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Italiano (Italian)
In January 2019 I did a hybrid experience of resort but also DIY. In previous years I had done my first snorkeling: Thailand, Australia and Belize.
I had been excited about it, and comparing myself with more experienced comrades, they all told me that the top was the Red Sea: close, easy and beautiful.
The photos in this article are all taken with Artificial Intelligence, which is so fashionable that it deserves to be mocked. Notice in the featured photo the fish with 2 tails and no head!
The tourist village
I was very biased toward the classic resort vacation; mainly because of the animations and the risk of running into the typical Boldi and De Sica families; I could have tried, but the classic week would have been too much. I inquired a little and found an alternative solution that overcame all my doubts.
I identified an international resort, with no animation and with the reef directly accessible from the beach in an area still quite warm in January. I booked directly at the resort with whom I also arranged for airport transfers. I decided to do it for only three days, in time that I considered sufficient for a couple of swims. I arrived there by charter from Prague, where I also found the world to have lunch on the return stopover and to catch a glimpse of it finally snowed in.
Everything was perfect except that what appeared to be an insignificant incident, i.e., a superficial, couple-of-inch cut, became a bloodletting, more expensive than the entire trip.
Lack of health insurance
Many were staying at the pool, it was windy at the beach, but the umbrellas were quite sheltered and it was a matter of drying off quickly once out of the water, which was not exactly warm. I could see the reef just a few meters away, it would not even be necessary to swim, equipped with my reef shoes I would have to go straight for it, but I looked for a spot with a bit warmer water current. There were a few rocks on shore, and after a few steps I grazed one with a shin.
I took my not-too-long bath in the midst of many colorful little fish and satisfied but chilled returned to dryness, when I noticed that I had a little cut that was bleeding a bit, stuff that in Italy wouldn’t even make me waste a Band-Aid.
As a child, grandmothers used to say that when you had a wound, seawater disinfected it. Years later a dermatologist, following problems I had in Thailand, explained to me that this was not really the case. In our small and polluted sea, as there were few bacteria, grandmothers’ saying might have made sense, but in the Oceans, rich in various forms of life, a wound could easily cause an infection, as punctually happened to me again.
The lifeguards medicated me but advised me to see the resort doctor as well. I was already infected; he syringed me with an antibiotic and gave me ointment; he waxed me and said to come back after a few hours. I must say that the care was impeccable, but because I had not taken health insurance for only 3 days, I deserved the mythical phrase from the 80s commercial; and I shelled out almost 500 euros!
Therefore, I reiterate that it is essential to take out health insurance when leaving the European community.
New Year’s Eve in the resort: walking on the shores of the Red Sea
The New Year’s Eve party in the resort was one of the most fun as well as exotic parties of my life.
In general, the vacation was very rewarding in terms of the knowledge aspect. As mentioned, there was no classic animation with games, but the head of animation, who had taken a liking to me, had to give some communication, especially for the meals and for the organization of the December 31 dinner where they set up little shows. I was the only Italian, and every time he did not fail to translate for me as well, looking for me smiling with his eyes.
Mostly there were families from Central/Eastern Europe; lots of very polite children with zero shouting. I made friends with the 3 bachelors; 2 French friends and a German pensioner. For dinner which started very early, like at 6 p.m., I happened to be at the table with a German couple minding their own business and a mixed one (he Belgian and she Polish).
There was a very rich buffet included in the price, while the drinks were on the side, but the beers cost like 50 cents; the Belgian and I reached double digits and obviously laughed a lot. The party ended early, and before going to sleep I lingered for a long time under a looming, majestic starry sky.
Walk at the dawn of the new year
As I like so much, on the first morning of the new year I woke up early to enjoy a long solo walk, this time on the shores of the Red Sea.
The resorts are quite far apart; I stopped well before the one closest to mine when I saw warning signs about stray dogs, which I had already had unpleasant experiences with in Thailand.
On one side the ocean, on the other the desert, wilderness and no human presence; not even a Moses to open the waters as he did in those parts a few years ago; maybe.
Until I already glimpsed from a distance a figure coming toward me. When we passed each other he flashed me a super greeting with a total of one tooth. He spoke only Arabic, and carried an unmarked shopping bag overflowing with food. They were remnants of the previous evening’s buffet, mixed up: pasta, meat, rice, fruit, vegetables; you could distinguish the various layers. He rummaged under his broad cloak and gave me a small shell that I still keep.
Home set of travel organized trips, Tunisia, Egypt and visit Abu Simbel
Previous stop Cruise to Egypt, the curse of Tutancaccon
Trips taken, travel stories divided by continent
Countries visited in my travel stories
Anecdotes, divided by type in travel narratives
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