MAR-23: Sharm el Sheikh, Egypt

Tour Description:  A Camel Caravan Ride in the Sinai Desert

Don’t miss this opportunity to sail across the desert on the back of a camel—a true adventure straight out of Lawrence of Arabia. Transfer from the ship by motor coach to a desert location where you will find a tent that is specially set for you to experience the Bedouin life. Here you will learn about the inhabitants. Most of the Bedouins’ ancestors came from the Arabian Peninsula, so Bedouin laws, customs and religion blend both slamic and pagan beliefs. The resilience and amazing hospitality of the Bedouins are a product of their lifestyle in the Sinai—crushing isolation, a harsh climate, and the need to keep moving in the search of water. Even today, the wealth of a Bedouin is measured in camels and children, but Western technology is slowly making its presence felt. Discover the stark beauty of the desert from your vantage point high atop a camel—the ubiquitous beast of burden. This traditional means of desert transportation takes you into the Sinai Desert, across beautiful sand dunes and into the shade of colorful mountains. Join the Bedouins in their tent for a cup of tea in the middle of the desert, and enjoy another photo

opportunity with the camels or enjoy a short camel ride before boarding your coaches to return to the port of Sharm el Sheikh.

Notes:

The Bedouin camp you will visit is currently not occupied by the Bedouins, as they are a nomadic people.

Tour Experience

It was a given that this tour would be more entertaining than informative.  

Perhaps due to President Obama visiting Petra effectively closing that site for much of the day, we found two other cruise ships in Sharm el Sheikh and we were told that instead of docking as originally planned we would have to go ashore in boats. 

Ashore and on a bus, it did not take us long to reach the desert.

Turning off the paved road, we rolled into the desert on a dirt road until it was time to trade our bus seat for a camel saddle. 

Getting on a camel is relatively easy because they lay on their stomach.  Staying on the camel as it gets up onto its legs is a bit more challenging.

Having gotten everyone successful aboard their ‘ship of the desert’, our caravan set off.

Our ride took us to a “Bedouin camp” that as noted in the tour description was not presently occupied by Bedouins.  Far from deserted, there was a group of entertainers to greet us. 

Entering the camp, we passed men smoking a water pipe and a man making flat bread

Could this be an authentic insight into Bedouin life? 

Perhaps I’m being cynical, but I’m going to guess that if the Bedouins ever occupied this spot the last time they did so was before the first tourist set foot in it.  Among the hints were the discrete electric lighting for night events and the entertainers being imported from Cairo, a city 500 kilometers away.  Oh, and there was a truck with a highly recognizable logo on it.

The illusion of the Bedouin camp having been seriously compromised, we reset our expectations.  This was not much of an adjustment given the number of such “authentic” events we have been to at numerous places around the world.  We had a good meal of various Egyptian dishes and some entertainment spanning costumes and traditional dances from various parts of Egypt.

 

One male dancer twirled in the same direction for over five minutes while forming various patterns with some shapes he held.  I understand the principle of fixing your eyes on one spot to avoid getting dizzy while twirling, but for five minutes

At the conclusion of the performance we were invited to walk a short distance to the house of a Bedouin chief who just happened to be there when his whole tribe was out wandering in the desert somewhere.  (Oops, there I go being cynical again.) 

I found the human target (upper right quadrant of the picture) near the outside seating area a trifle disturbing; likewise albeit for different reasons the rather large beetles in a tiny garden.  If we have been having an insight into Bedouin life, what exactly did we eat an hour earlier? 

Comforted by the recollection that our meal was catered by Hilton Hotels which certainly has never had ‘black beetles’ on any menu, we boarded our bus to return to Sharm el Sheikh.  The bus took a different route, driving by the wide variety of hotels, restaurants, casinos, dive shops and amusement centers that make up this tourist destination.  Our guide told us that the city is unofficially divided into sections with one for Russian tourists, one for Italian tourists and so on for major nationalities that come to Sharm el Shiekh.

We were fortunate to have an excellent guide.  She spoke English well.  She held a PhD is Egyptian history.  She was willing to talk about the current situation in Egypt.  In summary, the huge industry of tourism has been hurt since the revolution is 2011.  The hesitation of tourists to return to Egypt is the result of news of ongoing protests reflecting the disappointment of the people with the new president.  She noted that the instability is localized to small parts of a large country.  

What we saw and what we heard actually slightly increased the likelihood that we while plan a trip to Egypt within the next few years presuming the situation there does not deteriorate.  Sharm el Shiekh being a ‘fun in the sun’ destination will not be on our itinerary.  Cairo, Alexandria and Port Said being political hot spots will also not be on the itinerary.

After waiting in an inexcusably long line for a tender to take us back to ROTTERDAM, we took a last look around before the ship departed for our transit of the Suez Canal tomorrow.  Looking at the cruise ship next to us, we were grateful ROTTERDAM does not have lips in its bows.