Hello World 2 -- from Egypt

OK, so I created a blog... not to be doing what the new internet hords are doing, not to keep up with the newest hypes or to be an exhibitionist... I have done this just to be able to share my latest things with you.

Last Friday I returned from Egypt where I spent a bit more than a week on diving, enjoying the sun, and generally being lazy. (which off course is a natural thing for me.) I have had a real good time!

Travel to Egypt went as planned and smooth, we left at 14:25, just a bit late but no worries. Arrival in Hurgharda was 9ish... so on time, but then the real travel started, moving from the airport to my first accomodation somewhere below Marsa Alam a good 3 hours drive, I was told ... later to be discovering that these are Egyptian hours... so I arrived well after midnight at my camp. My suitcase and me were hastily moved to the hut that was prepared for me (mental note: get a new diving bag, I have known for ages suitcases do not work for my kind of traveling.)

... I had barely touched down on my bed when the generator was stopped, and the only small light in the hut was extinghuished. (A thing I would grow accustomed to, over the next view days anyway.)

Lights on (because I did not switch them off) at 5:15. I dozed for a couple of hours and then got out of bed at around 8:00... time to start preparing for the first dive. Today I was supposed to do 2 dives on the location. First for some carefull first lunch and then got my gear ready.

First dive was at 10:08 hrs on Torfa Mekki, somewhere on the house reef of this location. A dive from the Zodiac. It was a good first dive, we did not see many special things but the water was warm, the dive gear had survived the trip intact and I still knew how to dive.



Second dive went just as good... but 3rd dive that day was the best: a nice night dive, starting at the beach of the diving center. We had to hurry a bit, I was diving with my buddy/divemaster/guide, we were alone, but there was a large group of French divers preparing as well...



Second day: better, still .. To Elphinstone; up at 4:15; sleepwalking to the boat... waking up again around 8:00 for some breakfast and preparing for the dive. This was a bit more challenging, deeper, with current etc. but still, one of the good locations to be diving. (compared to my local training pool/puddle in Holland)
We did not spot much of the sharks etc, that are supposed to be here... but I guess we just were not lucky. We had this guy do a swim by, though.

When we returned to shore, I got the message from Henry, that I was supposed to leave... I had 30 minutes to get packed, so I could join Henry and the others to join in the bus... Instead of leaving from Marsa Alam, the boat was still mored at Hurgharda.. we had to go there by bus.


next blog...: links to my photos; Arriving in Hurgharda and leaving port ... to go on safari/liveaboard.