Egyptian Excursions- Part II

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So here we are, one year into this global pandemic. Is anyone else ready to be done with this already?! Mask-wearing disputes aside, the past six months of “Covid Times” have seemed dimmer than the first six, at least in terms of my writer’s block. I’m sure the winter blues haven’t helped, especially when I’m used to being warmer places! But I genuinely did intend to publish this blog sooner, and then found my motivation to write absolutely lacking. I guess I’ve found it easier to express myself through media other than written word, but mostly I’ve been upset that this is the last travel story I have to share...at least for now.

I still can’t believe it’s been over a year since my trip to Egypt. I didn’t know then that the world was on the brink of a life-altering, historic event. This prolonged mandatory “grounding” has given me time to reflect on how grateful I am for all the opportunities I have had to jetset and explore. And while my heart aches for distant lands and my travel bug itches to hop on a plane, the strengthening of my roots in one place has offered me equally wonderful, soul-filling blessings. So, like the rest of you, I am practicing patience, and learning to find the balance of work, rest, and play locally. This time has certainly not transpired without its own unique adventures, and maybe some of those will be worth sharing in the future! For now, please enjoy these memories from the second week of my most "recent" trip overseas, and if you’re just tuning in, be sure to check out Part 1 first!




I last left off at the end of a whirlwind week in Cairo spent touring temples, prospecting pyramids, and ambling alleyways. On our last morning in the Egyptian capital city, Christy and I were up at 4:00 AM to meet our tour guide in the hotel lobby and be shuttled off to the bus station. With hardly any traffic on the usually turbulent Cairo streets, we made it to the station quickly and were able to snatch up two of the last remaining seats on the rapidly-filling trip to Hurghada. After a 30-minute delay, we were crammed onto a double-decker bus stuffed with coughing children and cranky, red-eyed adults. The bus puttered towards the dusty outskirts of Cairo just as the city began to rise with the sun. Christy managed to fall asleep instantly, despite the groan of the engine and chatter of our fellow passengers. I used the down time to edit photos from our excursions thus far and daydream about diving into the aquamarine waters of the Red Sea. The hours trickled by as the bus trundled through vast mounds of sand, stretching endlessly in every direction.

Our driver made one pit stop around the halfway point in the middle of nowhere and nothing. We clambered out of the air-conditioned sardine can to find a solitary, buffet-style restaurant and cafe. We squinted against the blinding high-noon rays to confirm that this outpost, gathering more windswept dust than customers, was not merely a mirage. Equipped with our own toilet paper, we ventured inside to use the restroom, and spent the remaining time identifying birds and counting grains of sand. The road continued south, gradually meeting the coastline and offering us our first glimpse at the sparkling teal waters of the Red Sea. The highway hugged the coast and the bus chugged onward through bleak stretches of dunes sprinkled with the occasional pop-up resort. During the final leg of the trip we made acquaintances with a few neighboring passengers, who upon finding out our nationality asked wildly honest questions about how a Crayola-toned individual could possibly become the leader of such a powerful country. We had some good laughs. Finally, seven hours after departing Cairo, we arrived at the oceanside city of Hurghada.

Christy and I avoided the mobs of aggressive taxi drivers at the bus station with a polite “la, shukran” (no, thank you) and ordered an uber with the help of our handy dandy SIM card. Our driver brought us to our accommodation of choice, The 4 Seasons Hotel. Before you go getting your feathers ruffled, please note this was a clever name for a glorified hostel, where we secured a private double room with balcony at a whopping $12 USD for the night. As budget backpackers, we weren’t upset by the firm mattresses and warm mini-fridge, because the tile floors and ocean breeze made us feel right at home. Once settled into the space, we headed back downstairs to explore the city, but instead were greeted by the owner and his son, who invited us to join them for lunch. Though the English conversation was limited, the traditional meal was delicious! We each took a few scoops of the various bean-based dishes with pita, and when the meal was complete we scurried along on our way.

