9 – Cleaner wrasse in your mouth? Check.

5th Dec, 2250hrs, 7Heaven, Dahab.

This morning went out really early for 2 dives. One to the Canyon and the second to the infamous dive site the Blue Hole. The journey there, 6 km north out of Dahab, passes by exciting terrain. The landscape is desolate yet beautiful. Our pickup cuts through the road. On the right side, is the great expanse of the Red Sea. On the left jagged mountains flank the desert road. Every few minutes, we will pass a train of camels, with their Bedouin owners, going down the coast. I regret not bringing my camera along for the dive...missed a lot of great landscape shots during the ride. Let's see if I can any pics from the guys on my dive, will upload if so.

Dive prep. All shore dives, and there no beach, you jump in, it's the reef!

The first dive was around 30m deep, into the Canyon. Lionfish, a scorpionfish and the highlight was cleaner wrasse cleaning out my mouth after i took out my regulator. Ticklish. The second dive was into the Blue Hole. I only did 14m, though this spot is Dahab's most famouse dive spot, because it is an 80m deep hole, with an opening at 65m deep into the ocean. There have been casualties with deep divers who try to exit the 65m opening and either got lost, disoriented or get extreme narcossis.

Donkeys in Siwa, now camels in Dahab

Finished the dive just in time for lunch. Amazingly, after factoring in 160 SGD for my dives over the past couple days, i am still within budget overall. Also, the price for Open Water is 200 USD here, based on what the dormmates tell me.

I am meeting all sorts of characters here. People working in UN in Congo, students on gap year, farmers. Today I'm hanging out with Simon from Hong Kong, who joined my dorm today. Had dinner together (25 EGP) and walked down from Masbat to Mashraba area. Basically it has been very much a traveler's meeting point, so many nationalities in one location.

One more night here, then I leave tomorrow night. Cannot get too comfortable with the laid-backness of Dahab. I fear I may just cancel the rest of the itinerary and just stay here. In the meantime, I'm going to sleep in tomorrow morning. Hahaha.

8 – DnD (or Diving in Dahab)

4rd Dec, 2130hrs, 7Heaven Dorms, Dahab
Firstly, i will start by complaining about the terrible internet connection here. For which I paid 15 EGP (for 24hrs). It is very slow when it does decide to work. So i doubt I will even get this posted tonight.

Took the all-nighter from Cairo to Dahab (90 EGP, 1230am, 9 hrs). This time I was prepared and armed with my overnight bus cold weather gear. Found the Turgoman Garage (the old place now replaced by a spanking new mall, with bus station underneath) with much difficulty.

Delightful - Dahab beachfront

Reached Dahab at 9am, diving mecca, Koh Samui of Egypt, are amongst it's many accolades. It was still empty in the morning, but telltale signs abound that Dahab beach is catered for tourists. Walked up and down for a decent place to stay, preferably with wifi. =). And promptly found 7Heaven, with  it's adjoining Dives Down Under outfit. Took a bed in the dorm (20EGP) and signed up for 24hrs wireless (15 EGP, which I probably will not renew thereafter). The crowd there are like more than 50% Asians. Apparently, Dahab is on all the Japanese and South Korean versions of LP travel guidebooks and they recommend 7Heaven Hotel/Camp.

Dumped by bag in the dorm. I am tired from the overnight travel. Then went to check out the dive prices. It was quite affordable really, with 30 to 40 USD per dive (120 for a 4 dives package and cheaper as you do more) with full gear included. I had to go for a refresher dive (40 USD), which is probably a good idea, since I have never dived with two wetsuits, 11kg on my weightbelt, and in very salty water. All dives are shore dives. Some lionfish, pipefish, goatfish. Nothing spectacular so far, maybe I have been too spoilt by Indonesian waters. Too bad I did not bring my underwater camera casing, but it's just not worth the hassle, especially if I'm only diving this once.

The entire scene at the dive shop seems like a United Nation of sorts. Egyptian, Japanese, Hong Kongers, Europeans, and even one other Singaporean. I met Sean who was in Egypt for 16 days, last two days now. Feels good to switch to Singlish =). Had dinner at Napoleon Place just outside (25 EGP) with him. He's leaving on the night bus.

Decadence (& this cool Chinese guy works in Congo!)

Tomorrow I will do a couple of dives. Day after I intend to just relax. Like i said, I need to slow things down, and Dahab seems like the perfect place to do so. For once, I am sitting around in t-shirt and shorts, but not shiver, albeit it was still cold temp, but at least there was some sun.

7 – Cairo orientation 101

3rd Dec, 2000hrs, New Palace Hotel, Downtown Cairo
I haven't gotten out of bed all evening, having free wifi in your hotel is bad. It is keeping me from exploring Cairo. Started the day in the overnight bus from Siwa to Cairo. There was a draft under the bus and everyone was cold. During a rest stop, I geared up in my balaclava, thick industrial gloves and hid inside my sleeping bag. Slept like a log after.

