Ras Sudr, or how the British Empire collapsed..

"I caught the happy virus last night

When I was out singing beneath the stars

It is remarkably contagious -

So kiss me!" - Hafiz

I'm sitting balanced precariously on the edge of my couch. The air conditioner is on 22 C, and I'm slathered in aloe vera and trying very, very hard to ensure the minimum area of skin possible is in contact with the upholstery. When I forget and lean back, I'm quickly reminded that next time I decide to spend 2 days in the sun, I need to apply sunscreen more than once.

A good number of my co-workers are leaving in the next few months. As a sort of last group outing, we spent the weekend at Ras Sudr, a windy stretch of coast on the Sinai Peninsula. Technically, we were not supposed to be there since there is currently a travel ban on all road travel to Sinai for US Govt Personnel - but since we're contractors, we're technically not beholden to the same set of rules. We hired a driver, packed the six of us (plus one toddler) into a minivan, and headed out early Friday morning.

Just three hours out from Cairo, you find yourself in the middle of nowhere.

Blurry, but you get the idea

The eye can rest on miles and miles of unbroken sandy, rocky terrain. Its not the most interesting or colorful desert, but the expanse and sheer emptiness have an austere beauty of their own. The beaches on the Red Sea are simply where this emptiness meets the water. In some other places (I've heard Dahab especially) the desert rock and mountains make for a spectacular backdrop to the beach. In Ras Sudr, its pretty, but not especially so.

 We spent the day lounging on the beach, reading, drinking (you can BYOB and we came prepared with a case of Stella - no, not that Stella). This particular area is very windy and a big draw for windsurfers and kite surfers. The wind was pretty low this weekend, but it was great for us beginners. I have no pictures of me windsurfing (my camera isn't all that waterproof), but it was really amazing! The bay was very shallow and turquoise blue, and you could see reefs and sea urchins beneath the surface as you skimmed over the water.

 Most of the resorts in Ras Sudr are run by Egyptians, but have a kite/windsurfing operation run (and frequented mainly) by expats. Ours was run by a group of sunburned, hard-drinking Brits. In fact, this particular week they were hosting a large group of British students who were part of their university's windsurfing club. They were planning to be there for 10 (!) days, and from what I can tell, this was the daily schedule:
1) Roll out of bed, extremely hungover, at 9:45 and make it to breakfast just before it stops being served at 10
2) Fall asleep for an hour on the beach
3) Surf for 2 hours, or until dehydration overtakes you
4) Get another drink, and catch a nap and maybe some lunch
5) Surf some more
6) Dinner
7) Drink until 6am or passing out, whichever comes first
8) Repeat

Friday night, they were having some theme party based on a UK advert for some type of 411 service. They were all dressed like the runners, down to Magic Marker mustaches and wigs. I guess its turned into a pub crawl game in England, but since the average distance between bars in Egypt is about 100km, they just had to stay put and drink their faces off.

These kids did not screw around. Their drinking games were spectator sports. I have never before, and hopefully never will again, seen anyone play flip cup with full gin and tonics. How these people ever managed to subjugate half of the world's population is a mystery to me. I've heard several theories about why the British Empire failed, but clearly, Tanqueray was involved.

 It was strange to see this all play out in a country where 90% of the population eschews this sort of debauchery entirely. I have mixed feelings about this, but so does Egypt. They rely heavily on tourist dollars, and their current economic state is due in no small part to a huge decrease in tourism post-revolution. They realize that the vast majority of tourists want some booze and bikini time with their ancient antiquities - at the same time, they know that this aberrant behavior (in the eyes of the increasingly conservative Muslim population) is something that many Egyptians would rather not have in their country.

Its not that conservative Egyptians dont spend time at the beach. In Alexandria, where I overnight during my fieldwork in Damanhour, there are numerous beaches catering mostly to Egyptians on holiday. I was surprised to look out my window one morning and see a group of women swimming in the sea, fully clothed in long skirts and sleeves and headscarf. Woman who wear Niqab also wear it while swimming - its quite a sight when they emerge soaking wet in head to toe black from the water. The other option is the Burquini, which are actually kind of adorable, but are quite pricey (upwards of $80) and not a feasible option for poorer families (hence swimming in your clothes).

 Sinai's greatest attraction - which I hope no tourist development plan ever destroys - is the the quiet, clear air, something Cairo is severely lacking. I took some time to walk down the beach at night, away from the gin and the music and the Christmas lights strung around the bar, and sat down by the water. If you lay your head back on the sand and look up, you can see stars you never knew existed, so close they seem to be sitting on the end of your nose.