Agiba ('Miracle') Beach

Although Chris and I woke early we didn't want to leave before saying goodbye to our hosts, so we waited until 10:30 when Abu Rahmel woke and we could head out. Egyptians are not early birds! We biked further west, again seeing groups of military tanks and guards at random posts along the highway. We just smile and wave.

Some 25 km outside Metruh is Agiba, or Miracle, beach, actually a cove just below another army post. The cove is accessible by a steep staircase where we locked our bikes and took our bags down to the empty white sand pocket. Not exactly sunny weather, it was actually cold and windy, so I bundled up and focused on the beautiful aspects of winter beaches, which remind me of Oregon.

Chris spent his afternoon building a sand monastery along the rocky ridge down by the shore. The series of sand complexes stretched over 5 feet wide; however, a few hours later the sea swallowed it up.

We found a cave along the rocky path outside the cove, a spot somehow sheltered by the strong sea winds. We decided to set up camp there in the natural shelter. A few scraps of wood made for a short and difficult fire, and all our thoughts were drowned out by the rough crashing of waves only a few feet away.

From inside our camping cave at Agiba ('Miracle') Beach

(The only photo from Chris' card...)