Восемь лет спустя Eight years later

The first time we visited Shams Alam in May 2008. Then it was our second tour to Marsa Alam. And the trip left a lot of impressions. Now we are also delighted with the rest, but the road spoiled it. Now in order.
The trip was scheduled for the end of March, we followed the special offers of TezTour, JointAp and TPG. We chose TPG, the price is unbeatable. Departure from Boryspil on March 26 at 14:00, UIA airline. Online registered the day before. We leave Dnepropetrovsk at 4-30. At 11-00 in Boryspil. The car was left at the Galant Hotel (on the way back we planned to spend the night there). We had lunch and took a taxi to the airport. At 12-15 we go to terminal D. Whoops, the flight was rescheduled for 19-30, for 5.5 hours. Judging by the schedule, 1 aircraft was out of action and, as a result, a shift in part of UIA flights. Looking ahead, I will say that the flight back was again delayed by 5 hours. That is, the problem is chronic, it can be with any airline. But UIA forgets to inform about it in advance. We could well sleep and arrive at the airport by 17-00. UIA - rating "2".
We arrived in Hurghada at 23:00. There was no one at the airport except for our flight. In half an hour we passed the border control, bypassing the service of the receiving party "Fleshtour" (for $ 2 - gluing a stamp? ). Near the airport, a bus with a guide Ahmed is waiting for us. Another couple sat down in Wadi Lakhmi. Let's go at 00:00. On the way, we stopped in front of Quseir, drank coffee and again on the road. At 4:30 we are at the hotel. Days on the road.

HOTEL.
Remembering the first time in Shams, I know that the path to understanding with the hotel team lies through bakshish. If you forget, you will be politely but persistently reminded.
So - reception. The night porter Ibrahim offers room 802. I wrote a letter asking for a room on the 2nd floor. Throws up his hands. $10. OK. Everything is fast. The janitor grabbed a bag of equipment and a suitcase and rushed off. We're in room 812. $3. Quickly brings sandwiches and fruit. Shower and sleep.
Woke up and looked around. There are 40 people in the hotel - all Germany. Almost everyone lives in buildings 8.9, 10. The Italians with the Bravo club moved to Fantasia. Silence and peace. This is a plus. The food has become worse, this is a minus. But plus, more minus (for us). Little has changed in the hotel in 8 years. Good old Egyptian management. At the reception, the same Mr. Fathi. At the restaurant Mohammed Ali with Yousef. Souchef became the chef. And no amount of redecoration and replacement of plumbing will change the traditional Egyptian hospitality, based on the simplicity of character and bakshish.
Rest has begun. We sailed from the Gorgonian pier and saw a dugong and a 1.5 meter barracuda. All OK. We are in Shams. The next day Khamsin blew. You can't see anything in the water. We went south along the coast, on foot. 2 km and we are in an oasis, palm trees, acacias and all that. People do not particularly visit this place, clean and beautiful.
We walked to Gorogonia, from the side the hotel is more than 60% full, there are probably more Germans than Italians. Life in the hotel is in full swing, animation, shops, kids. By the way, many guests of Gorogonia came to Shams beach to swim with their children. Sand and a gentle entrance - something that is not in Gorgonia.

In the future, the weather improved, the air is 26-30. Water 22 - 24, in the hydra it is the most. I do not describe the sea, everything has already been described before us. The dugong was not seen again, it grazes at least 100 m from the shore, there are traces of it. Turtles and stingrays graze, but in the windsurfing area, in this part of the bay, they swam in the morning. Oh, and the little shark, by the way, is still in the bay. But no longer near the central reef, it is shallow there now.
RESTAURANT. There are few people. We had a table assigned to us. We arrive - already covered and the drinks that we prefer were waiting for us. The food is modest but delicious. Fruits are chopped. The confectioner tried, the wife was delighted with baking.
BACK. Guide Flashtour on the way to the hotel left a phone to find out the time of departure. Mail, obviously a problem for them? . Picked up 7.5 hours before departure. On the way, the guide reports that the flight is postponed for 5 hours (in fact it turned out to be 3.5). Since the registration did not start, our bass and the second bass from Marsa Alam were brought to the Lilliland Hotel (without feeding). According to the bartender, there are 80 people in the hotel. 2 rooms - Germany. 1 - Poland. The rest are Ukraine and Belarus. Those. almost empty.
FLIGHT. Our flight is the only one at the airport. The control is very tight, with searches. It was forbidden to bring water into the customs zone. Fortunately, in compensation for the delay, a free piece of parodic pizza (a piece of tortilla + a little cheese) and 0.5 cola or water. The bus took us to the field and …. The luggage that we checked in at the counter is on the field. The nervous steward explains, it's for your safety, take each of your luggage and put it on the cart. So, they say, they will not be able to throw an extraneous bag. Okay, but not everyone can put luggage on a mountain of suitcases. The negative is gradually accumulating, the flight attendants are unprofessional and slightly rude, a hard landing. Taxied, waiting for 5.7, 8 minutes, they can’t roll up the “gut”, the cap apologizes for the services of Boryspil, why apologize there - we are in the Motherland.