Red Sea, January 2004

Sunday 25th

By 4.30am all from the Wisbech area were safely on the minibus and on the way to the airport. Thankfully no one launched into a rendition of "Summer Holiday"; from the glazed expressions I think that any budding Cliff Richard would have been kissing the road by the third bar.

At ten to five we passed Pete and Alex's house but risked being rude by not stopping for a coffee.

Gatwick airport was straightforward, and we were soon through customs and the duty free to meet up with Ian and his party of WNSAC and London divers.

The Airbus A300 is a big bird and was full, so boarding took a little time, but we were off on time and had an uneventful, if somewhat boring flight.

As we taxied down the Sharm airport runway we had the first inkling of just how much development is taking place. Lots of huts and small buildings scattered about with expansive new buildings under construction.

Ian and I were the first off the bus and at the Visa counter. Ian got his two postage-style stamps that are stuck into the passport. I was next, but couldn't find my name on his list. I then tried 'Oldfield', for which there were nine people. This made sense since we'd put ourselves on the same booking. So I was given nine sets of stamps with the instruction to put a set in my passport and to find the others to do the same. Then we queued at the next booth to get our passports checked against an entry document that we part-completed on the plane. Form duly finished off by the official, we then went through another check where a man in uniform checked that our passports had the stamps and that they had been stamped. Except that he was a bit slow, so another non-uniformed man was helping out with good efficiency and a great deal of self-satisfaction. So in fact I found myself showing my passport to both the efficient man and the official. But I was through the door into the baggage reclaim area, and to the baggage counter.

The room was large, with another equally large room under construction on the other side of a glass wall. The carousel was small, so it was impossible for all to gather round ready to collect their bags. This turned out to be irrelevant anyway since it took so long for all bags to be loaded on the carousel. I was somewhat perturbed to see how roughly the bags were handled, evidenced by the haphazard way that the bags were piled onto the conveyor. Bags were piled one on top another and many were hanging over the side, some dropping off onto the floor.

Just to complete the chaos at the conveyor hatch there were civilians taking off the conveyor any bag that looked valuable, so obviously targeting dive bags. People were waiting for their bags to come round, only to find that their bag was on the floor. On retrieval the civilians would claim to be officials and / or nice people 'minding the tourist's valuable bag', and demanding a £1 sterling tip for their good deed. To put £1 sterling into context, I was told that a good tradesman would earn £6.50 sterling a day. Most people refused to pay, despite some pushiness from the civilians. The proceedings got progressively bad-tempered as people became aware of the scam. The confusion was further exacerbated when another carousel started so there were two carousels plus our civilian friends to watch. I saw one woman grab her bag, a civilian grab another handle on the same bag. The brief tug-o-war caused the bag to thud on the floor, and after prising the bag from the civilian the woman then had to refuse his request for a tip. Another civilian targeted a large case that to his consternation popped open. He and some others then followed the case as it progressed along the carousel until they'd jammed it shut again.

My cases were almost the last off and I was able to get to them immediately they appeared through the carousel hatch. A fellow tourist muttered 'Well done!' as I beat our civilian friends. Talking later to Carol this is a relatively new phenomenon and was not experienced by them last year.

I was the last to get my cases so we gathered together and followed the guides to the bus. The cases were loaded without too much ceremony but I yet again had to refuse to pay a £1 tip.

Once on the way the chaos seemed to settle down and the Egyptian tour guide briefed us about the arrangements at the hotel and for the following day's diving. As ever the drive from the airport gave away much of what we are to experience out here. The night was drawing in, accentuating the flatness and brown sand of the land immediately around us with, in the distance, imposing mountains jutting high out of the ground. The infrastructure around the roads was minimalist, with no painting to identify lanes or junctions. Despite the increasing darkness few drivers bothered with any more than sidelights, if at all. We went the entire journey with no lights, except for judicious use of the headlight flasher when we met a slower vehicle in the outside lane. Funnily the only time that the driver did not flash drivers in our lane was very near the hotel and we met two cars in quick succession calmly driving in our lane heading right for us. The first errant driver moved from our outside lane through a gap in the raised concrete central reservation to join his carriageway as our driver calmly swung around him. The second had obviously taken a short cut to get into the hotel quicker and calmly pulled over for a moment to then swing in behind us.

