Two Qualified Open Water Divers

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For the final day of the course, Aman is taking us to a different dive site. Our first option was to be a place called “Blue Hole” and “The Canyon” but account of rough wave conditions, we are instead heading to a site “Eel Garden”, near as series of Bedouin camps.

This area has tourist two, but is a more casual arrangement of tents by the seashore. Small restaurants mark each of the camps. We set up our gear along the side of one of these restaurants, and head off to dive.

There is considerably more reef here and you have to be careful where you get in as to not hurt the coral. We head into deeper water to repeat some of our shallow water exercises, but Benjamin's ears are not clearing today (equalizing as we dive deeper) and he heads back to shore to take a break. This isn't a problem as we have already done all the exercises for the course and today is simply more practice.

I continue to work with Aman, but find it tricky in the deeper water as I am kneeling on the bottom and looking up hill as he gives instructions, causing water to enter my mask constantly. In the end I am able to do all the exercises, but it is a challenging half hour.

When we get out, we meet up with Benjamin again and have lunch. Aman gives us the choice of doing the exam now or later, back at the hotel. We opt to do it now and end up getting the exact same mark, crossing the final hurtle.

With our qualifications secure, we have one more very relaxing dive in an area called “Golden Blocks”. Here there are huge coral heads like pedestals that you can swim around, examining from all sides. The experience is breathtaking. I find I finally feel totally comfortable and in control in the water and this is the best dive yet.

After we return to the hotel, Benjamin and I get our temporary licenses and I think are both very happy with what we have accomplished. Evy and I head out the INTERNET place in town and begin to plan our next step: a trip to Petra in Jordan. The ferry ride there from Egypt sounds like hell, and we contemplate whether we should just go via land through Israel. We have dinner at a place called “The Funky Monkey” where they seem especially happy to have tourist and give us business card to hand out to other people. In the evening, we contemplate what our next move will be.

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