Walking through Hurghada

Hurghada and its surrounds are full of contrasts – massive riches and beauty live directly alongside desperate poverty, squalour and rubble.

One day we walked from our lovely enclosed villa complex with its pool that was much too cold to swim in, to the marina at the luxury Marriot Hotel.

One of the first things to notice is that there are so many buildings that are only half built. Something to do with the laws that means one has to build on land in order to own it, but then the building is left unfinished and can sit there like that for years.

Some buildings were being worked on and I was fascinated by the medieval looking scaffolding on which men were walking around carrying buckets of stuff with them, no harnesses or safety equipment at all.

I could not take a photo of the men as if you show any interest at all in anything you are at once pounced on for money or people trying to sell you something – there is no possibility for relaxed window-shopping here!On finished buildings some of the details are quite beautiful

Even the paving, although rickety and often dangerous has pretty elements of design

You had to keep your eyes to the ground as suddenly there could be a few inches of metal pipe sticking up through the pavement for no apparent reason.

Palm tree street lights looked fun!

and the occasional majestic statue.