Holidays with celebrities!
The first day.
Star acquaintance.
- Girl, what is your name? A man of very familiar appearance turned to me.
- Zhenya, - I blurted out in my own way.
And then I remembered the name of my interlocutor - Nikas Safronov, a famous artist, socialite and philanthropist. "I wonder what he is doing here in Egypt? " - flashed through my head.
Nikas Safronov, philosopher and creator of our time
- Very nice! - the interlocutor answered sedately.
There was no point in asking his name. Everyone or almost everyone knows public people by sight.
Suddenly, a drunken Russian ran past us from around the corner (in the manner of an intoxicating and hard Black Russian cocktail), who, apparently, was intoxicated not only with the Egyptian land, sun and sea, but also with a fair amount of a funny vodka-rum-whiskey cocktail. cola. He was so drunk that he could barely stand on his feet and kept shouting: "Odessa! , Odessa! Odessa! ". Apparently, he did not yet understand that he had flown from his native Ukraine.
- Yes, he probably isn't a martini yet...
- Not a martini yet! - said Nikas, - An interesting metaphor: "he's not a martini yet! ".
- Yes, it's funny, but I mean he just didn't drink martinis, but he tried all the other strong drinks.
- And I'm Tatyana! - introduced my brown-eyed companion.
Nikas immediately asked us where we live and whether we like SUNRISE hotels located in Sharks Bay.
- You came to rest? - Tatyana blurted out without a shadow of modesty.
- Partly yes, you can say, I came to a business meeting!
- Seriously? For a long time? she continued.
- I came for a week as an honorary guest of the ANEXTOUR travel company to the Conference and gala dinner.
A detachment of tanned ladies in hats practically attacked Nikas, demanding his autograph, and we were forced to retreat.
Under such funny circumstances, our 8-day adventure with ANEXTOUR on the Red Sea coast began.
BRIEFLY about hotels:
Our beach. Entrance to the sea from 2 pontoons.
And we lived in the 4 * hotel SUNRISE GARDEN, on the second coastline, we got to the beach on a free mini-bass and on our own through the 5 * hotel SUNRISE ISLAND VIEW 10-15 minutes (a person just needs such step training). The contingent of vacationers is a lot of foreigners (Germans, practically no Italians, some kind of Slavs from the Balkans, the language is similar to Russian, of course, Russians, Ukrainians, Kazakhs).
Both hotels work on the "All Inclusive" system, guests of 4 stars wear light green bracelets and are given yellow towels, in 5 stars they do not wear a bracelet, and the towels are distinguished by emerald color. They are fed at the level, I was very pleased that there was a choice in nutrition: we went to Italian, a la carte seafood restaurants in our hotel. There were no food problems on the beach either - a beach restaurant was at hand (drinks, fruits, french fries, sausages, salads - free of charge) and the Fatima restaurant for VIEW hotel residents.
The overall impression of the hotels is very decent.
A little later, on the beach, we again saw Nikas Safronov, this time the queue of fans and admirers was much larger than at the first meeting.
Here it is the glory of the world. Autographs left and right.
Rest only in our dreams.
Morning of the next day.
Acclimatization on this visit took much longer than before, three days.
We roll on the beach. We come to ourselves.
Going to Naama Bay in the very heat was not the best idea, but we went anyway, for new experiences and adrenaline)
We got to Naama by hotel taxi, back by local route lines for ordinary Egyptian workers ...
The day is fading but it's still hot
A few passers-by on the street
A little more people on the promenade itself
The famous Hard Rock Cafe
Close to McDonald's and free internet.
Technical retreat...
In our hotel (SUNRISE GARDEN 4 *) the Internet is quite expensive, 1 hour - $ 15, in a cafe next door - $ 6, ICQ programs on computers - no, only messenger and in rare cases - Skype. I also tried to go to icq via gprs on the phone - they took all the money for 2 messages about 150 rubles.
In Naama hotels it is easier with an Internet than in hotels located in Sharks Bay, there is wi-fi and free !!!
Even a trash can, and even then with advertising
Sea view at Elder's Cove
Having bought NIVEA tanning oils for $20, local sweets (nougat and halva), we went to look for a vehicle to return to our dear hotel.
...And in a second the first taxi drove to us.
- Madam, taxi!
The second taxi with a similar one: Madamtaxi!
And even a brown-eyed boy on a camel wanted to give us a ride.
After 5 minutes, we were already rushing in a local minibus along the street called the Road of the World, and for 20 years, a local Schumacher, to the melodies of the East, incomprehensible to Russian ears, drove against the wind, periodically signaling to everyone who missed.
Our hair fluttered in the wind, and our hearts contracted with fear, but despite the risk, we did not stop riding and believing in a miracle.
And now, after 10 minutes, we drove up to the sign of the Savoy Hotel, passing FOUR SEASONS and
turned towards the glamorous SOHO-Square in a far from glamorous dryndomobile.
When turning, a loud hit of the wheel took me out of reality, and my heart went into my heels,
one more turn - one more blow and here we are on the main street here.
A few more speed bumps and here we are at the SUNRISE Island View / Hallelujah!
When I set foot on solid ground, my happiness knew no bounds, and I no longer regretted the 20 pounds given, and the time spent on the trip.
The impressions from the trip on the local minibus were enough for a lifetime!
We didn't go anywhere else that day. We departed by the pool, looking at the starry sky.
Day three - visiting the Bedouins
Evening looking at the stars by the pool turned into another acquaintance - this time Natalia and Tatiana, with representatives of the marketing department of the aforementioned company (Anextour, which means - Anatolian Express, express has now reached the Red Sea coast).
- Tomorrow evening, our company arranges a Bedouin party for its partners and guests, if you want, go with us! the girls suggested.
