THREE WEEKS OF SHIFTING SANDS AND MINARETS (NORTHERN EGYPT AND A BIT OF JORDAN) - CARRUTHERS
Sunday 29th Feb - Update
Dahab's magnetic lethargy still has me firmly in its grasp. Life is drifting along merrily and the more time I spend here the more nice people I meet and the more at home I feel. A few days ago a bunch of us went over to the house of one of the Bedouin drivers, Jumma, and had dinner there. Very enjoyable as it was, I can't really claim to have had a genuine, authentic Bedouin experience, on the grounds that I don't really think you can categorise playing Gran Turismo on the playstation as a 'traditional Bedouin pastime'.
Aside from socialising, I've been really quite active of late. As we speak I'm about halfway to completing my Divemaster, which will allow me to earn money from diving. It's been fairly straightforward so far, a few exams, a couple of swim tests, skills practice, and most importantly lots of time spent under the water. The sensation and the experience never fail to amaze me. It's incredible to find yourself 30 metres under the surface of the sea, drifting past a myriad of beautiful fish and coral,and to be breathing. It's the fact that I feel so privilaged to be seeing this entirely new world that comparatively few people ever see. I can't help but come out with a huge grin on my face.Nevertheless, despite all my enthusiasm I'm having the day off today. Yesterday five people completed their instructor exams at the dive centre and thus celebrations kicked off in a big way - at about half past two in the afternoon. It wasn't long before people were pouring beer all over each other, and then before you could shout 'Take your wallet out of your pocket!' everyone was getting dumped into the rinse tank in undignified fashion. Things degenerated to appallingly unwise drinking games, and it all continued late into the night. Hence my fragile state and abject unwillingness to do anything energetic today. It's a bloody beautiful day though. Fairly sweltering, although nowhere near the standard it'll reach in summer (I'm promised an average of 45 degrees). I can't wait.
Saturday 10th April - This is it
I'm having some trouble getting to grips with the fact that I'm leaving Egypt tomorrow. I've been living in Dahab for nearly three months now, and it feels like home. I can't walk down the waterfront without bumping into people I know. Watching the sun go down with a cold beer and good company has become a nightly ritual. Likewise the glorious sunshine of the afternoons, and the calm, blue waters of the Red Sea are daily there to draw me into chilled tranquility. But, alas, the time has come to depart. A couple of weeks ago I completed my Divemaster, and the indignity of the snorkel test, in which I was required to drink half a litre of gin, rum, orange juice, coconut milk and beer....through a snorkel. Since then I've been relaxing, doing a bit of diving, and generally soaking up the atmosphere.
I've got mixed feelings about leaving. On the one hand I'm ready to go. Dahab is a very small place, and the longer you spend here the smaller it seems to become. It's like an English village - everyone knows what everyone else is up to. At the same time I know I'll miss it really badly once I've gone, especially the diving. A few days ago we had a friend of mine who is an underwater videographer come diving with us and make a video. It's beautiful, but when I watch it back home it's going to make my heart ache.To be fair though, I really can't complain. If all goes according to plan then I'll only be back in the UK for a week or so, and then I'm hopefully moving to Thailand to combine both of my 'overseas money earning' pursuits - teaching and diving. Whatever happens, I've got the memory of the last three months in Egypt and Jordan. Cairo, Siwa, Petra, the Western Deserts, Dahab, and the world under the water. It's all been fantastic and unforgettable. I have a suspicion I might be back. Indeed I have to be, because it turns out one of my friends is planning to have a record breaking underwater wedding next year, and it would be frankly rude not to attend that!
