Diving in the Red Sea

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17th November 2002

As I sit outside my room on my first evening in the Camel Dive Club Hotel I await the new adventure of diving and being by myself in Egypt.

The evening is warm a cool 25c the pool is lit and looks warm and inviting, still and deep. It’s a busy place with lots going on all around.

On my visit out in to the streets looking to see what there is to do I finally stated talking to Hamad a salesman of course I went to dinner in a nice but quite seafood restaurant good food, it was pleasant chatting and finding out more about the place, about Egyptian life and the way he works. (I know I’ll laugh at this when I read it next as I don’t know the names of anything yet!) First meal cost 31LE (Egyptian pounds) which is about £10 ukp, there was no alcohol as it is Ramadam, fasting during the day light hours, not around to eat or drink anything until 5pm, then they just go silly, but still no alcohol!! I bought a bottle of Wood Rum to tigh me over. Few can’s of coke too! Any how Hamad then took me down to his shop to try and sell me some pictures of the special paper which I can’t remember the name of after drinking a cup of Egyptian tea, which was very nice and smoking a strawberry blow bubble pipe. I looked through the pictures I picked out 4 that I liked, he first offered them for 400 LE (£60), and with me who’s got the complete week ahead and only £300 to spend I did not want to spend my money on the first night, and I don’t have my Visa as a safety net, (another story), any how he wanted me to take them away with me I said no I’ll be back on Friday we haggled a bit more down to 350LE, but I still wanted to wait until Friday. So there it lay he will wait until Friday.

I enjoyed the blow pipe and will buy one to take home also the pictures too. I left him 50 LE to cover the cost of the meal and for his time. When I left he want to find another punter or should I say mug!! Sorry tourist.

So what am I wanting from this holiday, well to finish Harry Potter so as I can watch the film when I get home, to be by myself and enjoy myself. Oh and of course go diving in the Red Sea, not sure what to expect, everyone has told me it’s great. I can’t wait. I’ve got 5 days of diving, and I’ll be doing my Advanced Open Water Dives too. Steve my mate from LCD has loaned me his dive computer. Thanks Steve he’s a god send. This will make the diving much safer.

I was thinking on my way over that Thomas is of an age to come on adventures with me, perhaps I’ll ask him one day (he’s 14)

Second glass of Rum and it’s hitting my head, woops.

Going to check out the night-life tonight, see what’s happening and what’s about, Salsa dancing I hope?

It’s very beautiful here and I really glad I booked this holiday, as nervous as I was, and still am.

There appears to be lots of couples, but I’m sure I will meet up with people on the dive tomorrow, perhaps find a friend or two who are here to enjoy themselves too.

Lets see if I can keep this diary up and write as I go along!!

Day one - 18th November 2002

First day of real diving, after a night out dancing in the Hard Rock café until 2am, it was the first time I have ever been in a club by myself and just wanted to dance, great fun. Funny watching the men dancing and trying to pick up girls and failing badly. Only problem I had was like always after dancing I can’t slow down so got to sleep at 4am. Up at 7.30, breakfast then signed in for todays diving.

Took a coach to the dive site as our jetty was closed.

Went aboard "Dream Sea" and sailed to Ras Katy, dived to 14.7 meter, thanks to the dive computer. Very good enjoyable but unsure and may be a little disappointed as there where lots of divers and not too many fish. But saying that I did get to see Rusty Parrot Fish, Clown Fish, Lion Fish & Humpbacked Scorpion fish just to name a few…!

The second dive however was great, out of this world, The Tower 23.1 meters, it was a cliff dive where you could not see the bottom, got to see a Blue Spotted Stingray. I got very excited as the number of fish swimming around me hundreds and thousands of them. An unbelievable dive .

Lunch on the boat was good too. I budded up with Andrew, a lawyer from London. Need I say any more.

I’ve opted to do the advanced open water course for the next two days, going to be with Olivia and Michelle. So I’ve got to study tonight and I madly writing my diary as it’s going to be a late night head tucked in to a book.

Scott our dive master is a good laugh and good to be with. Victoria and Michealle from Sweden are staying at my hotel and on my boat nice couple too.

Had a quick drink on the water front bar full moon on the sea very pretty.

Must dash got to study and eat…!

Day ?? - 19th November 2002

19th November from what I can remember?