- Certainly! How we want to immerse ourselves in the color of the country and get new impressions, information about a different life! - and we agreed.
The next day, having sailed all daylight hours with a mask and snorkel in the sea, looking at the marine inhabitants of flora and fauna, multi-colored giants and midgets, they did not notice how it was time to go to the Bedouin party.
We return from the beach. It's evening. The last mini-bass returns to the hotel.
And so, at 20.00, Natalia calls for us...We enter a comfortable Mercedes...
You will not believe...
in the same bus that picked us up, there were very familiar faces: Nikas S. with his young and beautiful wife Masha, Kirill Andreev from Ivanushki International and other less familiar, but no less interesting people....
My friend and I were dumbfounded by surprise, but immediately came to our senses and moved in search of a free place along the narrow corridor between the chairs.
We drove quickly to the village and in pitch darkness, after 20 minutes, we turned off the main asphalt road and, like a ship plowing the waves, sailed along a bumpy, uneven dusty road. The bus, waddling from bump to bump, finally stopped at the foot of a certain mountain, strewn from top to bottom with light bulbs, and also with buses, people ...
We get out of the chilled bus into the pleasant warmth of the Egyptian night, first we get out, then the representatives of the star party.
The aroma of spices and spices hovers in the air, the haba rumbles, there-there, the general rumble of engines and the voices of people merge into a single living stream of chaos,
Only the starry sky and the “lying” moon, unusual for the Russian eye, or rather, the crescent, are silently watching our movements from above.
We go to the Bedouins
To the sounds of wind musical instruments and a drum, we enter the village.
The Bedouin village (naturally not real, natural, but artificially made - for the entertainment of tourists) is a round camp, ringed with a fence and decorated with woven carpets. Around the fence, under a makeshift roof, there are solid tables, red-brown chairs, in the middle there are many comfortable seats with tables.
We are greeted with welcome drinks - like "yupi" - orange and cola).
I spill bright orange nectar on myself and, slightly agitated and holding back the flow of unconscious indignation, I go further - following the star chain and Natalya, who kindly invited us.
We pass by the stage, the attention of the public is attracted by belly dancing. The girls carefully and slowly repeat the movements of the leading dancer, the movements of the men in the dance are sharper and more dynamic.
We sit down at a long table, Kirill Andreev sadly looks at everything that happens, Nikas Safronov lights a cigar, the ladies look at their idols, some dare to take an autograph, the more daring ones ask for a picture as a keepsake...
Half an hour later, a queue for photos forms at our table ...
And now the guests of honor of the evening show are welcomed in the spirit of national traditions - to the chants and sounds of drums.
Whiskey-cola flows like water and already on the stage - a dance with skirts or a tandoor, and the people who arrived on different buses, previously separated, merged into a single whole - a Bedouin, almost primitive village. The audience clap to the beat of the drums, watching with interest what is happening. Someone is smoking a hookah, cherry aroma is in the air.
Closer to midnight, famous people gathered back home, they said something about a casino ...there are several gaming establishments in Naama, for example, this is NAAMA Bay Casino in the shape of a ship, even at the Martim Jolie Willy Resort, at the Coral Bay Resort hotel. . . I heard that the minimum bet starts from $5. I'm not into it myself, so I don't know the details.
Thus ended our third day of rest - in the starry shadow and natural dust
Day four. Deserted.
On my fifth visit to Egypt, I decided to go to the desert and tame the iron horse!
Despite numerous warnings from friends and relatives, she set off.
We left the hotel around 8 am. The sun has already risen above the horizon, the heat is not yet.
Acquaintances and friends intimidated that it would be very dusty in the desert, so arafatka is required.
Before the trip, it was not possible to buy a miracle scarf. On the spot, it cost $ 5 (in fact, the price is $ 1-2), bargaining is not appropriate. in the future I will know that it is quite possible to do without arafatki, but it is impossible to do without water and glasses. By the way, you can take water with you and put it on a mini-trunk, 1.5 liters. the bottle does not fly.
When the Arab instructor wrapped our entire group in a signature style, I stopped distinguishing people from each other: everything was mixed up in the desert of Egypt, the ladies became like one big harem, the men - like sheikhs, the leaders of this flock.
Of course, the best comfortable ride is alone. But there were a lot of us, so we agreed to change.
On the way to one side of the desert, sitting in the back seat, I cursed everything that went on this trip, a kidney or a pinched nerve was painfully shocked from the back.
15 minutes passed, and we arrived at a kind of Bedouin village: a town made of oblong sticks, saklya, bottles lying around in the desert, scraps of boxes stuck in the mountain, a littered desert - friendly appeared before our eyes.
We were offered a rest in the shade of a thatched roof, on knitted sunbeds and makeshift tables. We settled down. A young man in a long shirt came out with a tray and invited us to try the great Bedouin drink - Coca-Cola, worth $3.
After buying life-giving nectars, they brought us yellowish tea. Good thing I brought my own drink with me.
After another 15 minutes, we went back to the base.
"Horses" carried quickly and so wanted to give gas.
But the instructor did not allow me to exceed the speed limit, as punishment for speeding, my companion was taken away from me, and a portly Kustodiev woman was put on me. The course of the ATV became calmer, and we reached the final parking lot at a smooth pace.
On the board at the booth of instructors, ready-made photos were waiting for us at a price of $ 5? then - $ 3, when everyone was over, the photographer flew into the bus and began to sell everything for $ 1. Wishing again found. On the way back, they joked about the Anextour guide - they closed him in the toilet (there were three of us holding the door, poor guy, he panicked a little), because he played a joke on us.
I will express my general impressions with a well-known phrase: the devil is not so terrible as he is painted. Next time, if the opportunity presents itself, I will go traveling in the desert again.
We arrived at the hotel around 11 and immediately some in the shower and some on the beach.
