New Deep - John Mayer

Sharrm El Sheik Ras Mohammed Marine Park 002
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Sharm El Sheik – 2-14-07 Yes, it’s Valentine’s Day and of course I have to end up in a full board hotel with the big Sweetheart’s Dinner extravaganza happening. I tried squeezing into a corner by the busboys which kept me hidden from the guests but then the waiters kept asking me ‘just one sir?’. No tip for them. Embarrassing moments aside, it is tough being alone on holidays, even those you never expect the Egyptians to celebrate. I was bummed for a while but thank goodness for Skype and its 2 cent a minute calling deal. I know I’m living the good life, no work, seeing the wonders of the world, but I get lonely and it’s hard moving from place to place every three or four days. Only five weeks in and I’m still getting homesick sometimes, especially when you don’t talk to anyone for days on end except those who are paid to be nice to you. All the responses on the blog really help so thanks and don’t be bashful about posting away. Well enough whining, onto Sharm.

Sharrm El Sheik Ras Mohammed Marine Park 037a
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Sharm El Sheik is at the very tip of the Sinai Peninsula on the Red Sea . It’s a Euro Tourist trap and scuba dive mecca. It’s definitely a resort destination with nary a local guest in site which is always a bad sign for a budget traveler. All the hotels are at Na’ama Bay and of course the cheap backpacker haunts I was counting on got bought out and I had to pay three times what I wanted. Oh well, 80 US for a suite on the beach isn’t that painful I guess. I did have to bail after 2 nights because along with the room all the other overpriced things like diving killed my budget. Still, after weeks on the budget route it’s nice to sleep in a town that has toilet paper in every bathroom, even in the bars. Next day I head out to the Ras Mohammed National Marine Sanctuary with Oosa Divers. Seemed like a good shop run by Brits. We head to the Marina and all I see is yachts. Most dive boats are beat up old Boston whaler type boats but not in Sharm. Monstrous, luxurious vessels that could hold 50 . . for 8 of us. Crazy, but I was even happier when I saw the boat’s name was ‘Obi-Wan’. The owner must be cool.

Sharrm El Sheik Ras Mohammed Marine Park 050
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So we head out to the reef and the diving is cold, current strong and the water salty. Second saltiest sea on earth I’m told. What does that mean? Buoyancy. Even with 12 k’s on my belt I couldn’t frggin descend. Then my mask kept flooding because of this goofy new moustache. I must have looked like a darn beginner but I had a decent day anyway. The second dive was called Shark’s Reef and I was really hoping to see some big Hammerheads which is possible here. Nope, wrong season. Little sharks? Nuh uh, scared off by too many divers. Skunked, but the little stuff was very colorful and fun just the same. I had to skip the famous Thistlegorm wreck because of cost, conditions and timing which I regret but there’s always the next life I hope. Next stop Dahab and Moses’ old stomping grounds.