Monday, 25 April

Not sure why but I did not sleep great last night. It was calm when I went to bed and I did hear a little wind during the night. Even with a partial room darkening shade the room is bright by 5:30. Nicole and I enjoyed the breakfast buffet when it opened at seven. Two new foods for me. There were noodles in sweetened milk. I had been having strawberry jam on my toast but there was none to be found this morning. There was fig jam which I had never tasted before. It was a good replacement. We took coffee and tea to the beach to discuss today’s dive plan. It looked like at least half of the dive club left for a boat trip at eight. There were still divers going in and out of the water. Again we decided on a 12:30 dive since the entry is least crowded while divers are at lunch. Neither of us have an interest in a dive starting before breakfast or soon after.

Today was warmer than yesterday and it remained mostly calm. I got a little reading done on the beach before our dive. We decided to head out and back on the north reef. I brought my underwater camera along but the photos and videos can not be uploaded with the slow and spotty WiFi here. That will have to wait until my return. Visibility was not great but there were still lots of fish. Schools of Green Chromis along with Dottyfish brightened the reef. We saw schools of Blue Triggerfish with long tails. The real treat was saved for the return trip when I spotted the Giant Moray Eel that makes its home on the north reef. We estimated his length at about six feet and its body at about six inches in diameter. With the eel twisted in the coral I had difficulty finding the head or tail end. Nicole went down a little and found its head maybe a little closer than she would have liked. Since we had some air left the last few minutes we explored some of the shallower parts of the reef. We did our safety stop over the usual small pile of rubble. I did get some fun video of Nicole and the Damselfish sparring over whose territory it was. Video uploaded when I get home.

After showers it was time for a late lunch. We split the Chili Beef Pizza since that has been the best pizza so far. No tomato sauce on the pizza, just meat, cheese and green pepper. Tasty and filling but like most of the food here, never quite what you expect. Reading on the beach then back to look at the underwater photography and get started on this update.

Tomorrow at ten I take a taxi into Safaga, the little town nearby, for a covid test which is needed to return to the US. I expect the taxi driver will speak no English and I am not sure what to expect at the test site. I am ready for another little adventure.

Tonight’s dinner was quite the elaborate presentation outside near the bar. It seemed like there were extra salads and certainly extra desserts. There were grilled chicken kabobs and beef sausages. No pork here in Egypt.

I heard giggles from Nicole earlier this week while she was reading Juliet, Naked. The story is humorous. That was the movie we saw tonight. I am told that it jumps into the plot quicker than the book. Not a bad romcom.

Not sure if I will have breakfast at seven. No diving until I get back from my covid test at ten so I can sleep in but will probably still be up early because of the bright sun. Here’s hoping this posts on first try.

Neil Young – “It’s better to burn out than to fade away.”

2022 Egypt Album