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Red Sea’s twin towns serve up another Egypt
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From nightlife to serene tranquillity on glass-bottomed boats, the twin resorts of Sharm El Sheikh and Hurghada have much to offer. HINK HUISMAN reports. |
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MUCH is known and said about the Egyptianresort city of Sharm El Sheikh, less is known about the upcoming alternative, just across the other side of the Red Sea, the resort town of Hurghada.
Hurghada really is nothing more than a typical Arabic coastal village where fishing still plays a tremendous role, with supporting small scale industries cluttered along the main street. Tourists are definitely going to the resorts, but this has hardly affected the lifestyle nor the wheeling and dealing of the local people. A charming, almost unspoiled town, where life seems to go on as it has for millennia, untouched by globalisation.
Unsurprisingly, Hurghada is the undisputed favourite resort among Egyptians and visitors from around the world who love sunshine, sea and diving. At least one hundred tourist developments of varying levels of luxury stretch for kilometres along the coast. The town centre, known as the Ed-Dahar quarter, has preserved a certain traditional character with a small souk and cheaper hotels.
While in Hurghada don't miss the museum and aquarium, with their complete collections of flora and fauna of the Red Sea. Islands near Hurghada also offer all kinds of fun and excitement.
The town was also our departure point for the ferry trip to Sharm El Sheikh, which is located at the tip of the Sinai desert. An hour and a half on a fast ferry boat across azure blue waters is a nice smooth sailing experience. Although I would have preferred a slower ride, due to the fact that once set sail, you cannot go out onto the decks and enjoy the sun nor the scenery, the entire ride was still a very comfortable and pleasant experience. The luggage handlers with their carts, doubling up as handlers as well as towing the carts uphill, was something else I had not experienced before.
Sharm El Sheikh sprung up as a fishing village but is now better known as a five-star resort, with several hotel properties. A totally different experience from Hurghada, the city is clearly thrives almost exclusively on the tourist throng and with less then a day of rain per year, sunshine can be guaranteed.
Sharm El Sheikh, often simply known as Sharm, has a main pedestrian street with plenty of restaurants to chose from and endulge yourself in the Arabian atmospheres. Complete with hubbly-bubbly (shisha) and for the less adventurous, the so-familiar fast food restaurants. The city clearly springs to life after sunset and into the very early hours, with even a Little Buddha Bar and countless other venues to experience and to be part of the relaxation you have opted for. Other popular hangouts include the Camel Bar, Pirate's Bar, The Tavern, and The Mexican. For those that want their nights out, clubs such as The Bus Stop and world renowned Pascha throw parties almost every night of the year.
With the resort located around the six-kilometre stretch around Nama Bay, Shark Bay and Sharm El Sheikh Bay, the surrounding resorts and hotels offer breathtaking views of the hills as well as the tempting clear blue open sea just ahead. What can be more tempting then taking a small boat cruise exploring these clean and superbly clear waters? A boat with a glass hull is the answer and after a 15 minute journey along the coast, you just see the most amazing aquarium right below you. Coral reefs that are thousands of years old and fish that seem tame enough to have come from your local pet store. I, for one, had never seen such an abundance of colourful fish and thoroughly enjoyed this hour-long trip.
With some 250 different coral reefs and 1000 species of fish, there is a strong market for scientific tourism, and all sorts of water sports can be had here, particularly diving and snorkelling.
Both resorts are well-connected to Europe and the Gulf, as well as to other Egyptian cities such as Luxor and Cairo. Both are also set to increase capacity with the development of new passenger terminals as part of an extensive investment programme.
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Goatfish |
| family of Mullidae |
| Red Sea marine life |
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Description & Behavior
Goatfish are tropical marine perciform fish of the family Mullidae. Seldom found in brackish waters, goatfish are most associated with the reefs of the Atlantic, Indian, and Pacific Oceans. Within the family are approximately six genera and 55 species.
Many species of goatfish are conspicuously coloured; however, they are not popular in aquaria. Rather, goatfish are valued food fish in many countries. The largest species, the dash-and-dot goatfish (Parupeneus barberinus) grows to 55 centimetres in length; most species are less than half this size. Their bodies are deep and elongate with forked tail fins and widely separated dorsal fins.
By day, many goatfish will form large inactive (non-feeding) schools: these aggregates may contain both conspecifics and heterospecifics. For example, the yellowfin goatfish (Mulloidichthys vanicolensis) of the Red Sea and Hawaii is often seen congregating with blue-striped snappers (Lutjanus kasmira). With such mixed company, the yellowfins will actually change their coloration to match that of the snappers.
By night the schools disperse and individual goatfish head their separate ways to loot the sands. Other nocturnal feeders will shadow the active goatfish, waiting patiently for any overlooked morsels. Goatfish stay within the shallows, going no deeper than about 110 metres.