Great day diving deep dive 30m it was fun not just the dive but the people too. Got to see the Ele and also do navigation without getting lost. Olivia was sick underwater woops, any how after diving with instructor Andrew Slater, was a good laugh, we all had a drink, well a few, smoked with John, woops, them showered and out again drinking then food. Back to roof top bar, more drinking and two Shish’s to smoke, great American guy, US Navy and two swedish, boy and girl also Helen and her boy friend.

Any how meant to be studying tonight for tomorrow, woops, I seem to have forgotten that one. Lots of stars out tonight. A few to drink as you might have gathered I’d better get off to bed as it’s midnight and got another long day tomorrow, so night night, got to write those postcards before I leave…!

20th November 2002

Great diving, Shark Reef, out with class and instructor and it’s 12.30, got to be up at 4.15 to go to wreck, so night night, hick up…!

21st November 2002

Another long day, after the past two days on the Advanced Course and not having time to rest it was nice to go to the Thistlegorm Wreck, a 4 hour boat trip leaving at 5am from the dock.

A great dive, one around the outside which was great it is very large and its like stepping back in time, it’s like the bomb hit the ship yesterday. The second dive took us inside the ship old BSA motorbikes, trucks, trains, wellington boots, cables, guns all frozen in time. On the way back up the dive computer went in to decompression not sure why as I dived the same as everyone else.

The trip out was wonderful I took a large blanket to keep warm, after watching the sunrise while out at sea it was wonderful I went to sleep, waking up for breakfast and then it was time for the two dives.

Yesterday while drift diving on Shark Reef I saw a green turtle in the deep blue it must have been 5 feet long, a wonderful site under water.

Went out with everyone last night as the photo will show you, great crowd and a good laugh. Andrew the dive instructor was great very relaxed and enjoyable.

I keep jumping around I know this is because I have so much to say about everything going on.

Finally got my suntan today, at last, a tan for December and just before the Salsa weekend in Pontins too.

I’m off to the Thursday night cub tonight, or should I say the morning as it 12.30 and I’ve just finished my Pasta.

Written all my postcards and just need to send them off.

Last day of diving tomorrow of the Terrain, it’ll be nice to finish diving and just take it easy for a couple of days. Hoping to go on a night dive tomorrow all being well.

There are a lot of Russians and Italians here. The Russian women get dressed up and strut the walk way with their men on their arm, quite funny. Must go now my pasta was finished long ago and I can hear the music calling me.

23rd November 2002

Well miss writing in the diary last night so I’d better catch up as I’ve been busy, three dives on my last day and one being a night dive, drinking and dancing until 4am, beach, sunbathing, Camel ride and shopping all to get in this one.

The three dives on Friday where to Tirian, the two dives were told that there might be some hammerheads around in the deep blue, so on the second dive we swam out in to the deep blue at 18m and nothing for 20 minutes except deep blue water.

Did some swimming around the boat just after lunch which was fun also dived in from the top of the boat forgetting to do my trunks up and yep you guessed it they came down, with everyone watching, I was showing of my white bum you see.

The last dive was a night dive with Scott, Victoria and Michella, this was an unbelievable dive and the best of all dives, watch the Lion fish eat the smaller fish when you shone the torch on them, got to see erchinchins, baby octopus, squid and a Napoleon which as 2m long 1m high but only 4 inches wide, unbelievable. Lots to see also turned off the torches to see the florescent plankton move around you was just great. Even Scott said how good the dive was.

The evening we all spent in the Camel dive bar, drinking & dancing men dancing on the bar with no clothes on, naked, only a baseball cap to cover up.

Got kicked out of the bar at 1am and went on to the Rock Café were we all danced until 4am and again we got kicked out.

Saturday was going to be a relaxing day by the beach taking it easy and it was, I booked myself on to a camel ride at sunset, spent most of the day on the beach, snorkelling and taking it easy, finished Harry Potter, listened to music and general chilled out.

Went shopping to buy all my presents, got everything in one shop lots of bartering and got it all at a good price.

It’s the last night and I’m read to go out for the evening, not sure what’s happening tonight but I’m sure I’ll find someone to drink and may be dance with.

Bumped in to Olivia and she has been to the Doctors on Oxygen as her fingers were tingling she looked very worried. I’ll have to keep an eye out for her on the plane tomorrow.

Oh one last thing the maid left the towel in the shape of a love heart on the bed today how sweet!

Over all the holiday was great, enjoyed it very much, would I go again, yes, but not every year

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