A Love Letter To Hurghada

If you know me, you probably know I lived in Hurghada for 12 years before moving to Cairo. It's a small beach town by the Red Sea and one of the more popular tourist spots in Egypt. Well, in normal times it is. Growing up we would go to Egypt in the summers, and sometimes we would spend a few days at a resort in Hurghada. It was the highlight of the trip, by far. 

A beach in the Magawish area of Hurghada.

             
The sea is amazing. It's calm and clear. Living on the east coast of the U.S., all we knew was the Atlantic. The sea in Hurghada has really gentle waves, and in many spots, you can go pretty far in before you're up to your waist. People come from all over the world to dive and snorkel in Hurghada. If that's not your thing, there are boat and submarine trips where you can see the beautiful sea creatures and corals. We've even seen dolphins in their natural habitat on a boat trip there. Now that I live in Cairo, I'm kicking myself for not going to the beach more often when it was just 5 minutes away!

This was from a street festival to promote tourism after the revolution.

Hurghada is really casual. I mean that in every sense of the word. No one's really dressed to impress like it seems here in Cairo. Flip flops are the official footwear. People are easy-going and for the most part, mind their business. It's a great mix of foreigners and locals living in harmony and understanding. I really love the unique dynamic. You have local shopkeepers who could very well be illiterate but can get by speaking a few different European languages. There are foreign or dual nationality kids who know how to ride the microbus and say "3ala gamb yasta" (drop me off here). A bonus is getting beauty services like nails and lashes for a fraction of the cost in Cairo. European professionals bring supplies from their country and provide excellent results for less.

credit: hurghadians.com

I have to give recognition to Blue Moon Animal Center. It was founded by an angel called Monique Carrera. She, along with her husband and team, have dedicated their lives to rescue and treat street animals. Not only do they help stray cats and dogs, but they also rescue horses, donkeys, and camels who are being abused by their owners. They provide free veterinary services for these animals. They also run a wonderful spay/neuter and release program to help control the feral population. You can tell when a stray has been treated by Blue Moon by their ears. The dogs with ear tags and cats with an ear tipped have been vaccinated and spayed or neutered. The center is very well run and clean. You can visit on Tuesdays and Saturdays. They also hold seasonal open days to raise money for the animals. On these open days, you can buy hand made crafts, homemade baked goods, and have some barbeque for lunch. All the stray dogs in the streets of Hurghada are very friendly and used to people, in part because of Blue Moon and kind people feeding them.

I can't talk about Hurghada without mentioning The Purrfect Cuppa. It's my favorite place on earth so it deserves a post of its own soon.

To me, Hurghada is the closest thing to home that I have here. When someone asks where we're from, and I don't really want to get into the whole shpiel, I say we're from Hurghada. It's where I made so many great friends who I adore. It's where I started my career as a teacher and pushed the reset button after a difficult chapter of my life. It's where I want to be right now, but until we meet again, Hurghada, I love you.