36 replies to this topic

[cmt489]

After being awake for almost 48 hours, arriving in Sharm el Sheik at almost midnight, getting to finally sleep in a real bed and then heading to the boat for diving, I am finally getting to post my first report on this amazing trip!

Except for a minor delay in leaving Vancouver, all travel went smoothly and without incident. May I add, that if you are traveling this far that business class is definitely worth it! I was actually able to sleep on the plane and didn't feel too bad upon arrival in Cairo despite being in transit, including waiting for flights, for over 20 hours. We then were reunited with family friends for a few hours at one of their homes. After having a cold shower (in finding the only shower in the house WITHOUT hot water - but not being smart enough to express a concern of over this) I was definitely refreshed. We then braved our way through Cairo traffic to the domestic airport and arrived at Sharm just before midnight.

We somehow managed to wedge and stack all people and our luggage in/onto the so called taxi that picked us up. I am pretty sure the car that we rode to the hotel in was the 1975 Ford Pinto station wagon my parents sold in 1982... Luckily no luggage feel off of the sophisticated luggage rack system found on the top of the vehicle and we finally turned our headlights on just in time to wake up the gate guard to let us into the hotel complex (don't want to burn out those headlights). After an under vehicle mirror search we were allowed to bypass the metal detector and check in.

This morning we were picked up by same luxury vehicle but, fortuneately did not need to make use of that amazing roof rack and we made it to the jetty. Given that we had our own private boat we were able to set our own schedule and did not get to the boat until after 10:00. Pretty much all the other boats were already gone for the day so we did not know what chaos would ensue later on.

There are three of us on a 60 foot liveaboard so crowding is not a problem Our first dive was at Ras Ummsid, aka Lighthouse, a mild drift dive that was underwhelming at best, but a good check out dive with which to start. We did manage to see a couple of blue spotted rays and got some (hopefully) really good pictures of a lionfish on a fan coral.

The next dive was at Paradise which was a much better dive due to seeing a huge mantaray and then getting to see a great octopus who changed colours faster than I can change shoes at a Prada shoestore. He was pretty damn cool. Some amazing fan corals, big angels and some good schools of butterfly fish.

Once we got back to the docks we suddenly realized what Egyptian diving chaos is all about! Hundreds of boats sharing one jetty. People getting off boats, tanks and garbage being removed by the wagon full. Gear and people followed. Mind boggling!

Tomorrow is a day trip to Dahab to be followed by a couple of days living aboard our boat. I will post when we get back!

A quick stop at the supermarket and liquor store and now back in the room while sipping on some of the shopping. To be continued....

[ScubaHawk]

Sounds like a great trip so far - - - keep the reports coming!

a great octopus who changed colours faster than I can change shoes at a Prada shoestore.

Wow

[Tolly]

Glad y'all arrived safely!

The post checkout diving sounds amazing and probably will only get better. Enjoy your trip.

p.s. - where's the pics?

[cmt489]

p.s. - where's the pics?

In my dad's camera which I am still figuring out how to download (aka have to find a USB cord since he forgot his...)

[fbp]

Looking forward to some photos...
Above and below???
Sounds like a blast...

[drbill]

Pictures? Cmt489 Does Egypt... Um, this isn't anything like "Debbie Does Dallas" is it?

[Dive_Girl]

I also expect some local fashion to be brought back with you!

[jextract]

Awesome! Have a great time, infidel!

[Bubble2Bubble]

M

I am pretty sure the car that we rode to the hotel in was the 1975 Ford Pinto station wagon

tell that Taxi diver I know a guy named Odel that has parts in stock for that Ford station wagon

Sounds like your having an Adventure!! U Go Gurl

DG

I also expect some local fashion to be brought back with you!

Ya.... you would cool in a Burka ???

PLZ... Keep us posted

Bubski

[Tolly]

Awesome! Have a great time, infidel!

She's not an infidel...

she's Canadian...

[jextract]

Awesome! Have a great time, infidel!