The Ocean Club and Rock hotels are next door to each other, so Ocean Club passengers disembarked, all luggage taken off the bus, relevant luggage claimed by Ocean Club residents, and the remaining luggage put back on the bus. They were then driven the ten yards to the Rock hotel.

We checked in to the Ocean Club, and then met Ian and Michelle to swap rooms with Michelle so that she had my single and I stayed in Ian's twin. We were duly shown to the room, and found that we had a double bed! A visit to the reception later we were moved to the room next door which had a twin.

It was at this point that Ian noticed that one of his bags was missing. Another visit to reception confirmed that it was not there. The staff didn't seem to be making much of an effort to find the bag, which contained all of Ian's clothes, toiletries, and an oxygen analyser. It seemed to take the threat of contacting the Police before the manager really got moving with a search of the hotel. We were all convinced that someone had taken it by mistake, and since most guests had dashed straight out to the bar whoever had the case probably hadn't realised their mistake yet. Eventually the search proved successful, and given that the case was found in a room with a very similar number to ours suggests that one of the hotel staff had found the bag in reception and delivered it to the wrong room.

This was all happening as a brief was taking place by the holiday representative of the dos and don'ts and the week's itinerary.

After the brief we needed to eat. Ian and co. ate in the restaurant, while the rest of us ate at the hotel's Mongolian BBQ. It was excellent. Basically you collect the cold ingredients (meat, chicken and chopped salad) in a bowl, and then put various sauces on according to taste. This is handed it to the chef who cooks it on an enormous round hot plate. Once cooked you collect the food, eat, and return for more as many times as you like. We all ate too much, including Carol who insisted that the chef's 'nice smile' had nothing to do with her repeat visits. At one point we got the chef to come and sit with Carol, both of them seeming to enjoy the fun!

It was starting to get cold so we had our sweet of ice cream wrapped in pancakes with chocolate and honey sauce in the Bedouin tent. Then off to bed.

The following morning saw all the divers from both the Ocean Club and Rock hotels, several hundred in all, converging on the facilities at once. I couldn't be bothered to queue so grabbed a couple of rolls and a drink of juice.

During the previous evening we'd identified from the published rosters that we were on the boat 'President II'. We'd packed our kit into the crates provided, with valuables held back to be carried to the boat, and that morning delivered the crates to the loading point for transportation to the boat. We then got on with the business of queuing to register. The proceedings seemed chaotic, but considering the number of people the process went rather well.

Soon enough we were summonsed by our Divemasters and ushered into a small bus. Despite the total absence of tread on the bus's tyres we got there safely and after taking off our shoes (a Muslim mark of respect to the crew who live on the boat) we were on board.

We were the last boat off the jetty due to the long briefing by one of the Divemasters, Karla, in turn due to the fact that she'd forgotten her crate. Eventually her crate arrived and we were on our way.

The boat was comfortable and in good condition, if clearly well used. During the week we'd see this to be a pattern with old liveaboards being put to use as day boats. Although there had been strong winds back at the hotel the direction was favourable for us and the sea calm; certainly very good compared to U.K. conditions.

At the dive site we lashed up against two other boats and after a dive brief we were in. Today and tomorrow's diving were about on the one hand easing us into the diving and on the other to allow the Divemasters to assess us. Ian, Fiona, Robert, Michelle, Kevin and Eric had been put on a different boat for today. Carol buddied up with Paul, John with Richard, and I (Mick) buddied with a stranger, Open Water diver Steve, the least experienced diver on the boat having done only six-dives. Non-diving partners Julie and Karen stayed on board and did our dive log.

The coolness of the water was a bit of a shock, but after the initial sensation I was comfortably insulated from the 23 degrees water in my 5mm wetsuit. It took a while for Steve to get weighted properly; I gave him a demonstration and after several attempts and two additional kilos he was okay. As we arrived at the bow of the boat to descend down the mooring line it was clear that Richard was not happy with his weight and kit, and he sensibly aborted his dive. I went ahead of Steve who found that he couldn't descend. I gave him a kilo of my weight and we descended to 'Far Garden'.

