Finally chilling on the coast after a fun packed over night ferry ride from Aqaba. Distance is 100 k but it took from midnight till around 9am before we were finally able to get off the boat and thenwhat a scrum as every local fought to find their bags which had been loaded onto a container at point of departure and then unloaded in bulk on the dockside at arrival.

Fortunately it was only a one hour ride to where we are now, on the coast at an hotel with a pool (filled with clean water). mInd you the showers in the rooms also deliver salt water so it is a bit difficult to work up a lather when trying to wash ones socks.

Place reminds me of Kho Samui where there is what seems like an unending string of cafes; dive shops and t shirt sellers stretching along the shore line for over a mile.

But, they are offering real coffee; fruit shakes and sea food so have been enjoying everything on offer while popping down my imodium tablets. Have finally been a victim of what my group are now refering to as "the Syrian weight loss programme" which has hit more than half of us in varying degrees since we arrived in Damacus more than ten days ago. (Forgot to mention that one of the pleasures (?) of the Syrian capital was a visit to a Hamman where we were saunaed; scrubbed; massaged - painfully - hosed down and served with apple tea, all in the name of experience. Wasnt bad but when that big guy stuck his elbow (think thats what it was but I was on my face at the time) into my calf muscles I nearly said something very colourful.

Spent last night on my own in a sea food cafe eating barracuda; calamari and prawns and listening to a very eclectic music offering which ranged from the theme tune to The Godfather to Yesterday sung by Frank Sinatra - very much like being in an Indian restaurant in the UK I guess.

Best image seen here was a muslim woman sitting alone on a rattan dining room chair on the beach reading the Koran - her dog at her feet - while divers and t shirts sellers wandered by and rock and roll music blared out from the speakers nearby. Love the way that the observance of this form of religion sometime seems to be more matter of fact than a matter of any strict need to be observed in a great shows of piety.

Most of group are off tonight to climb MOUnt Sinai in the dark to see a sunrise but me? I am going to get a quiet night's rest before we roll into Cairo on Thursday afternoon.