Hurghada was once a booming vacation destination, overflowing with foreign tourists and nationals on holiday. But the 2011 Egyptian revolution brought tourism in the country to a grinding halt, forcing many of the locally-owned hotels, restaurants, bars, and shops to shut their doors for good. We wandered, somewhat aimlessly, down the vacant streets, passing several dusty, long-abandoned nightclubs wearing “For Sale” signs. Enticed by the sparkling sea, we followed the coast scouting for a potential snorkel spot, only to be disappointed to find all beach access gobbled up by the greedy resorts *ahem Hilton ahem*. After over an hour of walking, our appetites got the best of us and we settled on an English-style pub playing football (the proper kind, aka soccer) on flatscreen TV’s. We ordered meals and mango smoothies while enjoying Ed Sheeran crooning over the speakers. As beach time was no longer on the agenda, we lounged on the couch and recounted our Cairo memories for a while before returning to roam the streets. Within this time a very strong sea breeze had kicked up, and we laughed as it whipped my gaucho pants around like a parachute. Sadly, I could not get the video to upload here, but I assure you it was hilarious. Carrying onward into the wind, we longingly admired the sunset through chain link fences surrounding each beachfront property, knowing we would have unobstructed views the remainder of the week. Back at the hostel we sat at one of the booth tables in the lobby and perused fish ID charts, psyching each other out about what curious creatures we anticipated seeing. The owner joined us with extra cups to share his evening tea; yet more of the unparalleled Egyptian hospitality. As the day wound down, we made one last outing to the shop next door to restock on snacks and supplies before our pending adventure.

On day six in Egypt, Christy and I awoke to sun pouring in through the balcony doors. Excited to finally be heading to our liveaboard boat, we packed up our bags and scrambled down to the lobby for a complimentary breakfast of hard boiled eggs, rock-solid rolls with butter, and more tea. Much to our surprise, a rogue Steve Crosby stumbled through the hostel door, fresh off a (long-delayed) flight from England. Steve and I worked together at Roctopus Dive in Koh Tao, Thailand, and as my mentor for the divemaster course, I owe much of my development as a dive professional to his knowledge, skills, and patience. Introductions were made and he joined us for tea and stories about his own experiences from his (then) current job in Hurghada. With a few hours to idle before our shuttle onward to Port Ghalib, we checked out of the hostel, stashed our bags at the front desk, and hopped in a taxi to the glorious Hurghada Marina. Christy and I drooled over pier after pier of luxury sailboats, yachts, day trippers, and liveaboards. One by one the sleepy marina restaurants sprang back to life and we snagged a couch booth at Stone Bar for lunch appetizers and whiskey drinks. Steve and I recounted laughs and tears from Koh Tao, and Christy picked Steve’s brain for intel on our upcoming trip. After one final round, we said goodbyes and headed back for our bags, giddy with anticipation. The shuttle picked us up across the street, and after a few stops to scoop up five soon-to-be dive buddies, our van hurtled southbound through the foreboding wind gusts.

Three nerve-wracking hours later, our group arrived safely at the Port Ghalib marina and the crew shuffled us aboard our magnificent home for the next week, M/V Heaven Saphir. Before even making it inside, the crew prompted us to set up our gear on the stern dive deck, to ensure we had everything working properly before heading to sea. We were ushered into the saloon to finish signing the required paperwork, before being escorted to our room. Down the spiral stairs and at the far end of the narrow hall, we squeezed into our quaint portside bow bunk. While we discovered that this room was one of the smallest on the ship, the bonus was that our bathroom extended into the bow and, therefore, had about twice the square footage, so plenty of real estate for drying bathing suits and towels! When all passengers had arrived, the group was called into the saloon for safety briefings and introductions. The crew consisted of our incredible dive guides, Tarek and Kareem, the talented chef and sous-chef, Sayed and Yasur, saloon stars, Sammy and Kareem, hard-working ship mechanic, Abdul, the playful deckhands, Mustafa, Mohammed, Ahmed, and Fahid, and last, but definitely not least, fearless Captain Sayed. Our 18-person dive squad was comprised of newly married couple, David and Terry (Canada), lifelong friends, Jan and Thomas (Germany), world-traveling photographers, Mike and Chris (New York), fellow female backpackers, Eileen and Monica (California), and a rowdy dive club, Alex, Olga, Jane, Oxana, James, Serge, Andre, and Yvgeny (Russia).

While the excitement on board was palpable, Christy and I were eager to use our land legs one last time before being confined to the boat, so we joined Eileen and Monica for a stroll through the port micro-city. Port Ghalib marina consisted of a large, empty resort, several souvenirs shops, and a row of restaurants and bars along the waterfront. The pier was lined by dive boats buzzing with guests heading out to or just returning from the Red Sea. The four of us headed back to Heaven Saphir for dinner and got acquainted with more of our new boat family. The diversity of dive backgrounds and experience was astounding, from one guest doing their Open Water certification onboard to a pair of buddies who have dived on all seven continents. What was most evident was the scuba enthusiasm shared by all present. When the adrenaline rush subsided, guests began to retreat to various corners of the boat to prepare for the journey ahead. Christy and I eventually returned to the room and crawled into our bunks, letting the gently rolling waves lull us to sleep.

