Wadi Naturn

I'm constantly searching for fun and interesting things to do here. This is actually just my nature, no matter where in the world I am. But the lonely planet book for Egypt is filled with amazing little places that neither I, nor my Egyptian fiance, knew existed.

One of them is Wadi Natrun. Apparently the lake there is so full of Natrun, a salt so important that back in the day, this Natrun was used to mummify bodies. Flash forward 5,000 years, and it is said to be an excellent for the skin, especially as a treatment for skin problems like psoriasis or eczema.

Right at this lake is an eco lodge that I found in the book, where we took a day use to enjoy their pool and dip in the lake. The grounds of this lodge are adorable. The place was designed for groups of people to hang out and have a good time. There are bonfire pits, an amphitheater, a huge dining hall, and lots of palm leaf-covered huts and tables scattered.

Going into the lake was an experience. Where the lake receded, the leftover natrun felt crunchy under our feet, and below it is a layer of rich mud that is also excellent for the skin. The lodge keeper instructed us to go into the lake, soak for about 20 minutes and go for a walk. Then we had to stay in the sun until the water dried, when we were left looking all white and salty. Then we repeated this all day. Like the Dead Sea, the water is so dense, your body floats, no matter what depth you're at. If water comes near your eyes, you're in for it. Based on how much this water stings, if you have a rash, psoriasis, or an open sore, it's impossible to imagine that anything could live in this lake. I'm not sure if anything does.

We really felt exhausted at the end of the day from the dehydrating salt soaks, direct sun exposure, and the sand storm that was brewing that day. But my skin was GLOWING at the end of this. I would certainly go back for a weekend.

Enjoying the Nile while it still belongs to Egypt

There has been so much buzz about the Ethiopian dam, and lots of threats coming from Egypt over this Nile. While you can't argue its importance to Egypt since forever, I can't help but find it a bit hypocritical for there to be so much heat over a river that is so obviously neglected, it is ridden with pollution and filth.

Nonetheless, as we continue to tackle my friend's bucket list, two of her must-dos involved lounging on this controversial river.

We took a felucca ride at sunset, and sat there relaxing in what seemed to be the only quiet place in Cairo, (aside from the loud noise eruptions from the other balady boat rides- blasting bad shaaby music).

Then over the weekend, we found ourselves at Le Deck, at the Sofitel, and spent all afternoon into night lounging on the comfy chairs. I'm really just trying to get in as much QT with my cutie friend before she leaves. :-(

After snacking on overpriced, classy options at Sofitel, I brought her over to City Drink in Dokki, where we had fresh juices with the locals. I introduced her to the Egyptian concoction called, "Conbela," which is layers of mango juice, cream, fresh fruit, basboosa, and ice cream. Surprisingly, no one bothered us. The guys behind the counters even asked us to take their pictures and put it up on "Face." She loved the place, the dessert, and the juice, so we've already been twice since then- it's THAT freakin good.

dahab, earning a silver medal

One of the hard realities about living abroad, is that your expat friends are here for a limited time only, (so you better act fast!). Their contracts expire and their posts come to an end. Eventually, they return home, and you are left behind, missing them, and having to constantly replenish the bank of friends you earn.

My closest expat friend is counting down her last few days in Egypt, and she's hitting her Egypt bucket list with full force before packing up and out of here. One of the last things left to do, that I absolutely promised we'd do together, was to go to Dahab, over in Sinai.

Just about an hour north of Sharm al Sheikh, Dahab is the polar opposite of the European and Russian tourist-infested beach destination. Dahab is a chilled-out stretch of boardwalk along the Red Sea coast. It's known for its low-key atmosphere, cheap beach camps, diving and snorkeling, and recreational activities.

When we arrived, like any time we arrive in a tourist destination in Egypt, we are creeped out by how eerily quiet and empty the place is. The airports were so quiet you could hear echos. The boardwalk was empty, which meant we received even more attention from the restaurant and shop vendors, begging us to please come in and spend some of our much desired money.

I prided myself in finding a great hotel deal on the beach, only to learn that there aren't actually any hotels on the beach in Dahab. In fact, there isn't even a beach. Instead, there is a boardwalk that divides the stretch of hotels and shops, from the restaurants and bars. I assume that there was once a beach under this boardwalk, but now the cafes are cantilevered over the sea. So basically what you do is, choose one of the cafes with the most sun beds, soaked up the sun, order food and drinks, and then descend into the water by cafe-made steps. But it's not bad at all.

The water is gorgeous, the weather is great. The food is actually delicious, all fresh and made with care. We noticed the sharp contrast of how there is a little more effort put into making food in Sinai. Produce is fresh and it all tastes so much better.

It did get a little sketchy at some point though. We wanted to go on a bedouin dinner in the desert, and our hotel was offering to send the two of us girls, alone, in the desert about 2 hours away, with bedouins. I don't like to be that scared tourist who is afraid of adventure, but with the weekly kidnappings we've been hearing about in Sinai, we very seriously refused the offer. We were hoping they'd do a group trip of whatever few tourists were in Dahab, but unfortunately, not the case.

So all in all, we had a perfect girls weekend. We got some sun, soaked in the sea, ate great food, talked shit about the crazy Russian tourists who were dunking their newborn baby into the water head first, shopped, and had one of the best massages I've had in a while.