— The best parts of Egypt aren’t necessarily on land
After endless essay-writing at uni and a long summer of working I booked a last minute holiday to Sharm El Sheikh in Egypt with my uni friend, Leah. She used to live and work there as a diving photographer a few years ago when travelling, so I had my own personal guide to the world of diving. That is the great thing about uni: the amazing variety of people you meet, and I was willing to learn something new and experience
life’s adventurous opportunities. Booking just a week before and having no preferences of times or places we saved money, bagging an eight day package deal in a three-star half-board hotel for just £219. If we hadn’t been so keen we could have saved ourselves another £20 by booking just a day before. On
a student budget, booking flights and hotels separately can help to save a little more money but we were happy to pay the extra to avoid the stress of hunting around online and making our own way from the airport to the hotel.
I was pleasantly surprised to find our room spacious and charming, in a stunning hotel with a lavish outdoor
swimming pool and garden. After a few days of relaxing by the pool I booked a four-day ‘Open Water Diver Course’ for £136 with an Egyptian diving instructor who used to be friends with Leah. The first two days consisted of learning the ropes with diving equipment in a hotel pool, which seemed boring but was essential to understand and practice the art of diving, since knowledge and skill are required. Clearing your mask, equalising, achieving buoyancy and learning hand signals are just a few of the abilities you need to master before jumping in, but what I found most difficult, as bizarre as it sounds, is learning not to swim! I’ve always been a water baby and swam for my hometown in county competitions before my uni days, but when diving you need to keep your arms by your sides, only kicking your legs slightly. This is because the pressure of the water when 30 meters deep is so heavy that trying to swim against it is a waste of energy! Instead you gently glide, propelled by your flippers.
Guides to exotic sea-life couldn’t prepare me for the beautiful array of colourful majesty in this other world. It wasn’t the exhilarating, thrill-seeking experience I’d expected: instead of adrenalin-pumping it was peaceful and relaxing, leaving me in a tranquil daze. Black and white batfish, green sea turtles, crimson Egyptian starfish, feathered lionfish and indigo Arabian angelfish are just some of the amazing creatures that continued sashaying along as we drifted amongst them, besides the raspberry, fire and finger coral of deep pinks, yellows and reds. I was also delighted to follow a school of clownfish, and I’m sure somewhere amidst them swam a baby Nemo, searching for adventure, just like me! Although it was not how I had imagined, that’s exactly what I got: a voyage of underwater exploration, alongside serenity. The photos can’t
portray the calm sensation that the splendor stimulates within you, and it’s unlike any massage you’ll experience in the depth of a salon in Hull!
Conversely, the nightlife was lively with a Pacha nightclub central to the strips of open topped bars, pubs and restaurants for alfresco dining and drinking. The huge late night shopping mall is full of shops selling everything from perfume and jewellery to sports equipment, but if you do find yourself in one of these malls, remember not to be afraid to haggle, because the sellers expect barter and increase prices if they realise you’re not Egyptian.
Back on British soil, I am missing the diver’s life already, but fondly remembering it. Now, without realising,
I can’t help but use the underwater signals for ‘how are you?’ and ‘OK’ in noisy clubs when I’m out on the dance floor. Not only did I have a great time and earn a qualification through diving, I also learned something even more valuable: the importance of making the most of every opportunity.
Julie Visgandis
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