Sunday, December 09, 2012

Sharm El Sheikh

I arrived at the airport feeling nicely jet lagged.  Walking out into the desert, I was astounded by the complete lack of any taxis.  I had arrived in what was supposed to be a tourist mecca to find myself alone.  I eventually found a driver who charged me an exorbitant price knowing that I had no choice.  In my sleep depraved state, I had little will to fight and soon agreed to his ridiculous terms.  I was in Sharm El Sheikh and being a tourist that gets ripped off seemed to go with the territory.

Speeding along the desert road, I could see the familiar little outcrops of tourist villas and hotels approaching.  As I hopped out of the taxi, a group of uniformed men descended on me to carry my bags and to usher me towards the front desk.  Once I was there, I was greeted by another man in a uniform who courteously informed me that I had arrived before the check in time.  However, he then kindly informed me that he would do his best to arrange  for a room to be cleaned so I could check in immediately.

This was a level of service completely at odds with my usual approach to travels!

When traveling on the company coin, I would happily accept the finer things in life.  This attitude was not in anyway reflected in my personal approach to travel!  I would normally be looking for accommodation towards the more backpacker end of town.  However, I had decided that this would be my one off extravagance.  It would be both a way of transitioning into my holiday as well as helping me to overcome the pain of jet lag.
Walking into the room made me think that it may have been a mistake to take the more comfortable option at the beginning instead of at the end of the trip.
How was I going to cope with the rest of my trip if my upcoming accommodation  didn't come my own personal bidet?
I wasn't going to be trapped by this luxury.  I threw down my bags and had a quick shower.

Sharm was waiting for me outside so I needed to get out and explore quickly, before the soft bed and the comfortable sheets drew me too close.

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