El Andalous - The Social Dining Scene

Cafe Coffee Day

I sometimes think that I’m here living the Best Exotic Marigold Hotel or maybe I’m just back in my student days when I lived in halls. Most of the people at El Andalous are sociable and, of course, we’re all living in the same block, so we’ll be round at each others for meals or drinks, or we’ll go out together to socialize.

I hosted hummus, bread, and chicken, plus some Arabic dessert, as a farewell to Kathleen and Tom who were leaving for good (very sad!). After a lot of trauma (this is Egypt, after all), they finally managed to sell their flat amidst changes in the law, struggles to set up a bank account, negotiating with the buyers, getting a visa, and sorting out how to transfer the money back to Ireland, to mention only a few things. It’s disappointing that there last memories of El Andalous are ones of stress, but I hope to visit them in Ireland at some point.

Of course, with there being so many new places opened up in Sahl Hasheesh, I had to try some of these. Kathleen, Nicole and I tried out Café Coffee Day. They hadn’t quite got their full menu out yet, but I think I tried the steak. The weather was still warm enough to sit outside (even at night) and we got the waiter to take a photograph of us. They worked hard to make us feel welcome and create a family-type atmosphere.

Nicole and I tried out Sailors Beach Club (also sitting outside); the food was good but pretty expensive after you’d added on the service charge and tax (not included in the printed prices – it’s a bit annoying but I think nowhere includes them because it’s too expensive to keep on changing the menus in line with changes in tax).

Jeff and Ness had reported that the Indian at the Tropitel was good, so I went there with Nicole. It was a set menu and very nicely presented, but was again pretty expensive (and the wine was extortionate). I felt I’d had better curries, but it’s always a treat to be able to eat an Indian (being so used to the UK!).

Ann was over and she hadn’t yet tried Bus Stop, so I went there with her. Bus Stop is now almost the oldest establishment in Sahl Hasheesh, so much has changed. It’s quite a confusing name as at least one person has thought it was an actual bus stop (given all the new bus stops being constructed in Sahl Hasheesh).

Safi, Ann, and I took a trip into Hurghada to Thai Garden, which is Safi’s favorite restaurant (and it is good); that was the same as ever.

Nicole and I went to have a Chinese at the Sunrise Romance and discovered that the hotel had now opened up an Indian restaurant. This is potentially fatal as I’ve already fantasized on one Friday evening of popping over and seeing if they can do a take-away. Janice and Chris had tried it and were only luke-warm about the food, but what I had was good. I asked for it to be spiced up a bit and I avoided the lamb (which is often a bit chewy over here and Chris had said his lamb could have been stewed for a few more hours) and the end result was very nice. They even had peshwari naan, which is my favorite. All in all, it’s a great addition to the Sahl Hasheesh offerings.

I think the only places I haven’t yet tried are the Mexican in front of the Pyramisa, and Fisawy, which isn’t so news, but is really more of a snack place, so I’ve not done too badly!

El Andalous - Forgetting the Old

View from the Beach at Sunset

I said that nothing had really gone wrong on my return this time. This was sort of true, but at the same time, I think I’m maybe just becoming immune to the trauma of things never being 100%.

The first evening I got back, and this is really quite a big thing, so heaven knows how I forgot – I can only think it’s because it wasn’t new to me – water started dripping from my kitchen ceiling. I went to reception to ask for a plumber, but they were strangely reluctant, saying that the plumber was now in Hurghada (it was night time after all) and could it wait until the next day. I explained that I was worried that the drip would turn into a gush and I didn’t want my flat flooded overnight. I sensed there was still reluctance, but they said they would contact the plumber.

I went back to my flat and fretted for a while and then remembered that I’d had this problem before and it had been something to do with the air conditioning. I went back to reception and asked if they could confirm that if it was just the air conditioning, it could wait until morning because there would be no flood of water. I got the impression they didn’t understand what I was saying. It was a bit complicated with all those conditionals. I gave up because I got the impression they weren’t going to phone for the plumber anyway.

I returned to my flat again and decided to avoid turning on my air conditioning. However, it was really hot and I couldn’t survive without having it on. I decided to use it in small bursts and sure enough the trickle of water gradually became nothing.

There was also a bit of a nasty smell in my kitchen when I returned which I identified as the odour of a dead rodent. I got our resident rat catcher to come and remove the dead bodies from the ventilation shaft above my kitchen. I’ve decided that the word for eat is very similar to the word for “shit” in Arabic as I’m sure one of them was recommending (in Arabic) that housekeeping clean out the shaft due to all the, hmm, mess, but even he was getting push back from the housekeeping staff who were saying it wasn’t possible. I know there must be loads and loads of rat droppings up there. Anyway, I’ve become somewhat immune to all this rodent drama now, especially if the mice and rats never actually enter my flat. I think I had a rodent caught every day in the first week I was back but since then, it’s just been the occasional one now and then.

So, I suppose you could say things did go wrong when I returned, but somehow these are all just normal now and not so noteworthy. And it’s more interesting than living in a world where everything is perfect!

