Before I came to Dahab, I was traveling. Now, I am on vacation. If you ever have a spare $1,000 lying around, you cannot go wrong spending it on a flight to Egypt, if ONLY to visit this generously-termed "beach resort" on the Sinai peninsula. I do nothing here except snorkel, eat, and fend off local men.

I walk off the short, ugly, painfully rocky, and sometimes garbage-strewn "beach" into the water, and in seconds fish are milling about my ankles. To avoid harming the reef, I plunge in when the water is knee-high to swim the rest of the way. I pass the drop-off, where the water is too blue to be real. My heart races every time I hover between the reef and the big, empty space. I have snorkeled in Thailand, the Caribbean, and Hawaii, and have never seen water so shockingly clear and marine life in such density. The water is so salty, it seems impossible to sink, adding a layer of weirdness to the beauty.

It seems few tourists give the Blue Lagoon a try, as there are more activities up near our hotels. But at the end of either a 7-minute jeep ride bumpy enough to loosen fillings or a 20-minute walk across sand in scorching sun is sparkling water in three shades of blue. The locals refer to this spot as the "sandy" beach. It's amazing that with all these deserts around, people do not seem to understand what sand is. I hop across the small rocks and plunge into the bath. Swimming here is wonderful: the bottom drops out quickly, the waves are small, and I don't have to worry about touching coral. Just staring at the blueness of it all is entertainment aplenty.

Restaurants in Dahab don't seem to care whether or not you order. Seating areas are Bedouin-style, with low cushions and tables at knee-height. Flop in, flop out, stay in the sun or find some shade...the waiters are getting paid whether you eat or sleep, and hey, they like lounging about, too. I find myself dropping into one restaurant for breakfast, crawling dazedly several feet to another for a milkshake, and then struggling mightily in the desert heat to another down the road for a fresh juice. Whew! That's a full Dahab day right there if you include a nap.

Even the touts are relaxed here. In mainland Egypt, if I refuse a taxi, alabaster pyramid, perfume oil, whatever, touts will follow for a while saying, "Are you sure? Are you sure? Just come look. Look for free!" Here, I say no and they say, "Ehhh, okay." And go back to loafing.

People try to convince me to climb Mt. Sinai or visit the desert. Words ... meaningless ... can't ... move eyes .... from blue water ... are you talking to me? While I can certainly see the benefits of climbing the mountain, I just can't seem to get off this cushion today. Or yesterday. Probably not tomorrow. Hey, as long as you're walking away, fetch me a banana milkshake, okay?

People try to convince me to try diving. I try to explain that it's more than the financial issue, although, let's face it: even though this is a bargain destination for getting certified, diving will never be as cheap as... not diving. It's just that snorkeling is so easy. Not just technically easy, but the fact that I can be napping in a restaurant and then idly fall into the water and then beach myself on the cushions again, it's irresistible.

Life is sweet in Dahab. Sweet and creamy. Must find a way to slack here full-time...

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