PRALINE WITH CRÊPES
Smooth hazelnut praline with chopped pancakes
Archive for January, 2010
praline with crêpes
Friday, January 29th, 2010on the train back from Bristol
Sunday, January 24th, 2010
last night in Dahab
Saturday, January 23rd, 2010Last night we went to El Mundo’s for one last meal. Bedouin beef for me and fata beef for Tom. The guy even remembered our usual drinks order.
lazy (in comparison)
Friday, January 22nd, 2010After our exciting outing on Wednesday we opted for laziness yesterday.
Yalla Bar for pancakes and an American breakfast. Mine was disappointing. Basically the same as Tom’s except he got two pieces of toast with cheese, two eggs and more cheese as well. All for the same price!!!
After a bit of lazing around with a cute ginger cat we came back to brave the pool. Tom opts for the jump-straight-in approach whereas I spent ages inching my way into the freezing pool and still didn’t get my shoulders wet!
After a looooooooooong hot shower, more American tv (Prison Break) and a snack of chilli lime crisps and M&Ms we headed out to El Fanar for dinner. We had decided to opt for the pretend-to-think-about-it tactics and mulled over the menu outside while the guy told us that he’d give us 30% off with free starters and dessert. Oh, why not?!
We both went for the mixed grill, good thing coz if Tom had gone for a steak he would’ve had major food envy! The mixed grills consisted of a leg of chicken, kofta kofta kofta and a mystery meat (lamb???) on a bed if veges with a side of rice. Nom nom nom!
After a long lazy dinner we head back for more tv and sleep. Trying to get money out of the cash machines also proved to be an issue. What’s with this town???
Today we woke up and watched some great tv (The Amazing Race) and went out for breakfast at the Dolphin Cafe. As soon as we sat down a tabby cat came and joined us. She was so cure and curled up straight away we just couldn’t resist. As soon as the water arrived she was on. Meow meow meow. She sounded thirsty so Tom found am ashtray and gave get some water. Then our food arrived. More meowing ensued. Guilt set in. Tom grabbed her to get her off us and said she felt fat even though she looked skinny. I felt her belly and she could’ve been preggers. Oh how the guilt set in!
When my pancake arrived to complement my American breakfast I gave her a sausage coz they weren’t that great anyway and then the yolk of my second egg. Then all that was left were tomatoes which we gave to her too.
Just to break my heart, as soon as she got her food she was gone. Then another cat arrived looking horribly beaten up with giant gouges in its fur and eyes pretty much shut. This one did not get my sympathy.
We went in search of cash (which we found) then came back to brave to chilly pool again. Thank goodness we have hot showers now!
A snack of chilli lime crisps and a HoHo brings us up to now.
blue hole
Friday, January 22nd, 2010We got up early to get the jeep for our snorkeling adventure. Who would thought that getting up at 9am would be so painful?!
We waited around for a bit and our jeep driver finally arrived. We went through Dahab city which was a little run down to say the least. Is forgotten about all the goats in the street.
We slowed down when we got to the Canyon dive spot and a guy hopped in the back with us. Sure, why not. The rest of our ride was a bumpy one along the coast until we finally got to the Blue Hole.
I was surprised, although I shouldn’t have been, when we got dropped off at a specific cafe for all our snorkeling needs. I had wanted to visit the one we did last time with the good moussaka. Nevertheless we got our gear, downed a mixed fruit juice and headed out for a spot of snorkeling.
The water was cold at first but totally bearable. We pottered around for a bit snapping some photos and flapping around. The time to exit was when I saw a touch of water inside my camera bag! It was the perfect excuse to get out and grab some moussaka!
I felt a twinge of guilt/need to sneak coz I wanted to go to Aqua Marina rather than Sinbad, where we’d been dropped off.
The moussaka came out as a chicken one despite what we ordered. It was still just as tasty.
We ventured back unto the water then hopped out when it was just cold and not fun anymore. Then we sunned ourselves on one of the pontoons.
Back up at Sinbad’s and I had a hot chocolate to warm up again. A quick snip-snap with the camera stick outside the Blue Hole sign and we were ready to set off again. This time we stopped and picked up three bracelet-selling girls. From the tone and pointed finger I’m guessing the driver said to not bug us to buy anything otherwise they wouldn’t get a ride back.
Not wanting to brave the gaunlet again we opted for Same Same for dinner. Kofta for me and chicken couscous for Tom.
dirty pirate
Thursday, January 21st, 2010
food, food and more food
Tuesday, January 19th, 2010El Mundo enticed us in for dinner again. Oriental kofta and fata beef. With complimentary bread and dips, Bedouin tea and dessert. All for the very doable price of 120 LE!
Up early tomorrow for snorkeling the Blue Hole.
a river in our room
Tuesday, January 19th, 2010We woke up yesterday to a nice river in our room. Good thing we had the sense to put everything off the floor. Still no power after it switched off the night before though. And no hot water.
We made our way to Yalla Bar for a Continental and American breakfast. Nom nom nom. After paying we went in search of a cash machine that worked. We couldn’t find one along the whole strip! Or even further down out of town. Thankfully The Kitchen took card so it was off there for Tom’s birthday dinner of Thai red curry, butter makhani and gulab jamun. If only their card terminal actually worked… They were nice and let us come back once the machines were back up and running again which, thankfully, this morning they were. We never thought we’d feel skint in this country!!
After the hot water still wasn’t working this morning we had a chat to reception and now we’re in a room with a view and a balcony 
Brunch was pizzas at Jay’s and onto Yalla Bar where they have free wifi
food, stalkers and rain
Sunday, January 17th, 2010We decided to go for dinner El Mundo and it was our dumb luck that the American group were there! Are they following us? Or are we following them. I also spied annoying Big Mo from On The Go Tours at another table.
I tried the cheesy garlic bread again (just as tasty as last time) but passed on the free dips and bread for fear of food poisoning again. Bedouin lamb for me and kofta for Tom. Round it off with free donuts and Bedouin tea and it was about time for the heavens to open up and start raining. It made for some awesome light shows though. A guy rode past us on a bike and said it was the first time it had rained in four or five years. We hardly got hassled on the way back because everyone was too busy moving cushions inside and tarping up their shops. Just Tom’s luck: first warm birthday ever and it’s gonna chuck it down!
Dahab, we have arrived
Sunday, January 17th, 2010After locating our taxi driver and a one hour drive through the desert we checked into the Sphinx Hotel and went out exploring. There was one point in our one hour trip when we thought we were gonna get clipped: about five minutes out of the city we suddenly went off the road and drove through a building site. Driving driving driving until we got to the normal road again. We’ll just call it an Egyptian shortcut.
All the people out trying to get your business takes a bit of getting used to again but it helped that we already knew where the good places to eat were.
It was strangely quiet but I guess that’s the off season for you.
We ended up at Same Same But Different for their yummy thickshakes: banana for Tom and mango for me. I couldn’t resist the kofta either so ordered a dish if that with fata beef tagine for Tom. That was mistake number one. They brought out the thickshakes and garlic bread to go with it. Then after the main meal we had pancakes with ice cream. I had clearly forgotten the concept of complimentary starters and desserts!
The downer of the night was the depressing American group talking of light and airy topics such as rape and government corruption. They seemed to loosen up after the Bedouin tea though.
Like true sad sacks we went to bed just after 9 and woke up 12 hours later. A little while reading by the pool and we set off to find lunch in the form of a Yalla burger.
The rest of the afternoon was spent taking advantage if free wifi, reading, wandering through this near ghost town, then back for a nap.