El Andalous - Seeing What's New

New Installation on the Boardwalk

It’s always interesting to see what’s changed when I come back; there’s usually a tinge of sadness for the businesses that didn’t make it and curiosity about the new ones that have just started up. Many of the shops are offered rent-free premises for the first year or two in Sahl Hasheesh and then after that, they have to pay. The result is that most aren’t able to establish themselves sufficiently well within those first two years and disappear after the rent-free period.

However, it all seemed a bit different this time round. Sahl Hasheesh was a hive of building activity. A whole new complex of apartments is just starting to be built behind the BestWay supermarket along to the Sunrise Romance hotel extension (which used to be called Premier Romance so has obviously now been taken over by a new chain). The villa district further behind El Andalous is progressing with some very nice buildings being constructed there. The Sunrise Romance hotel extension at the back has swimming pools installed, the entrance hallway is being decorated, and the windows all have glass. It's almost there! Further along the coastline a whole complex is under construction which is allegedly supposed to be three 5-star hotels, a golf course, an acqua park, and a theatre (really?). It’s progressing really fast.

Rumours are around that Egypt is supposed to be a top ten tourist destination next year and the top destination by 2020; this has no doubt inspired the rush to build.

The resort company for Sahl Hasheesh has installed a funky thing along the boardwalk, which is in the photo since it will save me the alleged 1000 words. See-saws (!) have been placed opposite Bus Stop, there’s a lighted sign saying “Old Town”, there are two swinging benches along the boardwalk, plus some blue benches too.

Everywhere I went, something had changed! Il Gusto was no longer there, but had become Sailors Beach Club. This was quite a shock, since Il Gusto has been there for years. However, the new place has pretty much the same facilities (café, restaurant, beach bar, beach) but a different menu and more expensive prices. That’s not so surprising because prices for everything have risen (including electricity and water).

Chez Paul (cafe/restaurant) had gone quite a while ago, but that’s now been replaced by Café Coffee Day, which is also a restaurant. It does good coffee, but I think with its name people don’t realize that it also serves proper food, so it’s seeming quite empty. The Sunrise Romance has added Indian and Lebanese restaurants to its offerings. An art shop has opened up, so it’s good to see something that’s not clothes or food for a change.

There’s even a free minibus now that will take you round the resort and bus stops have been placed by all the major hotels and residences. As is usual here, it’s in its preliminary launch phase, which means they’re not advertising it, the bus stops aren’t finished, and there isn’t any timetable, but you can use the minibus if you see it or if you ask a security guard. This is OK, but it just makes you wonder if it really is working or not. Most people have no idea that it's there and when people see it, they don't know what it is. Communication isn't a strong point in Egypt. The idea of a free bus is good, though, since once it's established, it should encourage people to explore beyond their all-inclusive hotels and maybe spend some money in the shops. It also gives the hotels something else to advertise.

It’s all very encouraging, but the half-built buildings are still standing empty and don’t seem to be progressing, so we can only hope that all these new activities will complete and not end up as yet other monuments to ideas that went stale. However it does look as if Egypt is finally gearing up to be a prime tourist destination again, at long last. Come and join the party!

El Andalous - Settling Back In

El Andalous from Refurbished Pier

I usually joke that there’s always something that immediately breaks on my return, that Egypt is where everything always goes wrong. This time, however, it was really fairly smooth. I don’t know if I should be worried.

The only thing that was broken was the basket on my Flying Pigeon which was half-hanging off. However, I was able to fix this myself (I was fairly proud of this achievement). My key was also sticking in my lock – it has done this ever since I’ve been here, but it had got to the point where even I found it annoying. I cleverly (by my standards) thought to spray it with some WD40 and hey presto the key now fits in smoothly. I felt very dynamic.

It was rewarding to have the WD40 already there in my flat; similarly, it was good to have the OFF spray (mosquito repellent) and my insect bite cream ready to hand. I was feeling very organized and settled. It’s only taken 5 years!

There are always quite a few admin things to do all the same. I had to go to the bank to change my money, and I needed to get my visa extension. The 6-month visa now costs the same as a 12-month visa, which makes it feel as if I’m paying more than necessary. However, I’m happy and grateful that I’m allowed to be here, and the country needs the money, so I really don’t mind. To be honest, the foreigners can afford the steep price hikes more than the local people, so it’s fair play to raise more money by increasing the visa costs by some multiples vs the rate of inflation (which is in any case high) over the years (I think the visa cost has gone from 80 LE to 1200 LE in 5 years).

I’d forgotten just how many liquids I get through when the weather is so hot. I seem to have gone off diet coke all of a sudden, so I’m drinking more water and iced coffee instead. I completely underestimated how much water and milk to buy on my first trip to BestWay, since I’m not normally a great water drinker. But in the heat, I’m constantly needing another drink.

I thought I’d miss the espresso machine that I have at home in Switzerland when returning to lowly Nescafe gold for my home-made iced coffees in Egypt, but actually it’s been fine. Unlike in most of Europe, where coffee is now espresso dominated, over here many cafes still serve Nescafe. I remember when it used to be like that in the UK. Espresso-based drinks do exist here, though, so don’t get me wrong.

Anyway, I’m now back in the flow – my fridge is fully stocked with juice, milk, and water, plus some diet coke should the urge suddenly return. I believe my skin is already a little darker in reacting to its new climate, and I’m settled in.