The Purrfect Cuppa

I started writing about  Purrfect Cuppa in my Hurghada post, but I just had too much to say and to share about this wonderful place. It's truly a haven. It's my happy place.

It's an English tea room and a cat cafe. The cafe is owned and run by two lovely women with hearts of gold. They serve a wide variety of items from delicious soups and sandwiches to mouth-watering homemade cakes and pies. That's of course, alongside fresh coffee or your choice from a wide variety of teas. You can even have a proper full English cream tea, including finger sandwiches, scones, and dessert!

Meanwhile, cute cuddly kitties are around giving out positive energy. The cats at Purrfect Cuppa are all rescues and they're so well taken care of that we joke that all the street cats are jealous. The nearby cats outside are fed and given water and little beds, so they have it pretty good as well I'd say.

I swear I'm not sitting on him.

My absolute favorite is Apollo. He's like the mascot to me. He's regal, majestic, and quite large. He's basically one step away from being a panther.

God bless him, he's gorgeous.

There's also Tyson who's pretty much the boss but he loves cuddles. Shady is a real beauty as well.
You get the idea. I believe there are about 20 cats roaming around. They're very sweet. It goes without saying that visitors need to be gentle and treat the cats with respect.

Tyson, you sweet thing.

They also have a crafting club that's a lot of fun. It's really therapeutic to lose yourself in a project and think of little else for a few hours. In the end, you have things you can be proud to display in your home. It's a really great way to spend an afternoon, learning something new, and meeting people.

I made this mirror using cut up old CDs! 

String art birds, in case it's not completely obvious.

A painting class. I think it came out ok for a first try, but more importantly, it was a great experience.

The Purrfect Cuppa has games and puzzles you can use while you have your tea or whatever. It's such a homey atmosphere that you could easily spend the day there. 

A family game of Monopoly

I was in Hurghada one day over the weekend during the school year. I got my lesson plans done and had a lovely iced tea.

Chillin with Baloo.

There's also Purrfect Cuppa merch! 

Obviously, at the present time, Purrfect Cuppa is closed due to Covid-19 but you can still order food to take away.  Hopefully, when everything is back to normal, I can return. It's truly my favorite place in the world. If you're in Hurghada, do check it out. You'll love it too.

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.