fun, and got to spend the afternoon at the beach chillin at the club, and even a bit of Footbag for me, so I don’t get too fat…  Another good time here in Dahab, wish you were here… Later..

Timo

I got to meet a great gal here from Latvia, named Irina, and we have been sharing the fun of photography, and swapping pictures back and forth.  She has some really nice shots, so I have asked her if I can post a few, and these are below;

First a few shots of the beach, a night at Friends restaurant, and then a breakfast with Epp and Irina enjoying the beach cat there..       

Then we have a few photos of the instruction Club Dahab offers for all that attend.  Some interesting jump training ones here!  See below;

After those, she made some nice underwater shots of the first snorkel trip from the previous week, and these are here…. 

Then some cool pics from the boat trip along the shore… 

Some nice sunset shots and dancing to some Egyptian music on the boat… 

A few of me playing Footbag with Mohahmed from the club..

A couple from the supper at Ahmed and Rehab’s place; 

And a couple from the club bar.. 

Much thanks to the beautiful Irina for her kind offer to post her photos!  Thanks Girl!! 

Not much for wind to write about, but the forecast is calling for some this week, so I will hope for this to be true, and make do if it does not blow..  Always fun people to play with!! 

Write at you more, later..

Timo

Saturday we had made a plan for some snorkeling with the group of Estonian friends and Ahmed as our guide in his boat around the area near Dahab, so it was planned that we would meet at the beach, and take a taxi to the other beach up the coast where his boat was waiting. 

We got a taxi and a group of about 10-12 of us loaded up into the boat, and made the short trip to the reef for some snorkel fun. 

The group got into the water and we did a ‘drift’ snorkel, where the boat and the swimmers float along the edge of the reef, lazily enjoying the scene of the many fish and coral to see. 

I had brought my waterproof camera along for the ride, and took some shots of the underwater scene.  These do not do the beauty of the view justice, as the water and depth make it hard to get the colors you can see in person, but I have posted a bit of them below:

After the fun of the snorkeling, it was time to enjoy some hot tea, and a relaxing boat ride up and down the coastline of Dahab.  This was a perfect way to spend a windless day, relaxing with friends on the boat, watching the amazing scenic views of the beach with a mountain range backdrop. 

Again the camera was in full use, and we all took photos of the scene and the fun friends we shared the ride with on the boat.  A perfect relaxing day!  See more of the photos below;

The ride was soon done, and we were dropped back at the hotel beach by late afternoon to enjoy the final few hours of daylight on the beach. 

The bar was hoppin’ so I joined in for ‘happy hour’ with the others chillin on the lounge chairs, and this drifted into the evening and the dinner plans with friends in town, and some shopping for the ‘Egyptian Dress’ party tonight!

When I got back to my room, I could hear the TV was on.. I thought this was strange, as I never use it, but upon entry into the room, I could see why, there was a small man on the bed watching TV!  The cleaning guys had made a cool dummy out of the towels and some flowers, and it was soo cool, I had to take a shot of it.  See him below:

They do a different design each day, and it is always fun to see what they have thought of each day..

We gathered in town and had a wonderful meal again at the ‘Friends’ Restaurant, and after some fun socializing there, it was time to do some shopping for my ‘Belly Dancer’ outfit I had planned for the evening party. 

It was amazing, as we had a group of 5 or 6 folks to lend me moral support, Irina, Epp, Ahmed and his sister Rehab, and Marko along with a few Estonian friend mixing in here and there,and so many opinions on what I should get!  It took a few hours to decide and to haggle with the vendors to get the right price! 

I got exactly what I was looking for, and some of the shopping photos were quite funny!  I had to post them here;

Special thanks to Irina and the many stand-in photographers for the above shots, I did not bring my camera, and was thankful someone caught this fun time!  Thanks All!!

 This was a long process though, and it was almost 10PM when we finished and got back to the hotel, so I had to hurry to get ready and make the party ‘fashionably late’.  Mare joined me while Marko used the laptop, and she was very helpful with the many safety pins we needed to use to get the sun-worn skirt on me properly, and soon I was ready! 

Marko took over the camera duties, while Mare came along for support, and we made the short walk over to the bar for an evening of fun at the ‘Egyptian Dress’ party!  Marko snapped some of my outfit and a bunch of shots at the bar, so you can see how ‘pretty’ I was, these are below, but be warned, don’t fall in love with ‘Kimberly the belly-dancer’!!

This was a total blast!  I got so many handshakes, photos and props for the awesome detail of the costume, and of course a bunch of groping to feel my chest again!  What a great time with these fun party animals!!  I was laughing my head off most of the evening! 

I then walked to the second floor of the bar to join the group of ‘Short-timer’ Estonian friends and their party in progress.  This was another round of amazed folks, and much laughter and sharing of hands, as we enjoyed our drinks, smokes, and conversation. 

Everyone in this group upstairs was going back to the cold land of Estonia in less than a day and we had to make the most of the final hours here in the warm land of Egypt! 

We did our best and managed to party into the wee hours of the morning quite successfully, and even got Ramadan and Yasser to join us for awhile!  What a great time!  The camera was passed about and we got some fun photos of the evening, and these are above for all to enjoy.

The morning was upon us and the folks soon drifted off to their beds and hotels, while a few of us hardcore folks stayed ‘till the very end around 2 or three in the morning!  A very fun time!  I made the walk along the beach without my sandals this time, and back to bed for some sleep, and a new day on Sunday…
Another fantastic time in Dahab, and I had made the most of this day! 

Shakran! 

Bookra Asop! 

Timo