El Andalous - Christmas 2020

 

Pre-Dinner Drinks

I forgot to wish everyone an enjoyable festive season in my last blog, so I’ll say it now, even if it may be a bit late. It’s strange to think that this is my last blog for 2020 and, as everyone’s saying, let’s hope this coming year will be better, at least by this time next year (I guess the first few months are going to be difficult with the new highly-infectious coronavirus strain rearing its head and vaccines only just starting).

Anyway, a friend (hello Geraldine!) told me I really was living the dream and it does feel like that. I had a pretty good Christmas.

For the first time, they’d organized a Christmas Market in Sahl Hasheesh. Rather weirdly, it was held on Christmas Day but maybe they were thinking it would be good for the Coptic Christians. However, it was a good initiative and I really hope they hold it again next year. Sahl Hasheesh residents could have a stall for free, so I could have bought some of my own books and sold them, for example. However, we had only about a week’s notice.

But they did a great job of organizing it. There were food stalls, and if I hadn’t had a Christmas meal booked, I’d have eaten something. Two of my friends were selling items – one makes crafty items from shells and driftwood (I bought a shell ornament off her which I still need to hang on my wall) and the other owns a gift shop in the Old Town (SH) selling high quality items for presents. From her I bought a maroon antibacterial face mask and some fish serviettes.

Then I bumped into some friends and had a couple of glasses of wine with them, watching everyone enjoying the day, including a kid with a huge candy floss. After that, I met other friends as I was just leaving. It’s a small world over here.

An animation team dressed as elves, Santa, the Ice Queen, jugglers and probably more all roamed the street providing entertainment and added to the general festive atmosphere. It was a strange event to organize during the coronavirus, but it wasn’t too crowded, at least when I went there. However, it was good to feel fairly normal.

In the late afternoon, I went along for our Christmas Dinner at the Bar by the Bridge. Around twenty of us attended and I knew most people (all from Sahl Hasheesh, where we’re fairly protected from the rest of the world). The police turned up at one point – Christmas Galas are not allowed – but we got away with it (it was hardly a gala, and we all knew each other, so it’ was more like a gathering of friends).

Anyway, I had a lovely meal of mushroom soup, roast turkey and all that goes with it (no Brussel sprouts! I’ve heard they’re ridiculously expensive here if you manage to find them), and chocolate mousse. Christmas Day itself was a little cloudy, which is unusual, but with the Christmas Market and the meal, I’m not sure I’d have had time for a swim anyway.

All in all, it was a wonderful day, and very NOT 2020!

El Andalous - Bar by the Bridge

 

Dining Area of the Bar

One of the owners here has taken over the management of a bar just a few minutes away from our building. It’s a beautiful location, overlooking the sea towards the mountains, with the underlit pier jutting out into the water.

She somehow managed to persuade the bar owners (a local hotel) to let her run it on a commission-only basis so that she doesn’t have to pay rent. Her task is to bring it up to European standards and bring in guests. She’s not doing it for a career; it’s really something to keep her busy.

She was born in Egypt and lived in Miami, so she’s fluent in Arabic and English and switches from one to the other seamlessly.

As with everything in Egypt, there’s always a bit of wheeling and dealing, and you have to have your wits about you. There was a rumour that someone wanted to rent the bar and thus my friend would no longer be able to run it. We suspect it was a ploy to get her to pay for it so that the owners would get more money for no effort. She was alert enough to tell them to take the other offer and they ended up asking her to come back!

Similarly, the bar manager wasn’t so happy at having a woman suddenly come in and take over, so my friend has had to explain that she’s not wanting his job, or to take his money. Fortunately, the bar owner stepped in and supported my friend. On a related matter, she also has to ensure the tips get spread out equally among the staff and don’t go straight into one person’s pocket only!

Another problem has been that all of the hotels here are all-inclusive. Consequently, the staff are used to serving customers on that basis, and don't pay attention to how small or large the measures are. Similarly, they don't hesitate to water down the alcohol or buy the cheapest available. Now that it’s a bar for paying customers, they need to give consistent measures and price accordingly. And, of course, guests paying with their hard-earned money expect a quality drink. 

When I went there for the opening dinner, for example, they were charging me the same for my glass of wine as they did for my neighbour who had a glass twice the size of mine. I complained and they reduced the price, but I think they thought they were doing me a favour!

My friend is primarily catering for the residents, since all the hotels play loud music quite late at night. The residents, however, while sometimes wishing to party, don’t require the music to blare across the entire bay and prefer a quieter ambience during dining hours. 

She’s also set up a happy hour from 4pm-6pm (just extended to 7pm). This makes the drinks a reasonable price, so these days, if you fancy a drink, you can just pop along and almost always there’s someone there you know that you can join (or if you don’t know them, you can usually still join!). This was also part of the aim – to bring the residents together and to create a social hub.