Wow. Wow, WOW. Anybody not appreciating the Red Sea are simply diving snobs. They really should experience the delights of Gildenburgh more with the undeniable euphoria of the occasional sighting of a pike before they criticise the Red Sea. Fish absolutely everywhere. Yes I'm sure there is better, but surely you've got to go some way to find it.

Steve's buoyancy was not too good and there were several times that I had to retrieve him from an unplanned descent or ascent. After about half an hour our Divemaster Simon took Steve off me and John, having gone down as a third diver with Carol and Paul, joined me.

Now I was able to really look around. More wows! Also, it was at this time that the camera started working, so now I was like a kiddie in a sweetshop blasting fish everywhere with my camera. All too soon the dive ended and we were back on board well impressed with the first dive of the week.

Back on the boat a small group of boorish blokes who were diving with Karla, the second Divemaster on our boat, were really getting on everyone's nerves. They thought that they were really funny, but weren't. Big time weren't. Divers they weren't either, and they elected not to go in on the second dive.

We were the second wave in, and as we waited for Karla's divers to kit up and get into the water all was running smoothly for them until one hapless diver returned onto the boat for his weight belt. The boors shouted from the sun deck 'Some buddy check', and in this case they were right. Returning into the water he leapt in with his mask on his forehead and his arms by his side. He was lucky, neither losing any kit nor getting hurt.

The second dive was at Fiddle to Middle Garden. Richard was clearly not well (probably dehydrated) so did not dive. Husband and wife John and Carol therefore buddied together and I with Paul.

This was a 'drift dive', where the boat followed us along the coral. We again saw plenty of life on the clumps of coral and in the blue water around us, including an octopus that was out in the open until we arrived and then settled in a crevice pulsing shades of brown with white patches. It just got better from there with a turtle coming in from the deep and settling down to explore in some coral right in front of us. As big as a table it swam majestically and looked just incredible. I'd always wondered what all the fuss was about with turtles, but now I know. By now, predictably, my camera batteries had run out, so I watched in exhilaration as it looked up at me as I hovered about a metre over it. As the slight current took us onwards it decided to move on away from me and right in front of John who was able to get a shot of it with his camera.

The dive couldn't get much better than that, but it did when we saw a beautiful torpedo ray and a titan trigger fish with a remora swimming by as we ascended.

That evening our party of exuberant divers ate out at Narma Bay, the turtle sighting easily keeping us going for the night!

27th January 2004

Today we were all together on the boat 'New Age', with Karla and Ahmed Aladin, a Divemaster working his first day with Ocean Club.

The first dive of the day was at the Temple. Today I was buddied with Eric, Fiona dived with Robert, Ian with Michelle, John with Carol, Richard with Paul, and Kevin with the Divemaster.

Despite different batteries my camera again worked intermittently. We saw some small Jacks, lots of stumps of coral with triggerfish, parrotfish, a small moray eel, and shoals of smaller fish. A glass-bottomed tourist boat followed us; we provide free entertainment for paying tourists while they endanger our lives. Another disgraceful sight was a Divemaster from another operation upside down pulling himself around a clump of coral to get 'models' for his paying tourists.

Following another excellent lunch cooked by the boat's crew we dived Ras Um Sid. We followed a pretty reef wall and saw several lionfish and moray eels, one impressively large. I collected the first of the week's floating plastic bags.

Eric got low on air so went up to Karla who was stationed at 5 metres on the mooring line while I again buddied with John, whose buddy Richard had also earlier got low on air so ascended with Karla. We looked about the corals for a while until we got to the agreed air ascent level and ended the dive.

Several of us elected to do a night dive today, so after we all had returned to the hotel, twenty minutes later John, Carol, Ian, Paul, Eric and me were waiting for the bus to Sharm.

Soon we were at Ras Katy, and once in the water as predicted we saw loads of lionfish. We also saw a huge moray before we settled down in a circle to turn off our torches and vigorously wave our arms about to make the plankton illuminate. Shortly after turning on our torches again we were joined by a lionfish that floated about in the circle being directed by the torchlight.

