Dahab Diving

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Our trip out to dive in the Red Sea was actually termed a "diving safari." It was to Ras Abu Gallum Protectorate. There are no roads to it so we took camels. Yes, camels. I can honestly say that I never, ever pictured riding through the desert on a camel carrying dive equipment. I wish I could describe what it feels like climbing up on top of a camel and holding on for dear life as it gets up - first you go flying backwards and then flying forwards. I found it quite comfortable sitting on top of one as it swayed side to side, but Shane told me it was quite excruiciating after awhile for his family jewels to be squashed into the wooden post strategically placed in your crotch... I always said it was better to be a girl.

My camel had a mind of its own and always wanted to pass the other camels and lead the pack while Shane had a lamo camel who was really show and at one point actually fell and sent Shane flying forward. Luckily he had a death grip on his wooden post saddle thing-a-ma-giggy (yes, that is the technical term) but he was a little afraid after that (despite his protests to the opposite). The trip was mostly on camel although we had to walk for short distances a couple of times when the trail was trecherous and narrow. The trip itself took an hour and a half each way.

We went with an outfit called Deep Blue Sea Divers. Our divemaster was Ayman. A couple of young guys joined us on our "safari." One was Harry who was from Meixo (and had just spent the past three months travelling through India and the Middle East) and Luis from Hungary who had spent five weeks in Egypt. Wish we had pictures of the amazing colourful fish and coral we saw. Shane and I have to invest in an underwater camera. Oh well. You'll have to enjoy our camel pictures instead.

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Photos

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We drove by jeep to this little spot out of town before setting off by camel to our diving spot.

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Loading up the camels with diving equipment.

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We walked a short distance on the rougher parts of the trail at the beginning.

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Shane on a camel... Not quite the shining knight on a white stallion.

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The Bedouin village in the protectorate where we stopped to dive.

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Landscape around the Bedouin village. The camels were everywhere.

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Our own little Bedouin hut where we rested and ate between dives. Ack! I just realized that that's me on the table sleeping in my wetsuit after our first dive. I'd better not hear any butt jokes.

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Me on a camel. As you can see, Shane's skills at focusing a camera are inferior to my own.

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On the way back to Dahab. Okay, I have to give the credit of the beautiful picture to my husband - he can focus the camera after all.