She's not an infidel...

she's Canadian...

OK, so she's an infidelle ... or is that infideul?

[cmt489]

Well, after a very long stint without internet access I am back in business.

Sorry boys, Dallas is nowhere near the Nile...

Trip report - where to start? Given the length of time that has passed, I think I will have to do this in installments for all of our sanity. In any event, first things first - pictures are being posted and I will provide the link shortly.

The liveaboard lasted longer than anticipated, which was certainly not a bad thing, and there was much diving to be had. Unfortunately, however, much of the splendor of diving in Sharm appears to be a thing of the past. Not that the diving was bad by any means, but we were expecting so much more. Much of the coral has been damaged from overdiving and abuse resulting in unhealthy reefs and diminished fish life. With this being said, for wreck enthusists, the Thistlegorm is a wreck that is not to be missed!

With this general statement out of the way, I will now start to report on this amazing trip!

[cmt489]

Following my last trip report, we drove the next day to dive Dahab. We dove the Canyon and Blue Hole, two shore dives that were fun to make. The most interesting part of Dahab, however, was the ambiance of the diving itself. In this area new meets old with the trucks, camels, divers and Bedoins in the middle. We then proceeded to have very good pizza in a traditional style Bedoin restaurant. Very amazing indeed!

There was a very nice swim through in the Canyon which made for a fun change in the middle of the dive.

The Blue Hole was very interesting in that it is indeed a 300 m blue hole found just meters from the shoreline. In fact, entry to the Blue Hole is made by way of a short foot bridge made off of the shore. Absolutely amazing! While underwater we heard a huge boom. When we surfaced we were relieved to find out that the boom was caused by some Saudi road construction across the way and not a bomb!

Following our dives that day, we went back to the hotel to clean up and make our way to the liveaboard. After a night of questionable sleep, we were awoken at 5:00 am by the mosque loadspeaker on the shore for morning prayers. Needless to say I was well awake for our first dive at 7:00 am! This dive was intended to be a drift dive but it seems that mother nature had different ideas with respect to the direction of the current and it was much more of a cardio workout than we had anticipated! We were hungry by time breakfast was served. We dived the Dunraven, a wreck from 1876. That was quite the wreck to see but, then again, I had no idea what the Thistlegorm had in store!

The next day we had planned to dive the Thistlegorm but, once again, mother nature did not cooperate. The winds were too high and the swells to big to allow our boat to cross so we made due with other dives the next day. We dove the Alternatives and managed to see the largest green sea turtle that I have ever seen in my life. There were also several spotted rays and some very nice fish to be seen. This dive area ended up being one of our favorite dives that we came back to for the fishlife.

The next day the winds let up and we made our way to the Thistlegorm. WOW!!!! What a wreck!!!! Dives are done by descent lines and, during the first dive this was a blessing given the ripping currents that were there. In the chaos of the boats we had to fight to make our way to the line and not get swept away. The current let up some once we got to the wreck and we explored the outside of this WWII British naval ship which was shot down by a German pilot in October 1941 while anchored. During this dive we only got a glimpse of what was to come.

On the next dive the current had subsided and we explored the interior of this ship. We were greeted with WWII motorcycles, jeeps and supplies still intact! Rubber hip wading boots were found in abundance. The jeeps still had their windows in place and the motorcycles were upright and together looking ready to ride! The battle guns were still positioned, ready to fire. Not ready enough I suppose!

After completing our Thistlegorm diving we went to Shag Rock and engaged in a VERY high speed drift dive. We are pretty sure we passed a wreck but it was such a blur it was hard to tell!

The next day we started working our way back to Sharm, diving the Alternatives again and, once again, being very happy with what we saw. We also had a night dive that night which revealed many sea urchins and lion fish that seem to have figured out how to hunt by dive lights. They were there in the hundreds following dive lights around and hunting down the little fish. While amazing to watch they were a little disconcerting given that their stings can be deadly!

