If the way my head feels this morning is any indication of how the party went then from what I can remember it was a great night!
I had heard so many stories about nothing being ready but the place was packed with people, two stages with great live bands and most bars and restaurants open. Not much sign of life in the apartments above apart from just a few.
My friend from El Gouna and I started off by inviting ourselves onto one of the ridiculously expensive private motor yachts and taking photos of ourselves on the upper deck in the jacuzzi and next to the toys (big jet ski and motorbike). We then enjoyed some drinks at the Lodge (?) I think it was. Having stopped enroute to Hurghada at a friends villa for some enormous sundowners everything was a bit of a blur.
We went to Papas bar where the paint on the toilet door was still wet but no signs. The bar guys were working flat out but never lost their sense of humour. By the end of the night there was only one toilet working and no clue which was ladies or gents just the queue outside each.
Great firework display and I hope nothing hot landed on the nice boats!
I eventually managed to find Lyndsay after many phone calls trying to shout over the live bands and describe where we each were. It was great to meet you and I wish you all the best with everything.
Our drive was not available to take us home (now around 3am I think) so we braved the mass of taxi drivers waiting at the gate. Agreed a price of LE50 to El Gouna and was then shown a private car. Stopped enroute for a phone card, dropped off my friend and then the driver took me home. Gave him the LE50 note which he then gave back to me saying no this is small money and showed me a 50 piaster note. For a few seconds I nearly fell for this trick and remembered I had been holding the LE50 note all the way from Hurghada was there was no doubt in my mind. I told him that I lived here and was not a tourist who is going to fall for something like that.
Telling my friend the story this morning she then realised she had given him a LE100 note for the phone card and he had given her back a LE10 saying she had given him small money by mistake. She gave him another LE100. On checking her purse this morning she had given him 2 LE100 notes. Ooops.
Take care out there, especially when you have been drinking all night!!!
Hopefully someone took some shots of everything before it got dark.