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Published: January 1st 2009
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Happy New Year and all my Wishes to all of you. Let's hope 2009 will be as good as 2008!
Welcome to 2009! What a better way to close 2008 than by a little dive trip. The challenge was not that easy this
time...wanted a place where I could depart from Luxembourg between the 26th December and be back on the 2nd January.
A place were I could dive, in a country I hadn't visited yet. My shortlist ended up with Djibouti, Cuba and Oman.
Really want to see Cuba, but seems that at the only great reef, the boats are not equipped at all, and the food is
very very...not there! For Djibouti, great place for whalesharks, but really not easy to reach.
So here I am in Muscat, Oman.
The last few days were amazing. First my 35th birthday celebrations...not only in Vietnam but also a wonderful
party in Shanghai. Thanks a lot to all my friends and specially to my love Ma'ri. That was an amazing long night.
And I'm now the very lucky "user" of a new Ixus from Canon, including the housing, as well as a new BCD and Reg...
yes
I know, all these at once, don't tell me I'm lucky, I just say I know and thanks!
Than on the 22nd, we made our way to Luxembourg with Leslie. Sadly, Ma'ri have to work over these holidays...but
don't worry, we'll be back very very soon for more great trips on this blog. And Tiffany is stuck in Vietnam, nothing
I could do on this. So family Christmas...with the help of skype...and a very happy Leslie. He is now enjoying his
grand-parents before our first trip of the year...coming next entry!
So let's get back to Oman. Made my way through Zurich and a a technical stop in Dubai...yes, was there less than 5 weeks
ago, but this time couldn't even leave the plane. I'm staying at the Oman Dive Center next to Muscat. Basic dive
center with the few small bungalows on the beach...not really Banyan Tree style, so ready to spend as much time as I can
diving.
My first two dives could be named...the "cuttlefish dive" and the "eel dive". Visibility is average at 10 meters.
Water is at 24 degres, so yes I enjoy my 7mm semi-dry suit. The crowd is a mix
of gray hairs brits and germans with
their teens. One great thing about these dives trips is to get more info about some of my next trips...have you heard
of Tofo? We were supposed to get there in 4 weeks, but a little change of plans, so more time for me to gather infos.
My second day was full of surprises, not all of them good. We ended up getting lost with my body on our first dive. The
top of the reef was 22 meters down, low visibility...high current...and us being a little late...when we did surface
after 20 minutes, and having been down to 35 meters...it was to found out that all the other ones saw basically nothing...
beside an eagle ray. So that was a miss. The second dive was really fun. Great visibility...for once...
And than came the surprise. On the way back I learnt the news. On the 29th and 30th...no diving. There is a summit
of Gulf States foreign ministres in Muscat, so no boat can go out...so no diving. But worst, no cars also for most of the
two days, so I'm stuck here...but hey, you know I can be
creative...and here I am booked for the Rescue Diver course.
Have been wanting to do it for more than 18 months...never enough time, or enough other people to join the course...
or in places where I rather dive than sit a course. So this is it...I'll be on my way to Rescue Diver.
Have you heard of the Red Tide? Normally the water around here is a 20-21 degrees around this time of the year.
And this year, it's 24 degrees. Some may say great news...some may say the planet is warming up. The effects are
here smelly. For a month, the warmer water have meant red algea. This is what's reducing the visibility while we dive.
And at low tide, it give a very bad smell to the all area. So for each dive, the dive master have to be creative to
get us out of it. And by the way, to do my rescue dive...I'm going right in it. And on the second day, first dive, the
fishes were there, the architecture of the site was amazing....the visi was just down to 10 meters...could have been
worst!
My third and fourth days were spent in class
and doing dive training for the EFR and Rescue Diver. I've learn a lot...
sweat a little...and really enjoy it. Next goal, to be dive master before Leslie turn 10 years old. Plenty of time for
this!
Fith day, two great dive in the morning, including the Al Munnissar...huge boat sinked there in 2003. The afternoon
was anther story....boat engines collapsed on the way back...and the afternoon dived ended up as a short "night"dive
due to the Red Tide...not great, but hey, cannot also be lucky and the two first dives were really cool.
I've no met for more dives few of my fellow divers...a group of jolly english lads...fun guys to dive with!
So for this First day of 2009...I'm a Rescue Diver...but no dive due to the 24 hours no fly rules before my way
back to Leslie. Ended up renting a car to cruise this no so well-known country.
The aim was toreach Wadi Tiwi 200km South on the coast. A wadi is a canyon which has been dig through the centuries
with the little water that fall in this place.
If first did a little round of Muscat. Cute little city,
but not much as I was not too interested by the city itself.
The road south is pretty amazing. Rocks, mountains and the Sea...Wow. And for 400km, it's only around 6 euros of gas...
that's impressive!
I finally found the entry to Wadi Tiwi. From the it's around a 2 hours walk in this deep canyon. There are few
impressive natural pools on the way. Most of them with pristine waters. Glad I did this walk in the witer...don't even
think I could do it in the Summer....in bright day light.
Made my way back to the hotel for a last diner...and my flight back to Leslie...miss him a lot!
This is the last chapter of 2008...and also the first one of 2009!
2008 have been simply amazing. First, since 1t of April Ma'ri has joined our life...and since then we've built
day by day a wonderful family life. Leslie is growing up faster everyday, and is as much in love with Ma'ri as I am.
For 2009, we all know what will be the focus to come.
Travel wise...well...I know it will be difficult to do better in the future in
a single year...
I dived in Galapagos, Tubbataha, Palau, South Red Sea, Zanzibar, El Nido, Seychelles and finally Muscat...if this is
not a diving year!!!
But on top of that you add up Antartica, Iguacu, Niagara and Victoria Falls, plus rafting the Zambezi, cage viewing
the Great white Sharks in South Africa, ballooning the Serengeti...and finally, the most romantic trip ever in Seychelles...
an you get a full bunch of souvenirs and love!
If only the financial crisis didn't hit...but this we'll deal with also!
See you very soon for the next entry...in a colder place!
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Ma'ri
non-member comment
;)
Great pictures!!! I love you and miss you a lot!!!!!!!!!!!!