All goatfish have the ability to change their coloration depending on their current activity. One notable example, the diurnal goldsaddle goatfish (Parupeneus cyclostomus) will change from a lemon-yellow to a pale cream whilst feeding. Diurnal species also tend to be solitary, but will school as juveniles.
Goatfish are pelagic spawners; that is, they release many buoyant eggs into the water which become part of the plankton. The eggs float freely with the currents until hatching.
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| WFP development project |
| New funding |
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World Food Program today welcomed a contribution €2 million (US$2.7 million) from the European Commission (EC) for development projects for Bedouin communities in the Sinai. “We are extremely grateful for this generous donation to help a poor community already having to adapt to the demands of a settled lifestyle after centuries of nomadic existence,” said Bishow Parajuli, WFP Representative to Egypt. Despite overall positive economic indicators in Egypt, the Bedouin communities in Sinai suffer from high levels of poverty, food insecurity and malnutrition. South Sinai Bedouins also live with inadequate housing, a severe shortage of drinking water and limited educational opportunities. The funds, which are being channeled through the South Sinai Regional Development Project, will help establish basic schools and health centres, and reclaim some 1,000 feddans (405 hectares) as agricultural plots for families.
They will also support the construction of a small dam in Zaghra valley near Dahab city, for drinking and irrigation water. According to a joint study by WFP and Egypt’s National Nutrition Institute, as many as 40% of children under five suffer from stunting while nearly 19% of the same group suffer from acute malnutrition or wasting. Inadequate diet affects 85%t of children and mothers. The three-year project will also include microcredit schemes such as funds to start up small herds. The Governorate of South Sinai is also actively exploring ways to engage the Bedouins in the booming tourism industry.
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Ancient Egypt Meds: Prayer, Laxatives
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Feeling irregular?" might have been a common question in ancient Egypt, since laxatives appear to have dominated their pharmaceuticals, suggests ongoing research on medicine in the time of the Pharaohs
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Making Medical History |
The investigation — one of the largest studies of its kind — represents a partnership between England's University of Manchester and the Egyptian Medicinal Plant Conservation Project in St. Katherine's, Sinai.
Although findings are preliminary, it appears that treating constipation preoccupied early doctors.
"The ancient Egyptians used a diverse range of plants for an equally diverse range of medical conditions," lead researcher Ryan Metcalfe told Discovery News. "Laxatives dominated the field, with bulk laxatives, such as figs, bran and dates in common use."
Metcalfe, a scientist in the university's School of Medicine, added that the Egyptians used bowel stimulants such as the bitter fruit coloynth and castor oil, "which remained in clinical use until about 40 years ago."
One ancient remedy, believed to relieve excess gas and indigestion, consisted of cumin, a hefty portion of goosefat and milk. All were boiled together, strained and consumed.
Metcalfe and his team are currently studying ancient papyrus records on the medical practices of people from Egypt and the surrounding region.
At the same time, they are conducting genetic and chemical analysis on plant remains and resins, with the goal of identifying trade routes, which species were used and how these plants might have been cultivated outside their natural growing ranges.
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| Having the Shark Fin Soup? Think Twice |
| World demand for shark fin soup has resulted in a marine ecosystem domino effect that is reducing shellfish numbers to the point where an American soup favorite, clam chowder, is now under threat, according to a Current Biology paper published earlier this month. |
| Featured Article |
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Fishermen and diners alike are feeling the consequences.
The demand for shark fin soup "has not only left once economically valuable bivalve fisheries in crisis, but has precipitated an ecological and culinary bankruptcy," explained Andrew Brierley, the paper's author
Brierley, a marine ecologist at the University of St. Andrews, Scotland, added that "in many East Coast eateries, the famous clam chowder is resoundingly off the menu."
The relationship between shark fin soup and clam chowder has to do with nature's predator-prey balance. When shark populations are thriving, they eat other related species, including skates and rays. Such prey eat bivalves, so more skates and rays means fewer shellfish.
Brierley analyzed findings gathered by world-renown Dalhousie University fisheries biologist Ransom Myers, who died earlier this year, just three days before his groundbreaking work on shark-dominated ecosystems was published in the journal Science.
Myers found that intentional hunting of sharks, primarily for the Asian delicacy shark fin soup, along with unintentional shark deaths due to fisheries bycatch, has led to up to 98 percent declines for tiger sharks, scalloped hammerhead sharks and blacktip sharks along parts of the East Coast.
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| whats
on, whats new |
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| Breakfast at Drifters |
| All new breakfast, lunch & evening dinner menu |
| Community News |
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Serving Breakfast from 10am - 12 midday.
Breakfast Menu
Sausage & Bacon Sandwiches, Country Breakfast, Traditional English Breakfast. All accompanied with freshly baked on the premises bread, coissants and pastries.
