I've seen so many bodies of water during this trip. I started with the Nile, moved on to two shores of the Mediterranean Sea, and was introduced to the Red Sea at Eilat today. It's gorgeous. This is the first time we've been able to actually touch the water without fear of dying from a flatworm infection or hypothermia. The sun has been setting at 5:00, so as soon as we got to Eilat from our windy four-hour bus ride through the mountainous Negev Desert, we dropped our bags and headed out. It took about two seconds to find the Red Sea in all of its calm, crystal-clear glory. It turns out that Eilat is more of a tourist hot-spot than we originally thought. The entire area surrounding the sea is covered with luxurious hotels with names like the Herod Palace Resort and tourist/beach-themed boardwalks.
We found a little spot of beach, tossed away our shoes, rolled up our jeans, and waded through the soft, tan sand into the cool waves. Nearby a group of boys was snorkeling to check out the reef, and sail boats met yachts on the horizon. With desert mountains as a backdrop, and a cool sea breeze at our faces, we sat in orange lounge chairs, toes in the sand, and enjoyed the perfection that was our momentary vacation spot.
When the sun finally set on us, we rinsed and walked around the boardwalk to see the local scene. It's pretty much like any beach town I've ever been to with surf shops and Quicksilver-clad kids dotting the town. We narrowly avoided an encounter with the local KFC (cravings for some good, American, fast-food fried chicken were really starting to take over) and ducked into a local pizza parlor for some mushroom pizza and bottled Coca-Cola (the real deal) on their breezy deck.
Tonight we'll hit the sack early. Our Petra tour begins at 6:10 a.m. sharp, and we want to be well-rested for the grueling but awe-inspiring trek. Time to see country #4 this trip.
I'm having so much fun following your adventures! Nice to finally see some pictures too! Keep them coming.
ReplyDeleteI'd bet what made you sick was the salad and not the entree. One of the things I was always cautioned on when traveling abroad was to avoid fresh produce (like salads) unless you knew they were thoroughly washed. Same goes for fruit...if you can't peel it, don't eat it. Seems some regions aren't as picky about hygiene as we are, but recall too that in the last 6 months the US had its own little bout with botulism when thousands of pounds of Spinach was recalled, as well as tomatoes earlier.
The prawns and other items on your entree looked to be well cooked, which normally would kill any nasties that could make you sick.
Anyway, glad you are up and running! Looking forward to the next installment and definitely more pictures!
Yea, I am pretty positive it was something in the salad. Or one of the many dishes that appeared WITH the salad, since none of those were cooked either. EEK!
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