We were very fortunate to see three spanish dancers during the dive, pleasing Ahmed no end since they are one of his favourites. All around us throughout the dive fish sat in the corals, only occasionally mildly disturbed by the torchlights and us. Towards the end of the dive Ahmed found three squid who were moving along sedately until they seemed to become aware of the lion fish stalking them and disappeared.

Back at the Ocean Lodge hotel some watched the local entertainment, with the Whirling Dervish impressing all. John, Carol and I went to the upstairs bar for a quiet drink and a pizza each for the boys and a chicken dish for Carol, all very good.

28th January 2004

The first dive of the day was on the Dunraven. From today onwards Ian and Eric dived on Nitrox so buddied together. So today I buddied with Michelle.

Our Divemaster for the day was Walleed, assisted by an enthusiastic and energetic trainee Divemaster.

The wooden wreck has been at the bottom for about a hundred years and is well encrusted with life. We descended to amidships and swam deeper down the starboard side towards the stern. Being the last of our group of divers I could see others ahead of me swimming through the gap between the rudder and propeller. My camera was working so I made the most of the opportunity.

We entered the hull through a gap in the port side. The space was comfortable but the path that we needed to take inside the wreck was clear and we progressed easily in single file.

When we exited the hull amidships, as expected Richard had reached our pre-set limit of 70 bars so as planned he ascended with the assistant Divemaster. Paul joined Michelle and me and we followed the rest of our divers through another hole back into the hull.

This time the chamber was somewhat narrower. The entire group progressed through in single file with Michelle, Paul, then me bringing up the rear. It was at this point that the camera stopped working again, and to my horror I noticed some water in the case, not a flood but enough to splash onto the camera and damage it. All I could do is to turn off the camera, and carry on the dive and hope.

We continued to swim through the hull, passing the boiler as we went. As we neared the end of the tunnel at the bow I almost spat my demand valve out with mixed excitement and concern. Paul and a metre plus long moray eel were both free-swimming alongside each other, separated only by one of the thin interior dividing walls that were peppered with large holes. It was clear that the two were going to converge so I reached ahead to tug at Paul's fin, but got no immediate response. Repeating this action caused him to stop and he was able to look round so I could warn him. He realised my signal, but by now had almost exited the hull and to my relief the moray had stopped. When Paul did look round the sight of the moray less than an arm's length away from his face was a shock. However he immediately got a shot with his camera, and after we'd all had another look at it sitting at the hole, opening and closing its mouth with it's neck bent up behind it and the feather tail trailing behind, we followed the others round the bow to travel across to the reef wall.

We travelled along the reef for a while, until both Paul and I reached our ascent air levels. Michelle had plenty of air left, as did Carol and John, so they made a threesome and Paul and I ascended. Michelle's record of four dive buddies in a single dive was, thankfully, never matched during the rest of the week.

The second dive of the day started at Shark Reef. We had an incredible descent alongside reef, with a shoal of barracuda to the left and jacks to the right. We then meandered around beautiful corals, including impressive table coral. As ever fish were everywhere. Our route took us down to Shark Reef, along the front of Yolanda, then due to the increasing current we reversed to go round the back of the Yolanda between it and the reef and then round the front of the Baby Yolanda. On the seabed was plenty of cargo from the wreck that gave the Yolanda its name, including numerous toilets. In amongst the wreckage hid a blue spotted ray buried in the sand, just it's eyes and faint silhouette showing.

We then ascended a little along a beautiful wall. Between clumps of coral a small group of yellow saddle goatfish were pecking at the coral.

After a short while we continued our ascent to the surface keeping very close to the wall.

The third dive of the day was at Ras Goslani, with buddy pairs as before but Paul and Richard both felt unwell so didn't dive. The dive was along a beautiful reef wall. Shortly into the dive a metre-long grouper sat against the reef looking out to the blue. It floated still, with it's cleaner fish in attendance as we floated by. As I passed it we looked head-on to each other. A few moments later it glided off past the remaining divers. Not long after we saw another spotted ray and then a lionfish, both free-swimming. Throughout the dive smaller reef fish carpeted the colourful coral.

Towards the end of the dive underneath an overhang sat a giant puffer fish. As we floated on the surface waiting for the boat I looked into the water again and at that moment a school of brownspotted groupers came swirling in from the blue around us to the top of the reef. A beautiful dive.