The evening menu will also include pork products so if you fancy pork chops, book early to avoid disappointment.
Reservations Tel:010 522 6413
Drifters is the official distributor for Marsden Pork Products in the Red Sea. For wholesale enquiries call: 010 522 6413
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| Spotredsea.com |
| We need your comments |
| Community news |
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Add your comments by
clicking on the link above |
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Whats your favourite restaurant?
Best ever night club?
We need you our readers to add their valued comments to the Spot Red Sea website. The web 2.0 technology being used on Spot Red Sea means that the consumer has the power to write and comment on their favourite places and things to do in the Red Sea. Its quick and easy to do just register on the website using the log in / register on the top right of the homepage.
Then find your favourite dive center, restaurant, hotel etc and comment away. The honest and local opinions help the unknowing traveller to decide where is great to stay, where is good to eat and what to do today!
As the comments are given value by other users, so the businesses listing grows in popularity. Get started today click on the picture above.
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| amusement |
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| Memory Game |
Kids can make their very own Memory Game with this easy cardboard craft--good for hours of educational fun.
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This project is rated VERY EASY to do. |
What You Need
- Cardboard (gift boxes or cereal boxes)
- Construction paper
- Scissors
- Glue
- Crayons or markers
- Ruler
What You Do
1. Cut the gift box so that it is just a plain flat surface that is the
same size as the piece of construction paper.
2. Glue the paper onto the box and let it dry.
3. After it has dried, use the ruler to make an even amount of equally sized boxes.
4. Then, have the child draw sets of pictures in each box. For example: make two boxes have a star in them, and another two a heart, etc.
5. Cut out each individual box and the kids have made their own game of memory.
Notes:
For those who are not familiar with the game of memory, mix the pieces up and turn them over then the child can try to find the matches..
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| Brown Rice nutrition facts |
| Nutrition Facts |
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In some parts of the world, the word "to eat" literally means "to eat rice." All varieties of rice are available throughout the year, supplying as much as half of the daily calories for half of the world's population.
The process that produces brown rice removes only the outermost layer, the hull, of the rice kernel and is the least damaging to its nutritional value. The complete milling and polishing that converts brown rice into white rice destroys 67% of the vitamin B3, 80% of the vitamin B1, 90% of the vitamin B6, half of the manganese, half of the phosphorus, 60% of the iron, and all of the dietary fiber and essential fatty acids. Fully milled and polished white rice is required to be "enriched" with vitamins B1, B3 and iron.
Why Brown-But Not White-Rice is One of the World's Healthiest Foods
The difference between brown rice and white rice is not just color! A whole grain of rice has several layers. Only the outermost layer, the hull, is removed to produce what we call brown rice. This process is the least damaging to the nutritional value of the rice and avoids the unnecessary loss of nutrients that occurs with further processing. If brown rice is further milled to remove the bran and most of the germ layer, the result is a whiter rice, but also a rice that has lost many more nutrients. At this point, however, the rice is still unpolished, and it takes polishing to produce the white rice we are used to seeing. Polishing removes the aleurone layer of the grain-a layer filled with health-supportive, essential fats. Because these fats, once exposed to air by the refining process, are highly susceptible to oxidation, this layer is removed to extend the shelf life of the product. The resulting white rice is simply a refined starch that is largely bereft of its original nutrients.
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| classifieds |
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| Colona Divers - Hurghada |
We need you |
| vacancy |
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Join our Team. We are seeking an English/German Speaking Diving Instructor for our Hurghada Branch.
For further details please contact Kimmo on : 0122467254
or email to: jobs@colona.com
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| Sales & Marketing |
| Team actively looking for role in Sales & Marketing |
| job search |
Experienced team looking for marketing opportunities within the dive Industry. We can introduce new techniques to your falling sales targets. Marketing is our speciality, we will work for FREE for one month if you do see an improvement in your sales you will not be charged for our services.
Together the team is multi-lingual and work as a professional unit . We also provide training for your sales team.
For futher details please contact:
Mobile 0105028698 or email m_m_e_h2009@yahoo.co.uk
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| Villa for Sale |
| Magawish |
| for sale |
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The villa consists of 396 sqm, situated on 1000 sqm land in the Magawish area.
Villa details:
- No of bedrooms : 5 all with toilets and showers
- Office :1
- Reception 1st floor : 140sq m
- No of bathrooms: 7
- Basement :2
- Electric system: complete
- A/C system : all connection and wires fixed
- Water tanks : 18000 L
- Swedge taks : 15000 L
- Water heating system : central 200 L
- Reception floor : Marbles
- Other floors : Porcelin and ciramics
- Finishing style: Luxurious
- Price : 320000 Euros
- Credits : Accepted
Contact : virgindivers@hotmail.com
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