Reached Cairo early morning 8am, got a place recommended by Eba, the New Palace Hotel. Free  wifi was the clincher. Unloaded and off I went to try the Cairo metro to Doqqi district (1 EGP). The Singapore embassy there is where I will request for the Letter of Introduction that's needed to apply for a Sudanese visa. After several rounds of wandering the area (omar adnan sadiqi street, perpendicular to Babel Street), and finding the Chad and Mozambique embassies along the way, ia finally found Singapore. It was a simple affair, give your passport over and voila, in 10 minutes. No fees either. And to answer the question "Why not get the LoI in Singapore before you leave?" the answer is clear: The whole thing was in arabic. =)

the efficient metro system

More or less, got my orientation in Cairo downtown. Tried taking the metro, found the bus terminal. All needed when i'm back here next week with limited time. On the way back, had my first taste of kushairi, a mish mash of rice, spaghetti and macaroni soaked in tomato based sauce, shallots and beans (large 3 EGP). I don't think my stomache agrees with the mix. But it is cheap and filling. Came back into the hotel, got connected enough to even watch last week's episode of Survivor.

After speaking to the hostel guys, I decided to make a move to Dahab tonight. Yes i know it's crazy, another consecutive night of overland bus travel. I tell myself I'll slow things down and just settle in Dahab for a couple of days. Leaving on the 0030hrs train later.

6 – A picnic. By the desert's edge.

2 Dec, 1900hrs, Yousef Hotel, Siwah

This is a quick entry before I take the 8pm bus out from Siwa to Cairo (60 EGP, 4 other buses run daily to Alex via Matrouh). Today morning at 7am went to the rooftop, which gives an excellent view of the town; it is one of the highest around the town centre. Caught the sunrise, came down before I became a frozen lollipop. The most obvious thing to go towards was the shali,  a 13th century fortress. Walked around town trying to find the entrance. Got in and summited, but at the wrong summit of the fort. Still the view was great. Came back to town, had a turkish cofee. Then around 11am, found Eba who had gone out on  a rented bicycle. I rented one myself (10 EGP) and we went towards the local sights. No map, but i managed to take a photo of the area at the tourist office. Unfortunately, got our bearings wrong. Instead, we just keep cycling south until we reached the edge of the desert. Everywhere in front of us were dunes. So, at 12pm, we sat down at the edge of the desert, took off our sandals / slippers and talked / exchanged travel tales. It sounds crazy, but the weather was hot, dry yet cool. Left after about 45 minutes. My lips are chafed.

After that, went back, caught the 3 sights we intended to see before we got lost (Cleopatra's Bath, Umm Ubeyda temple ruins, Temple of the Oracle) before cycling back into town. I decided to leave tonight for Cairo at the 8pm bus, to get an extra day. Changed plans a bit, will go straight to Dahab instead after a night in Cairo. This is because Cairo is where I'm supposed to do all the visa admin stuff. So reaching there on the weekend (fri and sat is the weekend here) is a bad idea. I'll see how it goes, will probably find a place to chuck my bag before going embassy hunting.

Eba's headed to Alex then Port Said. Gonna bid farewell to him later. His bus leaves at 10pm. Nice guy. I really got tons of info from him about Cairo, Luxor, Aswan etc.

5 – A date in Siwa (locally made).

1st Dec 11pm, Yousef Hotel, Siwah

As nua as I am tonight, I'd better write this before I go to bed. I am in Siwah oasis, located near the western end of Egypt, a nine hour bus ride from Alex. At the El Maukaf El Gedid station (which is in Moharrem Bey area, and replaces the existing one at the15th of May bus station (LP not updated). Buses depart to Siwah (West and Middle Delta Bus Co, 35 EGP, 9 hrs) at 8.30am, 11am, 2pm and 10pm.

Out of Alexandria, the terrain changes dramatically. We go east along the shoreline, so on one wide I can see the Mediterranean, on the other side, desert. After a halfway point stop at Marsa Matrouh, we go inland and its all desert. The locals are different too, the local berber population in the distinct garb are more obvious the further we go towards Siwah. There was one interesting stop, at Cafe Choop Amoo Said (sic). It is located by the roadside, a single building in the middle of nowhere. I looked around, beside the cofee shop, our bus, an outhouse and a surau, there was nothing else out there, just desert. Took some fantastic shots, and off we go.

Reached Siwa in the evening, about 1730hrs. Saw more and more trees as we approached. Everything is sand brown; the buildings, the sand, more sand, the fort, and more sand. The main highlight of the place is the 13th century fort (shali) setting itself as the background of the main square of the town. The entire place feels so laid back. Donkey carts with "Taxi 4x4. Welcome to Siwa" written, desert trekking and tour companies, cheap eateries (Abdoo's is great). Adding Siwah to my list of places to just chill and watch the world go, (right now that list includes Pai and Vang Vieng, pre-commercialisation). There's quite a bit of independent tourists around. Met an Eba at my hotel (the hotel is basic, clean and 20 EGP!) He's Japanese and a frequent solo traveler. Egypt is his last leg having come from Turkey, Syria, Lebanon and Israel. I'll probably do one of those packages with him tomorrow provided I can find him. After dinner together i forgot to ask for his room, no way to contact him now.

I'm going to wake up early to catch the sunrise on the lovely rooftop. Night.