Dahab, Egypt Bombings

As many of you know, I have been living in Cairo, and I want to set the record straight about the events in Dahab over the last few days. I was not there on the day of the explosions, but I was there the day before and the day after. I first heard about the bombings a few minuites after they happened when a friend outside of Dahab called me in Jordan to see if I was ok, after assuring her that I had come to Jordan for the day to visit Petra, she informed me of the explosions.

What follows is the most detailed account I have been able to gather, which may or maynot agree with what the media has been saying:

Monday:

Just after 7PM, as the restaurants were filling up for dinner, 3 suicide bombers situated themselves at some of the busiest places on the main strip of Dahab. The first explosion happened infront of Alcapone restaurant, (just north of the foot bridge), the second on the south side of the bridge and the last in the street just south of Ghazala market.

Those who were hurt were carried by friends and onlookers away from the blast area and put in the backs of trucks which carried them to hospitals in Dahab and Sharm el-Sheikh. A large number of people in Dahab are trained in emergency first aid because of the diving industry there, and this was very helpful in keeping people alive untill the first ambulances arrived over 20 minutes later.

The driver of the car which brought the bombers to Dahab, switched the license plates before heading south to Sharm el-Sheikh...this is why he was caught. And, the officers at the checkpoint near Sharm found materials used to make the bombs still in the car.

Tuesday:

The people of Dahab, now bombarded by secret police and media, organized a peace rally. Hundreds of men, women and children walked up and down the streets of the city chanting and waving banners of peace. The railings of the bridge, which were significantly damaged in the blasts, were re-built and painted by the end of the day and Ghazala marker was open for business.

That night an eerie silence decended over downtown Dahab. As we ate dinner (a few shops north of the first bomb) we felt like we were whispering our conversation and shops were closing early. As we walked back to our hotel we found a large gathering in the street. It was all the workers and many shop owners from the whole street. They had all come together to help the staff of Alcapone and Aladdin clean up the restaurants and wash the street clean.

It was decided that the two restaurants would open for lunch the next day. We made flyers -"Stand against violence"- inviting people to come and show the world (and all the news cameras) that terrorism doesn't work.

Wednessday:

Early in the morning I walked to the southern half of the city (not hit by any of the blasts). I passed out our flyers and told people what was happening. When I ran out of flyers I returned to the restaurants where everyone was getting ready to open. We did what we could and then went in to the restaurant to wait for people to come. By noon every table was full. The media swarmed around the two restaurants, filming, interviewing and doing live broadcasts out front.

Later that night there was a candlelight vigil all throughout the streets of the city.

Thursday:

Today there was a charity dive - a group dove just in front of the bridge and placed a peace flag on the reef there.

The city mourns but it also rebuilds. A charity barbeque is being organized for the victims families and many tour groups have called to confirm their reservations. Dahab will recover.