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Neil Bush Family Visits El Gouna
From left to right, Kenneth Leonard, Ashley Bush, Neil Bush, Hamza El Khouli,
Pierce Bush pose in front of El Gouna's Sheraton Miramar Hotel
Hazel Heyer interviews the US President’s
brother, Neil Bush, who recently vacationed in El Gouna with his
family. This article originally appeared in the June 2001 issue of
the magazine, El Gouna. Learn more about the El Gouna Holiday
Destination at http://www.elgouna.com/
In March, at the Egypt International Economic
Forum in Cairo, after a 20-minute presentation by Neil Bush on
Ignite! Learning System, I approached the US president’s brother
and was told, to my surprise, that he and his family would soon be
vacationing on the Red Sea. What a scoop! The son of one US
president (George Bush Sr.) and brother of current US president
(George W. Bush) taking a holiday in El Gouna was not news to be
missed.
Neil Bush has recently initiated a revolutionary
interactive learning tool in the United States, which he calls the
Ignite! Learning System. Ignite! is a computer program designed to
replace classroom textbooks and help teachers teach and students
learn more effectively. In his youth, Neil Bush suffered from
dyslexia, and his 7th grade teachers told his mother,
Barbara Bush, that he would not graduate from high school. Bush
triumphed in his challenge to live with dyslexia, and was inspired
to promote ways of learning such as Ignite! to enable children to
be better educated by methods that help them develop their full
learning potential. Ignite! will be launched in the United States
this summer, actively promoted by members of Neil Bush’s family,
including two of his children, Ashley and Pierce.
On 21 March 2001, together with his family and
Ignite! CEO Kenneth Leonard, Neil Bush arrived in El Gouna aboard
the luxurious private plane owned by his host Hamza El Khouli,
chairman of the First Arabian Development Company.
I set about gathering more about the family’s
itinerary and managed to catch up with Neil just after he emerged
from an exciting ride on a micro-light aircraft. The 46-year-old
younger brother and one-time campaign manager of George W. Bush
enthusiastically praised El Gouna, calling his experience
»unforgettable«.
"Wasn’t that awesome?" said Bush as
he stepped down from the craft. "Pierce and I had a swinging
time on board the plane", he went on, with his hair still
windswept from the flight.
Heyer: How have you liked your stay in this
resort town?
 Bush: We had the best time in Egypt here in El
Gouna. First of all, this is our first visit to Egypt as a family.
My wife Sharon and my daughters have been to Luxor and Cairo, but
never to the Red Sea. We’ve heard so much about the snorkeling
and diving here, so we decided to spend a portion of our trip in
this part of Egypt. I dive, but I’m not a master. My wife has
been diving many times, but this is actually the first time for us
to dive together as family. The best thing is that the kids are
now old enough (the youngest being 12 and the oldest, 16) for us
to do grown-up, adult things together - like the micro-light ride.
We loved seeing the desert, the sea and the resorts from up there.
Heyer: How does the creation of this paradise in
the desert strike you?
Bush: It’s unbelievable. I’ve not seen
anything like this before. I’ve not been to a desert location,
so I don’t have anything to compare this to. But it definitely
projects itself as a huge success – a resort created by Samih
Sawiris with a thoroughly organized, well-planned community
supporting it.
Heyer: What appeals to you most about El Gouna,
and what was your most memorable local experience?
Bush: The architecture here is superb. Michael
Graves’ design, with the play of shapes and vibrant colors, is
incredible. To the senses, this is all visually pleasing, tranquil
and peaceful! As I am a lover of sports, action and adventure, the
highlights of this trip are the scuba diving and the ultra-light
flight.
Heyer: How do you like Egyptian cuisine?
Bush: We had an excellent lunch consisting of
dark ‘cinnamon’ rice, fresh fish and delicious grilled meats.
I enjoy foods of different countries and cultures, although
honestly, I am not a big fish fan.
Heyer: Despite mad cow and foot-and-mouth
disease, do you still eat a meat-filled diet?
Bush: Why not, being Texan, I am a real cowboy,
living on meat. Foot-and-mouth disease only affects livestock and
won’t kill me. It doesn’t worry me a bit.
Heyer: After this talk of good food, what sports
do you play or what do you do for exercise, if anything?
Bush: Well, there are a few things that I enjoy.
I love tennis, jogging and playing basketball with my best guard
on the court, my twelve-year-old beauty Ashley. I try to exercise
at least three to four times a week. I need to keep in shape,
otherwise I tend to slow down and get lazy. My immediate family is
the number one and critical priority in my life. So when I am not
traveling, I spend most of my time with them doing fun stuff.
Heyer: How would you describe your stay here in
El Gouna?
Pierce Bush (Neil's Son): El Gouna is an exhilarating place. I
thoroughly loved every moment of it. My favorite activity was
flying on the ultra-light. I loved scuba diving in such a vibrant
sea, and I liked the great hosts that took us around, and all the
people in El Gouna that treated us with great care. I hope I have
the opportunity to return soon.
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