Sinai

A couple of weeks ago my parents were here and we spent a week in Sinai. We booked in Nueiba, not far from Taba, and besides relaxing on the beach we visited Mount Sinai and Dahab. One of my best friends, Serge, was there last year and really enjoyed it: "It's wonderful, full of people, mostly Israelians, the sea is great and you'll have a lot of fun!". When he called me yesterday to know how I found it, I had to admit that I was not so enthusiastic about it. Apparently, we were the only tourists moving around on our own; nobody at the market, it actually took us two days to find out were it was, and it was desolated; a few restaurants and a lot of police around.
Between my friend's holiday and mine, there were two bombings in Sinai: one in Taba and one in Sharm El Sheikh. Last week two generals were killed on "some mountain" in that region and 13 policemen injured. There is something going on and it is quite clear: local people are living a secret, personal war against the Government. "Beduins are free like the wind"we have been told "they do not belong to anyone, they don't need anything". Not even the money coming from tourism? Maybe not. Usually the resorts are owned and managed by foreigners and those who work there are underpaid. I also have to admit that the few turists I saw in Sinai did not belong to the cathegory of "rich turists" both from an economic and from a cultural point of view: even if it is an Islamic country, where women tend to dress with a certain code, we saw a Russian lady climbing Mount Sinai with very short shorts and very short top, showing her body and her tattoo...
couple of pics are included!!