The next morning everyone assembled in the saloon for breakfast. Platters of eggs, meats, and cheese appeared on the tables before us; baskets of bread, packets of yogurt, and bowls of fruit filled every inch of available space. Kareem and Sammy came around with juice pitchers and coffee pots, making sure our rations were restocked until we had no room left for another bite. Stuffed to the gills and ready to soak up sun and sea, Christy and I headed to the bow just as Captain got clearance from port authority to set sail. Wind whipping through our hair, we squealed with delight as Heaven Saphir cleared the marina jetties and chugged south to our first dive site.

Our first destination, Marsa Shouna, was less than an hour away, in a protected bay along the shore. Our mob was split into two dive groups: Team Europe guided by Kareem, and Team North America guided by Tarek. This was not meant to segregate us, the numbers just happened to divide evenly this way and allowed the guides to brief us in our native language (most Egyptians working in tourism speak at least three languages, with English and Russian being the two most prominent). After a thorough briefing of the site topography, conditions, and potential wildlife sightings, our teams geared up and entered the water in succession. Zipped into our full-length 3mm wetsuits and wearing a measly 6 kg (13 lbs), Christy and I did our buddy checks and skipped to the back platform. Our vigilant deckhands helped us secure our fins and then we took our first giant stride into the breathtaking Red Sea. Instantly enveloped by 26°C (~78°F) water with 20 m (60ft) visibility, I was in love at first splash. My last tropical dive was in Thailand, June of 2016, so this was a sweet treat after working in the turbid, temperate waters of Southern California all year. When Team NA was finally congregated on the surface, we followed Tarek into the blue, slowly submerging to find an enclosed bay bounded by rock ledges with a white sand bottom. We followed the wall in one direction, encountering schools of flame-orange anthias, clusters of unicorn tangs, pufferfish, wrasses, and triggerfish, a stray trumpet fish, a lone pipefish, and a few blue-spotted stingrays. Christmas-tree and feather duster worms popped in and out of their tube homes, giant clams flashed their brilliantly colored mantles, and gobies guarded the entrances of their burrows while their mutualistic roomies, poorly-sighted pistol shrimp, bulldozed sand out of the tunnel. Staying within time and air consumption guidelines, Tarek turned us around halfway and we followed the wall back to the lagoon, noticing new organisms with the change of perspective. At the end of the dive, our group was buzzing with delight at the volume and diversity of life seen!

Back on deck, we were greeted with strawberry smoothies and fresh towels. Everyone was expected to dry off during surface intervals; even though the water was warm, the wind above sea level quickly wicks vital body heat. We refueled with tea and snacks in the saloon then curled up in bean bag chairs in the sunshine on the upper deck. As we shuttled to our second site, I perused the trusty critter ID book, amazed by how many different species were present in one location. Shortly enough the boat moored up next to several others at Abu Dabab for our second and final dive of the day. After another briefing, the teams swapped order of entry, and Team NA had the fortune of being last in (and therefore last out of) the water. This site varied dramatically from the first, with a large caldera-like bowl in the center of towering coral bommies. The focal point of this crater was a small shipwreck, a former dive boat that succumbed to fire. A sleepy turtle napped under the broken beams as the afternoon rays twinkled down through the water column. We circled the wreck, snapping photos and avoiding the other groups flocking the area. As planned, Christy and I eventually fell behind, taking in the site at a slower pace. Dusk began to creep over the reef, and parrotfish started to seek refuge for the night, while red anemones unfurled their venomous arms to feast on the evening plankton buffet. Several times one of us would catch the other in absolute awe, hovering in complete captivation to observe a feeding fish, hiding invertebrate, or the general seascape. When our hour was up- and yes we waited until minute 57 to begin our required 3 minute safety stop- we surfaced and smiled the biggest smiles of the trip yet. “Heaven” indeed.

The remainder of the week flew by in a blur of exquisite diving, endless sunshine, curious creature identification, and rotating conversations about work, life, and the pursuit of dive happiness. Being a guest on a liveaboard was such a uniquely opposing experience to working on one, and I was thrilled to be immersed in the cycle of eat, dive, ID, repeat. Days began and ended with bubble production, and nights were spent recounting dive laughs, horrors, and dreams. Underwater, every site offered a first-time experience or wildlife sighting, and I seemed to enjoy each new spot more than the last. Above water, we indulged in gourmet, family-style meals, basked on the decks, and bonded with the other passengers and crew. We glided over plateaus and pinnacles, caverns and swim-throughs, coral gardens and seagrass beds. We explored at first light and last light, and every light in between. We marveled at groupers and snappers, eels and turtles, scorpionfish and lionfish. We spotted blennies and dottybacks, lizardfish and butterflyfish, nudibranchs and flatworms. I danced with feather stars, startled an octopus, and followed an ever-elusive oceanic white tip shark. Other viewing highlights include but are certinily not limited to: great barracuda, napoleon wrasse, clusters of pulsating xenids, yellowfin tuna, blue blanquillos, massive gorgonians, saltwater betas, and dozens of endemic (native) species. I also had the best night dive of my life, with calm waters and 30 m (100 ft) visibility bringing out free-swimming morays, feeding basket stars, and egg-laying Spanish Dancers bigger than my hand. Each of my 16 logged dives contains a list of unique critter identifications; it spans 8 pages in my journal. To say this is the most pristine and biodiverse region I’ve ever been diving would be a dramatic understatement.

