Day 68 31 October 2010 Sunday
From Dahab we took a series of buses for a very long overnight journey up the Sinai, across the Suez and down the west coast of the red sea to Marsa Alam
At the market we inquired about a dive camp recommended to us. The gentleman at the store was very helpful, but we had difficulty communicating with the taxi driver about the name of the dive camp and where it might be. We went to a café and asked someone who was working with a young Norwegian woman about directions. The Norwegian woman in turn told us about a Bedouin tribal cultural gathering event at Wadi Jimal Protected Area’s Eco-Lodge. She was returning to visit there in 15 minutes. Would we like to go with her? We decided that we were flexible and had nowhere else to be so why not?
The gathering is a three-day event, now in it’s 3rd year that tries to bring solidarity and public awareness to the different (often marginalized) bands of Bedouin around Egypt. (Similar to a Native American Pow Wow) Tribes from the far corners of Egypt sent representatives (mostly only men, unfortunately) to meet, discuss, sing, dance, perform, and compete in fun events. The public was welcome to visit, stay, and socialize for a festival site entrance fee. We shared the ride down from Marsa Alam with a student named Karim from the northern Sinai Bedouin Trib. We were welcomed into the North Sinai camp where we were given tea, fed, chatted and entertained. The festival ended with all the participants chanting and singing and having a great time. Thanks to our new Norwegian friends we were able to use an extra staff tent to sleep in. After almost no sleep the night before we slept as soon as the opportunity arrived.
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