That evening most stayed at the hotel. Carol, John and I went to Narma Bay to eat and shop for a camera case seal and dive log book, but could find only the latter. Still, it was a good excuse for a good nose around the dive shops, and John found a great sweatshirt that unfortunately wasn't available in his size but was in mine, so I bought it!

It is impossible to miss the restaurants. Aside from many having tables and chairs on the street, they employ people who approach likely looking passers by to invite them into the restaurant. Taxi drivers will also approach you except some not all seemed to be in the 'proper' white and blue Peugeot 504s. Some licensed drivers also walked down the street from the rank to get trade and jump ahead of other taxis on the rank. We found that drivers could get very protective about their fares before, during and after the fare was agreed. We could use this to good effect if drivers were not prepared to adequately reduce their rate. The state of the venerable 504s was variable. Almost all were in reasonable condition given their 20-plus years of age. Some were exceptional, whilst a minority gave us some cause for concern, such as a couple that wreaked of petrol.

Thursday 29th January 2004

Today is the day that many of us have been waiting for. Thistlegorm, one of the world's ultimate wreck sites.

We congregated at 4.45am outside the hotel and with unusual efficiency the buses were waiting for us so we were off on time.

Soon we were at Sharm harbour where we were to embark on Dream 1, a bigger boat than New Age but considerably slower. We were joining Divemaster Roy and his group of divers who had been on board all week. Our Divemaster was again Ahmed.

Dream 1 seemed a big vessel. An ex-liveaboard, it has a smaller deck than New Age but a larger saloon. Above is a comfortable area made all the bigger by the open wheelhouse.

After sorting out our kit we all got ourselves comfortable and had as best a nap as possible. I thoroughly enjoyed napping in the cool air, CD headphones on, lying on the top deck under the stars with the throb of the engine below. Actually I lie, all we could hear was the whine of the engine's turbo! Apparently Dream 1's owner is reconditioning a replacement engine that will both increase its speed and make it quieter.

The sea was really calm all day so we made good progress and four hours or so later we were at the dive site and after another thorough briefing we were getting ready with Ahmed to be the first group in the water.

Roy went in first to fix the mooring lines. We were shocked to hear that the dive boats have to tie onto the wreck because as the Thistlegorm is technically not a diveable wreck and is in a shipping channel no fixed moorings are provided. This is resulting in the wreck being gradually pulled apart, especially when boats lash to inappropriate structures such as the wagon that was almost pulled off the hull.

As soon as Roy had safely ascended we entered the water to descend the line, nice and slowly. We arrived on the bow and gathered round our first nudibranch of the week, and the first of several this dive, before setting off towards the stern, our Divemaster Ahmed Aladin leading and myself and Paul bringing up the rear. We continued a gradual descent as we travelled along the starboard side down to about 30 metres. The bomb damage at the stern is devastating, with great sheets of the hull peeled back like an orange. Munitions of various sizes could clearly be seen sprawling about the place.

The stern aft of the bomb damage has collapsed sideways so the anti-aircraft gun that failed to protect the vessel points to the seabed. It seemed much bigger than I remembered from the pictures I'd seen. We then passed the machine gun as we ascended along the port side to the bow. The Mk II Bren carrier tanks were clearly visible on the deck, and the remains of the locomotive that spilled from the deck could be seen on the seabed to port. Fish could be seen everywhere, including an emperor angelfish in the area of bomb damage. We then saw a lone diver, single cylinder, no pony or dive cover to be seen, who bolted through the gap between Eric and Paul. Disgusted, I gave Paul an improvised but clearly understood w***** signal and we continued on our way, Paul floating above the gangway and me alongside but outside the hull of the vessel. A moment later Paul spotted a crocodile fish disguised among the silt. The disguise was very effective since after the dive we found that few of our party saw it despite all swimming over it.

In a gap between the superstructure floated two impressive lionfish, and shortly after in the next gap we spotted another. Soon after Paul and I caught up with the rest of the party who were gathered around Ahmed. He was clearly excited about something on the deck. On closer inspection we saw that he had found another nudibranch. Then Ian went one better and pointed to the side of the vessel just below our position where there were two mating. This led to much banter later on in the boat about who was the better spotter / guide!