The following day we had one more dive before returning to the docks to pick up the rest of the clan for a daytime cruise. While on that cruise we took our final dive and saw some great clowns and some other interesting things.

We then returned to the hotel, having completed our diving and got ready for our departure the next morning.

[cmt489]

The next morning we left for Cairo and the chaos that is that city. Nothing can quite compare you for that town!

The city is now the largest in Egypt with 17 million people but without provision for all of that growth. In our entire time there we encountered two traffic lights which were only obeyed because there were traffic police there to enforce them. Instead of using traffic lights, Cairo drivers are prevented from turning left by giant concrete meridians and are allowed to make u-turns at certain points. Where there are cross streets, driveres simply decide to start pulling out to block the traffic travelling the other way and start crossing over. Lines on the road are meaningless with most driving in the middle, on the shoulder and anywhere else they can find room to fit their cars. Very disconcerting to your average North American!

The first day we made our way to the pyramids, the step pyramids and the spinx. All I can say is that it is mind boggling!

While at the pyramids we took a camal ride which was an absolute blast! Having never ridden a camel before I had to get used to the rocking motion but felt very comfortable by the end.

Following the step pyramids we went for a dessert ride on horses around some of the lesser step pyramids. That has to be one of the funnest rides I have ever had in my life!

The following day we made our way to the Cairo museum to see all of the treasures recovered from the Egyptian tombs and sites. Pictures of King Tutts tomb do not do the death mask or his casket justice. They are absolutely gorgeous to behold. I also travelled through the mummy exhibit and could not believe the state of preservation of these bodies. Skin, hair and fingernails are still intact. They even experimented with fat injection to keep the lifelike appearance of some of the bodies. Talk about the opposite of cremation.

The next day we went to visit a very large mosque and the covenent and church of St. George. We then made our way to the Citadel to see the mosque of Mohammed Aly and the military museum. After a large lunch (in case I forgot to mention, it seems that eating is a major Egyptian pastime) we made our way to the Cairo market. What a cultural experience that was!

We had to go to bed very early that night as our flight to Aswan the next day was at 4:30 am!

[cmt489]

After a 2:00 am wake up call, we made our way to the Cairo airport for our 4:30 flight. After checking in and getting some coffee, we were off to Abu Simbal via Aswan and then back to Aswan.

The temple at Abu Simbal is nothing short of mind boggling. Ramses II commissioned two temples to be built into the mountains there, one for himself and one for his favorite of 34 wives, Nephatari. These temples were litterally bored out of the mountainside, complete with massive statues, inscriptions and colour. Contained within the inner temple of Ramses temple were four statues that were originally covered in gold. The sun could reach these statues only 2 days out of the year.

The amazement of this monument did not end here as the temples had to be moved with the building of the Upper Aswan damn as they would be completely underwater once this damn was done. After a massive undertaking, the entire hills containing the temples were moved to higher ground.

We then flew back to Aswan where we saw the Philae Temple and the unfinished oblisk.

The Philae Temple also had to be moved to higher grounds after being completely underwater following the building of the upper Aswan damn. Unfortunately, after being underwater so long the temple has no colour left in it. Also of interest is the amount of chiselling the Christians undertook on the temple to remove any reference to pagan gods that the carvings represented. Despite their attempts, however, much of the temple remains intact.

The quary of the Pharohs was found in Aswan. In this quary they mined and made their granite monuments and then shipped them up or down the Nile. Remaining in this quary is the longest oblisk that was ever undertaken which was going to be 44 meters long upon completion. Unfortunately there was a flaw in the granite and the oblisk cracked. As such, it was abandoned. These massive pieces of granite were extracted using simple tools to bore holes and then placing wood in the holes which was wetted so that it could expande to crack apart the granite. These splits were made in absolutely straight lines.

Later that night while walking up the streets of Aswan I also discovered that, for a certain number of camals, I could be bought from my parents. Given that we never did come to an agreement on that number, the mystery remains as to how many camels I really am worth.....