At Sharm el-Sheikh’s most famous tourist promenade, a daredevil act by a skilled street performer forced passersby to stop and pay attention.
It was Mahmoud Adel, 30, whose dangerous performances attracted applause from surrounding spectators in Naama Bay.
Adel would lie on a wooden plate riddled with 10-cm nails, encouraging tourists to stand on his body. His performance also included walking on that plate and chewing glass fragments in front of a highly-impressed audience.
“I discovered my special abilities 15 years ago when we were building a new residence in Cairo,” Adel told Al-Masry Al-Youm.
Discovering his special talent, Adel became keen on watching video clips of dangerous performances and later started to think about finding a venue to showcase them.
“I came to Sharm el-Sheikh 12 years ago. Tourists would wait for me every night and pose for photos with me,” he said.
Before the fatal Russian plane crash in Sinai late October, Adel would hold five performances every night, getting LE50 for each. “Since the crash, I hold one or two performances maximum for LE30-LE40.”
Edited translation from Al-Masry Al-Youm