After a few minutes the group congregated at the mooring line to ascend. To our left out in the blue a shoal of emperor angelfish swooped by.

The three-minute safety stop passed reasonably quickly, aided by me and Paul using my slate to play noughts and crosses.

The surface interval before the next dive was one hour so we all stayed in our wetsuits. This was to be a penetration dive, with Paul and me again bringing up the rear. Anyone reading this must (indeed should!) be bored with me by now so I've asked a new friend of mine, one of the seemingly hundreds of common bigeyes that inhabit the wreck, to write up this bit.

It was a pretty routine day for us. We'd had a good night sheltered in our home and right on time the bubbling creatures came. We don't mind them visiting our home; indeed some say that the bubbling creatures used to live in our home before the great descent. Anyway most leave us alone and we're too quick for the small minority that try to grab us. This lot left us alone and also managed to get about inside the holds without banging about or taking anything.

They entered through the hold where the big gap is and progressed by the trucks loaded with wellington boots, motorcycles, rifles and spare parts for aircraft and other machinery (stuff that we don't find a use for so have left alone). Given the number of these on the vessel they must have been considered very useful by something. The trucks and their cargoes give us lots of crevices and holes to explore and hide in.

At one point the shoal of cave sweepers who hide in here during the day crowded the bubbling creatures as one by one they entered their chamber. The bubbling creatures meandered through the holds occasionally breaking out into the open only to go back into the holds again. There are loads of us so they didn't realise that I was following them along the dive, with my small size allowing me to take shortcuts between the holds. Given their clumsiness and apparent poor eyesight (needing artificial light which does get irritating when pointed right at your eyes) it is not surprising that we can move faster than them.

Soon they'd travelled out of the last hold and were out of the hull for the last time, leaving only the air pockets behind them which is a bit unfortunate as it is accelerating the deterioration of our home. I didn't follow them out, I prefer it in here with the rest of the common bigeyes.

As I exited the hatch at the bow I could see that the rest of the party had congregated in the deck. Eric was sitting on the rail posing for Robert, as had a large moray eel in the anchor chain hole which most of us didn't see.

We had a long four-minute stop at 6m, with Carol's Suunto computer insisting she (and therefore John) did a sixteen-minute deco stop.

Back on the boat I used the time, sunshine, and flat sea to get my logbooks up to date. A brilliant day, well worth the long ride out.

On the way back near to the hotel were two of the ubiquitous Peugeot 504 taxis parked near a long skid that ended with telltale headlight glass. People milled around the two taxis surveying the damage. The notable thing was that the skid mark pattern and glass was a sure indication that at least one of the vehicles was travelling down the wrong side of the road.

That evening some of us ate at the hotel, with the others travelling in to Narm Bay and Ali Baba's. The hotel was showing 'Finding Nemo' on what was obviously a rather dodgy copy. It was good fun, even the second time round. And it was the second time that week that my food arrived after everyone else had eaten!

Friday 30th January 2004

First dive was at Jackson Reef. This is a long impressive wall with plenty of coral and numerous smaller fish. It often attracts larger creatures but we were not to be lucky this time.

Robert and Fiona were not diving today so buddy pairs were John and Carol, Ian and Eric, Michelle and Paul, and Richard and me.

Unfortunately minutes into the dive Richard's chest tightened up and his dive was aborted. Karla gave us instructions and we continued the dive plan with me keeping close to Paul and Michelle.

We travelled along the reef keeping it to our right. In the depths Paul spotted a white-tipped reef shark. At about eighteen minutes into the dive we arrived at the current and reversed back.

A reasonably unremarkable dive with regard to underwater life but pretty nonetheless (am I getting spoilt?). It was good that we were trusted by Karla to see out the dive.

The second dive was on the wreck of the Kormoran. Michelle elected not to dive so with Richard out of action for the rest of the day I buddied with Paul.

We swam against the slight current down to 20 metres. The coral under us was absolutely stunning, such that I got a little paranoid about losing my buoyancy and damaging it. About ten minutes into the dive we began our gradual ascent up the reef wall to the wreck of the Kormoran.

This is a well-flattened wreck, lying in 4 to 7 metres.

