Nuweiba

I am in Nuweiba now. Nuweiba is a SMALL town on the coast of the Sinai.
The bus ride was about 8 hours long and I was frozen the entire way. There was a problem with the bus and cold air from outside was blowing in around the side door, making everyone on the bus cold. I was sitting beside a guy from Jordan. He let me know what was going on (where we were, why we stopped, etc.). A lot of the people on the bus were going to Jordan.
Nuweiba is very spread out. The whole area seems a bit deserted. Not many people are around here. I am not even sure if there are any other guests in the hotel tonight. It is late now and I have not seen anyone else around.
Earlier today, when I went for a swim in the pool, I met an (African) American woman (retired doctor) that is living in Jordan but is staying here for a few weeks. She has been living abroad for over 6 years and has lived in many Arab countries. A very interesting woman to talk to. She is staying in one of the camps (little huts on the beach) and is the only one staying there.
It is getting into winter here, so it is a bit cooler than normal, and gets quite cold at night.
During the day, especially around lunch time, my hotel gets a bit busy, as some tour groups stop here for a buffet lunch and a dip in the pool. There are coral reefs not far off shore. I am not sure, though, if I can find a snorkle set here. There are supposedly dolphins around. There was a famous one that was always around Nuweiba (friends with a blind man that lived here) but I heard that she died a while ago. Apparently, though, one of her children still shows up every once in a while.
Because I the only one around, I have personal service. I am here full board, so my meals are all included. They ask me what I want and then make it. The manager here, Ahmed, is very nice and is making sure that I get everything that I want.
Ahmed was supposed to meet me at the bus station when I arrived, but I didn't see him anywhere. I waited for a while and then phoned. He said that he was on the way. I felt very uncomfortable waiting at the bus station. There were people everywhere (mostly men), waiting for another bus, all watching me. Ahmed arrived about 45 minutes after I arrived. The car from the hotel got a flat tire and so he had to walk almost the entire way (it took him almost an hour) before he found a taxi. Because it is the slow season and there are not many people around, there are very few taxis. Poor Ahmed.
I can see Saudi Arabia (mountains) across the Gulf of Aqaba.
http://www.geographia.com/egypt/sinai/map5.html
Tomorrow I will probably just sit around by the pool and relax in the sun.
Check out Eid the chef's blog: http://www.lovesinai.blogspot.com/