Dahab

Yes, I am fine!

I spent the past four days or so in Dahab, but we left several hours before the bombs went off. I heard the news from the bus while somewhere in the middle of the desert. It is horrific.

Several place in Sinai (Sharm and Taba) have been hit by terrorist attacks in past years, but most still consider it "safe" to vacation there. Dahab is a fairly small town, visited more by backpackers than those wanting to go to a resort. Nearly everything is located along the boardwalk, including the sites of the explosions. I took this picture yesterday afternoon; to the left, just out of view, is a restaurant that no longer exists and behind where I am standing is a grocery store that no longer exists. All the news isn't in yet, but early accounts are suggesting 20-30 dead. Full story here.

It is strange to go through this experience again--the emotions are the same as when I was in Israel, but the perspective is different. You feel grateful to be alive, angry at the attackers, concerned for your friends, and devastated for those who lost their lives. But in Israel/Palestine, each side knows its opposition and it's pretty clear that each side perpetrates crimes against the other. [I am not condoning either--I was afraid for my life while living in Israel, but I recognize the helplessness and desperation felt by Palestinians at having their land occupied and their lives upturned.] In Dahab, it's neither clear who is carrying out the attacks, nor is their target precise. It is a more generalized form of terror, closer to 9/11 or the Madrid or London bombings. And there is nowhere to go to escape it.