Dahab-by Days

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I arrived at Nuweiba port at about 7.30 a.m. after a freezing cold, sleepless ferry journey. I managed to get some Egyptian money, Visa and went looking for a bus to Dahab. Unfortunately I realised that it had gone at 6.30 and there wasnt another one until 10.30. After 2 nights with very little sleep I eventually agreed to get a taxi for 100 LE. As soon as I got to Dahab, I found Penguin Village and pretty much slept for the day and night, getting some food and arranging my diving for the next day.

I started the PADI Open Water Diving Course the next day and finished it 2 days later. Having got the Certificate, I decided to do 2 of the Advanced dives in the Canyon and the Blue Hole. The Blue Hole is very famous because so many people have died at it, which my instructor, Ahmed, was good enough to tell me before I got in. The memorial plaques for the people who have died at the entry point (not the exit point) also did wonders for my nerves. The dives were very enjoyable though and I think most of the people who have died were going down to 80m, I only went down to 30m.

That pretty much sums up anything productive I did in Dahab, even though I spent a week there. The rest of the time was spent chilling out at the Penguin restaurant, mostly, having a few beers and sheesha, without it getting too out of hand. It was very quiet, even for its low season, but there was still enough people around to have the craic with, even with my accent constantly being mocked by certain people!

All the Egyptians that worked at Penguin would join us when their shifts finished and they were all fairly sound too. They let me stick on my iPod on the sound system one night and I was completely self indulgent putting on The Pogues and Luke Kelly. I don't know who was more bemused, the Americans or the Egyptians. It was worth having 'On Raglan Road' blaring out on the Red Sea though.

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