She’s offering a Christmas Dinner on Christmas Day, so that’s where I’ll be this Christmas – eating turkey outside while overlooking some pretty exceptional scenery. How lucky am I!

El Andalous - Community Cocktails

 

Modern Whirling Dervishes!

Once in a blue moon, our resort management (ERC) organizes an event for residents. The last one that I remember was free lunch on the beach (mini burgers, fries, and other food items, plus soft drinks), plus use of the beach area for a day.

Anyway, we recently got an invitation to a community cocktails evening, which is quite surprising given coronavirus, although I believe there are no cases in Sahl Hasheesh (but who knows!). It was for residents only.

The advertisement described it as sponsored by the Tropitel and taking place on the rooftop at Sahl Hasheesh, so most of us assumed it would be at the Tropitel. However, it turned out the venue was the rooftop above Sailors’ Bar in the old town of Sahl Hasheesh. That was actually a lot more convenient as it’s in walking distance. I’d have needed a taxi to get to the Tropitel.

It started at 4pm with free cocktails. I wandered over with Karen, leaving El Andalous at 4pm, since I knew others were planning to be there for when it started. It’s a lovely location (as is most anywhere in Sahl Hasheesh). The Christmas decorations are now up in the streets and the rooftop overlooks the bay. I guess the timing was to coincide with being able to watch the sunset.

Anyway, when we got there, a group of our friends was already there with a reserved table (it was all outside). They ordered wine, but I should have been more alert, since we had to pay for wine (which was very expensive), but the cocktails were free. Between us, Karen and I managed to blag six cocktails (Sex on the Beach), but then they stopped us from taking any more. Fair enough, I suppose!

It's a small community, so I also knew the people who took the table next to ours, and in the end we spread out onto two tables as our group expanded. It’s almost like a village where everyone knows everyone else. Otherwise, there was plenty of distance between those who didn't know each other.

They handed out canapes, which were very nicely done. I had some small beef sandwiches and some chicken bites in a salsa sauce. If you like fish and cheese, there was a lot more choice. There were plenty on offer. I ordered a crispy chicken dish for 60LE (around 3 GBP) which was quite a lot of hot crispy chicken in bread, with coleslaw and some French fries. It wasn’t a bad price, but I didn’t see many other people order food. After three cocktails, I was in need of sustenance.

On top of this, they laid on entertainment – a saxophonist, a few whirling dervishes with a modern touch, and a belly dancer. Plus there was a DJ and music playing with a large area for dancing (and I did dance).

It was free entry. I was surprised at how many people were there (somehow, I always get the impression that Sahl Hasheesh is near deserted with very few residents). The organizer gave a quick speech and said he planned on organizing more events, so here’s hoping.

It was a lovely evening and well organized. Definitely more, please!

El Andalous - Security

 

One of My Snorkeling Areas

I feel safe in Sahl Hasheesh as we have security to enter the resort, various security cabins round the resort, and then security at reception in our building.

But amusing situations can arise.

One of my snorkeling places is at the beach set up for Paradise Gardens / Veranda (two apartment complexes here). The beaches are supposed to be available to all, but use of sunbeds belongs to the various resorts.

Anyway, I arrived at Paradise Gardens, put my bag on the sand near their beach. For the first time ever, a security guard walked up to me to inform me that the beach was only for the use of Paradise Gardens / Veranda residents. I argued that I wasn’t using their beach, I was beside it, and the beach was for everyone to use. I’m not sure he understood me, as he repeated that I wasn’t allowed.

I didn’t argue and told him that actually it was too windy and I didn’t want to stay. The sea is a lot calmer by El Andalous, so it’s often not until you arrive at somewhere further round the bay that you realise how windy it is.

At this point, the security guard did a complete turn and said it was okay, I could stay if I liked. I insisted that I didn’t want to, and he continued to explain that I could use the sun loungers, it really didn’t matter. He urged me to stay. I’m not sure if he wanted a tip (hard luck, as I never carry money with me when snorkeling) or wanted to ogle a female body. In any case, he was out of luck as I left.

On another day, I cycled to what I call the “slopey bit” which is opposite an unfinished building that looks like a replica of Hetshepsut’s temple. Again, I put my bag down on the sand and got myself ready to get into the water. A security guard walked over (for the first time ever) and said he’d look after my bicycle and my bag for me. I smiled and thanked him. If he wanted a baksheesh, he was out of luck.

I had a long snorkel and got back. The security guard pointed to my stuff and my bike and I gave him a thumbs up. I was about to apologise for the fact that I didn’t have any money on me (I did feel quite bad), but it turned out that all he wanted was a photograph of me with him. I told him he’d have to wait until I’d put my dress over my swimming costume. He kindly averted his eyes while I waited to dry off for a while and had slipped my dress over my head. We just stood side-by-side. All quite innocent.

It's a bit of a status symbol over here to be seen with a Westerner, which is why he wanted the photo. It was easy “payment” for having my stuff looked after.