Followers

Thursday 2 August 2007

El Gouna Part 5...............

This is the last report of our recent holiday - What do you mean thank God for that?

Apart from the things I've already told you about the only other activities we took part in were - sunbathing, swimming (well me anyway), a bit of walking, sleeping, eating, drinking and reading. We did a lot of reading, mainly round the pool, inbetween sunbathing, swimming, walking, sleeping, eating and drinking! I actually read 8 (yes 8!) books and started my ninth at the airport on the way home. Here's what I read:


  1. Gravity - Tess Gerritsen
  2. Call After Midnight - Tess Gerritsen
  3. The Broker - John Grisham
  4. The Jester - James Patterson/Andrew Gross
  5. The Blue Zone - Andrew Gross
  6. Ghost Girl - Torey Hayden
  7. Cross Bones - Kathy Reichs
  8. The Operative - Duncan Falconer
  9. The Cold Moon - Jeffery Deaver

I can recommend them all. I finished #9 yesterday and the only reason it took me so long to finish this one is because I've been blogging instead of reading! I've now started the new Harry Potter book.

Back to the holiday. I can thoroughly recommend El Gouna as a relaxing holiday destination. If you want to see the historical sights of Egypt then I recommend you do the Nile Cruise. The Three Corners Ocean View Hotel is superb, we couldn't fault the hotel at all, the rooms were comfortable and clean and I would defy anyone to say they couldn't find something they like on the breakfast, lunch and dinner buffets.

The staff were brilliant, couldn't do enough for you, and they all had a great sense of humour, particularly the cleaning staff! Every couple of days we'd get back to our room to find a different towel sculpture on our bed - I took pictures of them which I've put in a slide show for you. On the day we were coming home I made my own towel sculpture (a skinned chicken) and left it lying on the bed with a tip and a note to the cleaners thanking them for looking after us.

I took a chance not taking a crutch with me on holiday, deciding that I really had to start managing without it. I'm glad I did because my knee has become much stronger and more normal with the exercise of swimming, walking and climbing on and off boats! I think the sun had a lot to do with helping my knee recover too.

All in all we had a wonderful holiday and luckily as it is now school holidays I don't have to go back to work until September - you all hate me don't you???

I'll leave you with the last pictures of our holiday - The Towel Sculptures.


















Read El Gouna Part 1, 2, 3 and 4.

37 comments:

Flowerpot said...

great sculptures!!

lettuce said...

your holiday looks and sounds idyllic, i've enjoyed hearing about it.

those towel sculptures are amazing.

Akelamalu said...

flowerpot they were very amusing!

Akelamalu said...

Aw thanks lettuce, I've tried to spread it out so people don't get bored to tears!

Cream said...

Those sculptures are hilarious, Akela! I love the chicken one.
You must be a fast reader! I only managed one book in four days in Marrakesh: "Steal You Away" by Niccolo Ammaniti.

Akelamalu said...

Glad you like my chicken cream, I can do another one, but it's rude!

I am fast at everything apart from walking - but that's getting faster too! ((wink))

Elaine Denning said...

I can do the other one too, lol.

It's the little things which make all the difference, isn't it?

(By the way, I was talking about the little touches to your room, and NOT the aforementioned rude sculpture!)

buffalodick said...

Some of the places I've stayed I was happy to find a clean towel, much less sculpures!

Akelamalu said...

Yes, you're right missu the little 'things' do make a difference. We'll have to compare notes about the 'sculpture' ((wink))

Akelamalu said...

No clean towels? You're kidding right? Eeewwwwgh!

Around My Kitchen Table said...

Looks like a perfect holiday reading list, although I don't think I could manage NINE books in one holiday! I have just bought The Cold Moon. I love Jeffrey Deaver. Yes, towel sculptures are brilliant - love the water lily!

Akelamalu said...

around my kitchen table
I can recommend The Cold Moon, not ready any others though, I just got bought his brand new one The Sleeping Doll.

HAR said...

Great ! Thanks for sharing :)

Jenny! said...

Towels sculptures! Bad ass! I would try that with mine, but they would just end up looking used!

Dumdad said...

Thanks for sharing your hols. It sounded and looked great. Towel sculptures - what next!

Empress Bee (of the high sea) said...

wonderful trip! i am so glad for you. and honey that's a lot of reading that fast! wow...

smiles, bee

Akelamalu said...

har glad you enjoyed it. :)

Akelamalu said...

LOL there's an art to it alright jenny.

Akelamalu said...

What next indeed dumdad?

Akelamalu said...

I do read fast bee and I wasn't doing anthing else remember. :)

Paul Champagne said...

Love your towel sculptures :)

Leanne said...

your towel sculptures are absolutely fantastic...well done!! hope you had a great holiday. my daughter has just started reading the new harry potter book too, i'll wait for the film i think lol! x

Tammy said...

Enjoyed your slide show, those were cute...
Digging your music today!
:)

Anonymous said...

I like the waterlily best - very pretty.

I have not read ANY of those books - did you buy them to take with you or were they in library at your resort?

I read hundreds of books from hotel/resort libraries but always forget them the instant I finish them. I admire you for remembering them! Or did you write them down?!

Julia Phillips Smith said...

Thanks for posting the Towel Sculpture Slide Show. I loved it! So glad to hear about your knee during the trip, that you left your crutch behind and found you could do very well without it. I had knee surgery about 7 years ago, and I remember making the same decision about leaving the crutches and walking. Go, Akelamalu, go!

katie eggeman said...

What a great vacation! I enjoyed every minute of it....reading that is. I need to take a vacation.

la bellina mammina said...

WOW! the sculptures are cute!! Did seeing the crocodile version freak you out??

I've started on my 5th book, and nowhere near the W&P which is still at page 20!!

Catch said...

The towel sculptures were great! I can make the rude one too....lol...isnt it funny that us gals can make the rude one...lol. I picked up the Cold Moon but didnt buy it....I wasnt sure I would like it....even though I do like him...Ill buy it now! Thanks!

Akelamalu said...

Paul and Leanne I can claim fame for the last towel sculpture was mine, the rest were done by the cleaning staff. :)

Akelamalu said...

Glad you like the music T*mmy x

Akelamalu said...

Belle we took 6 books with us and swapped them as we read them in the hotel library.

Akelamalu said...

It's fantastic to be able to walk again Julia!

RUTH said...

Have read 3,4&7 and enjoyed them immensly. Waiting for Kirsty to finish Harry Potter then I'll see if she'll lend it to her Nan :o)
I love your towel sculptures!...never seen anything like them before.
Great news that your knee is holding up so well! :o)
Rx

Akelamalu said...

So glad you enjoyed it bankerchick :)

Akelamalu said...

The crocodile was a surprise Bella but it made us laugh.

It's going to take you a while to read W&P! :)

Akelamalu said...

Mmmmm, I wonder why that is that we can make the rude one catch? Hope you enjoy The Cold Moon as much as I did.

Akelamalu said...

I'm sure Kirsty will let you borrow Harry Potter Ruth.

As I said before only the chicken towel sculpture was mine, but the others were fantastic.

I can't get over how great my knee is now, I wish I'd insisted on the operation years ago!