After six days at sea, it was time to make our way back to Port Ghalib. We were not ready to say goodbye to the Red Sea and our beloved dive dynasty. I already missed the mischievous pranks of the deckhands, the beanbag chair naps, and the end-of-day photo slideshows from Mike and Chris. I already longed for more species to look up, more sunrise coffees on deck, and more booming laughter from the Russians guzzling vodka under the stars. Heck, I’d even take another round of projectile seasickness (thank you meatball dinner on the rockiest night at sea) to stay just a little longer on Heaven Saphir. I did think about joining the crew, but made the “responsible” choice of returning to the “real world”. Ew, adulting….ew.

Finally we arrived at the marina and reconnected our feet with solid earth. It took a while to adjust to the lack of sway, as my freshly returned sea legs felt deceivingly useless on land. I had the fortune of running into my buddy Steve for one more bittersweet goodbye before he set out to sea. Then Christy and I joined Monica and Eileen on the bow deck for a sunset yoga flow before dinner. Our final meal on board was full of reflection, personal information exchanges, and celebration. The chef even prepared a surprise cake in honor of my 300th dive; I’m sure it was already on the menu, but the entire boat applauded and prompted me to pose for photos. My heart still swells with love as I write about it! We wound down the evening with a few boisterous rounds of Uno and lots of hugs for the people heading out on red-eye flights. The following morning the remaining guests squeezed into one booth for breakfast and then begrudgingly piled into the van with our luggage to scream back across the desert to Hurghada.

Out of comfort, Christy and I checked back into The 4 Seasons for our final night in Egypt. Since there wasn't much to do in town, we found an outdoor cafe where we could sit in the sun and order kebabs and mango smoothies. Once refueled, we putzed around the souvenir shops, picking out postcards, trinkets, and spices to bring home to loved ones. As the sun began to sink, we popped into a cozy bar in the marina and enjoyed our last (and also first) beers of the trip while reminiscing on the good, the bad, and the beautiful. That evening we reluctantly packed up our suitcases and attempted to sneak in a little shut eye before our 2:00 AM alarm. We caught our last Uber from a lovely older gentleman who blared Whitney Houston the entire way to the airport, and tipped him the remainder of our Egyptian pounds. At last, we traced our steps backwards via plane from Hurghada to Cairo, then on to New York where we diverged paths for flights back to our opposite ends of California. Thirty six hours later, the adventure of a lifetime was finally over, but the memories will be cherished forever. And ever.



Not much shorter than the last blog, so if you made it through both, treat yourself to a cookie! Or better yet, a mango smoothie 😊 Thank you for your time and support, I’m hoping to have more amazing travels to share with you all in the near future. Until then stay safe, explore locally, and wash your hands! Shukran

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Photos

Toll Plaza
Highway 65, Egypt

Blinded by the light
Me and Christy, Middle of Nowhere and Nothing, Egypt

The 4 Seasons
Hurghada, Egypt

My favorite balcony
Hurghada, Egypt

Heaven Saphir liveaboard
Port Ghalib, Egypt

The bunk
Heaven Saphir

Scuba smiles
Somewhere in the Red Sea, Egypt

School of orange anthias
Pseudanthias squamipinnis

Huge coral bommie
Abu Galawa Soraya dive site, me for scale.

Slot canyons
Paradise Reef

Moray among fire coral
Gymnothorax javanicus and Millepora sp. Big Gota, St. John's

Spinose feather star
Colobometra perspinosa

Spanish Dancer
Hexabranchus sanguineus. Night dive at Paradise Reef.

Canyons at Paradise Reef
Aglaophenia sp. colonial hydriod corals

Dive #300
Elphinstone dive site

Porthole
The most exciting feature of the bathroom!

Wreck at Abu Dabab
Me for scale.

Wreck with sleeping turtle
Abu Dabab dive site