Sharm el-Sheikh

We just returned from a little trip to Egypt over our Thanksgiving holidays. Because of three Albanian holidays and Thanksgiving and a weekend, we get six days off. So Cindy, Taylor and I went to Sharm el-Sheikh, at the very tip of the Sinai peninsula, and took life easy for a few days. Sharm used to be a quiet little fishing village, but now is a destination tourist resort, owing entirely to the spectacular coral reefs and tropical fish close by. Sharm is at the very top of the Red Sea, where it divides into the Gulf of Suez to the south and the Gulf of Aqaba to the north. The water is very, very clear. This first photo is of a small batch of coral close to the shore. It looks sort of like seaweed or something, but it is a coral bed almost to the surface.

This is also taken from the boat. The entire Sinai landscape is exceedingly desolate looking. Mt. Sinai is about 75 to 100 miles north of here. Other than the new resort city, hardly anyone lives on Sinai, and haven't for thousands of years. Since it's a peninsula it is not on the way to anywhere, there is no water, no vegetation, and few people. No wonder the Children of Israel got annoyed wandering around here.
On the boat, after a couple snorkling outings (three for Taylor; two for Cindy) recuperating.
The view from our balcony. Red Sea in the distance. Palm trees imported from somewhere. Grass -- all this stuff is imported. It reminded me of Las Vegas.
Another view of the Red Sea and Sinai. Flying over it on the way in I could see nothing green. The mountains go on for mile after mile, and nothing seems to be growing. Desalinization plants seem to provide the water.