All around the wreck a carpet of fish including many surgeonfish, grouper, and bicolour parrotfish weaved in and out of the flattened wreckage. A beautiful summana grouper could just be seen under a sheet of steel. There were beautiful table corals all around, and towards the end of the dive as we left the wreck and ascended a large tuna swam by in the distance.

The last dive was around Thomas Reef, a circular reef that we travelled about a third of the way around during the forty-five minute dive. Throughout the dive in the blue were large unicorn fish, dark in colour with bright white lips. There were also triggerfish, orangespine unicorn fish, emperor angelfish, and the usual carpet of smaller fish.

On the way back we were incredibly fortunate to bump into a pod of fifty or so dolphins that played alongside our boat and another boat nearby. We circled among them for ten exciting minutes before one of them executed a series of spectacular jumps and they went their way. What an incredible end to the week!

That evening we took Karla to the 'Ali Baba' restaurant that sits in the open air with a nice view of the town and the bay. Afterwards Karla took us to the 'Camel' and 'Tavern' bars, the two most happening bars in town. Both were loud and exuberant affairs with a number of diving centre staff who had finished work for the week well on the way to being plastered.

Saturday 31st January 2004

Scott passed his PADI Open Water so today he is doing an extra day's diving towards his Advanced Open Water, and I'm joining him. We are on President III, the boat with a reputation for good food.

The first dive was at Ras Katy, a local site with a pretty shallow reef. We moored with other boats between the reef and the shore, and after a briefing to us all by Ahmed and for Scott and two fellow classmates a theory review by our Instructor / Divemaster Mary we watched Ahmed and his divers enter the water and then got ready to follow them in.

Once in the water we had fish for company, with lots of silver sweetlips and some parrotfish and black surgeonfish swirling around under the boats.

We were to do the 30-metre dive where the students would be tested for nitrogen narcosis whilst I could go and have a play with Ian's camera.

The descent was nice and gradual, and Scott was clearly comfortable in the water. We descended down and quickly saw a crocodilefish hidden in the sand. We descended further down the reef, where most of the fish were small and there didn't seem to be much to interest the camera. At 28 metres Mary settled the students down to test for nitrogen narcosis and I circled looking for subjects. I immediately found a nice bluespotted ray sitting exposed on a small sandy ledge. Further on I found a grouper being cleaned by a remora. As we started a gradual ascent we were blessed by more and more fish, including clownfish, puffer fish and masked puffer fish, bannerfish, and a beautiful bigeye emperor.

The students soon arrived at the stage cylinder slung at 5 metres, and had a go at using it while I continued to look for likely subjects, before we all ascended to swap stories with Scott's partner Tracie who while we'd dived had been snorkelling.

After a good lunch and a two-hour surface interval we were kitting up again for a dive on Ras Umm Sid. Travelling along the reef wall with the depths below there was plenty to see, including bannerfish, grouper, a small moray, a masked puffer fish, several small and one large puffer fish, and lovely fan corals throughout. A lovely dive to end a superb week's diving.

That night we went to the Dananeer restaurant again. We got back late, with me bloody knackered.

The following day was for packing and chilling. The early afternoon was spent outside at the hotel bar, the sun shining such that for the first time this trip I wore a pair of shorts. We got to the airport without much ado, the only excitement for us at the hotel watching three men try and fail to shut the first coach's luggage doors. Eventually one case was removed which Eric recognised as Ian's so we kept a close eye on it until it was safely loaded onto our bus. A nice touch was the hotel staff lining up outside to see us off.

The airport went much smoother than on our arrival. Only one time were we touched for a tip, by a man wearing the same uniform as the check-in clerks who wanted a tip for lifting our cases onto the conveyor. In our case the confusion he created resulted in one of three of Richard and Karen's cases being left on the floor. When Richard pointed this out our man and the check-in clerk processed the case, and then mine. No attempt was made to weigh the cases, and I found later that one of my cases had Richard's third suitcase tag attached to it. Our friend the suitcase lifter could see that I was in no mood to play ball and before I would release my cases to him made it clear that I would not be asked for a tip!

The flight home was proof that the water had got to a good number of people on the plane. By the time we landed only two of the six toilets were still working!