El Gouna

Hello, again! I hope you all have been well.

Today, I come to you from El Gouna, Egypt. No, I have not had the chance to see any mummies, tombs, or pyramids. Furthermore, I may not even get the opportunity to do so. El Gouna is a closed city; it is limited to those who own property, rent a property, or stay in a hotel here. Frankly, it isn’t exciting here. Sure, it’s beautiful and located on the Red Sea, but after a week or so of sunbathing and relaxation, there’s simply nothing else to do. Moreover, I am too far away from any sites worth seeing (a minimum of five hours by car), making this trip to Egypt completely work-oriented.

Even without the tourist sites that anyone would associate with Egypt, the staff at the hotel have made me feel welcome. Nearly all the hotel staff speak English. If not English, they speak Dutch, German, or Russian. It’s been quite fascinating to hear Egyptians speaking Russian. It’s surreal. My Arabic has not improved, but most staff think I either live here or have an Arabic-speaking parent. I would never bet any money on my Arabic language skills, seriously! I guess most of the visitors here don’t bother learning any Arabic before visiting, which is unfortunate, in my opinion. I even tried to teach the boy I’m working with to say thank you after having dinner out, but he chickened out (he’s four years old, we can let it slide).

The family I am working for here are great people, and I am very thankful for the opportunity to have worked with them and be able to tag along on their relaxation vacation. Fingers crossed that the next 2-ish weeks go smoothly. I have no idea where I will end up next, but I promise you that it will be way more exciting!

‘Till next time!