I have being in Dahab for more than 2 month now. I arrived after my trip to the Himalayan Mountains. To be honest, I did not know at the time whether I was going to stay here in Dahab for any length of time. There were ALOT of uncertainty. Rental nightmares are a common story in Dahab, where owners do not fix things that are broken. I have heard people go without water or electricity cause the owners are not responding. There are also the problem of being kicked out of the rental unit because there are no contracts, and people are just renting to other people when ever they see fit.

Internet access was questionable. People talk about how Dahab’s internet is just unreliable, or too slow for online meetings. I also heard that landlines are miserably slow, and that my only opportunity is to use the cellular data. Which may end up being extremely costly. With me taking a major role in mentoring in Nobel, I was going to spend many hours online everyday.

The third uncertainty, was the reason I was here, in Dahab instead of anywhere else in the world. Diving. I finished my open water in January of this past year. To say it was a touch and go situation would be a gross understatement. I panic quiet a bit underwater until the last two dives. Even though I have over came my fear to many degrees, I still struggle with the fear in the back of my mind. The dread of going into the water is always there, the feeling of panic was imprinted in the back of my mind.

Farida booked me this hotel near her house, it was very nice, but man did they try to screw us over by trying to give me a smaller room with share bathroom rather than the one Farida reserved. H picked me up the next day to take me to get some Egyptian breakfast. Then he set me up with one of his 10 phone numbers. Foreigners can not have local phone numbers, they can only buy data and use data. So honestly I do not know how I would have survived without H. I bought Zyads old iphone since my iphone does not have regular sims. Egypt does not have esims. So I had to buy an Egyptian iphone 11. Local phone line is important to be able to call local places and allow people to contact you on application or housing rentals. So it is a must, while I may not use it very often. Then H took me to get a haircut. That turn out to be a haircut, facial, massage, hair treatment, the whole 9 yards. Really clean the India pollution off my face. Few days later he drove me to Dahab, with Yasser and Assar in tow.

I arrived in Dahab, visited Penguin again to meet Shaban who is the owner of Penguin divers. He booked my course and accommodations in January for me, but he was on vacation when I was in town. I did not tell him that my little son’s name is almost the same as his; Shaba, lol. H arranged a bicycle for me at a very good price, brand new. When I arrived in Egypt, I have the worst sciatica pain on my right side of my hip from the last two days of riding before arriving in New Delhi. I also popped my right knee, which has the MCL injury before, right on the last day of riding. So I was walking like a broken old man.

The guys did some diving, as I rested and worked most of the time during the day. By night fall we are out eating and socializing. Then we hung out and socialized and then H had to go back to Cairo. Assar and Yasser stayed back and we hung out some more. Eventually they all left, at this point I have not went diving yet, even though the opportunity was there.

Eventually it was just me and Shaba. We explore Dahab a little on our own. It was limited how much I was doing, with my knee and hip. The sciatica was almost gone in 3 weeks, but the knee… well I went to play ping pong with people at the hotel, and I twisted and pop it again… So I am back to square one. I did not even go swimming because I did not know how well I would do going into the water. The approach in many of the places are very rocky.

After almost 3 weeks I finally moved into my new flat. H and Shaban arranged me a house literally right next to Shaban’s house. Great location, and right next to someone who can help me if I needed it. Also a reliable source for rental so I’m not getting screwed. So the first big problem is resolved (housing). It is two levels, two bedroom, with a roof top lounge. I really needed the extra space. I was feeling really cramped in Oricana.

Not to mention there was no wifi or landline option at the hotel and I was just using cell data. While the cell data is cheap by any USA standard, it was ridiculously expensive for local standards. I was going through nearly 80 to 100 gigs of data a week going to the meetings. The connection was surprisingly good. Every time I go back to Vodaphone to reload my data, they look at me bewilderment. Because I am going through the amount of data most people would not use in a month time. This is me using it conservatively, and not updating my devices. It ended up costing me about 20 dollars a week, which equate to around 80 a month. In comparison, I’m using about 20 dollars worth of data on my landline a month and I use it liberally.

H and the gang arrives again in Dahab, after 3 weeks hiatus, with Farida and Sara this time as well. We went to Darwish, and went swimming at the Laguna. I took photos of Shaba on the hammock, last picture is another 10 year old doing the same thing. Just in case, you are wondering how immature I am. It is about a maturity of a 10 year old.

After a nice meal, the day after everyone is going diving. They ask me if I wanted to come, I figure it was time to stop procrastinating. I have being here for a month now, pretty pathetic that I did not swim or dive yet. So I went diving for the first time since Jan. Shaban gave Sara and I a refresher course. Then in the water we went. We went to the south eel garden. I have only ever dove at the light house for my course, so this is new.

I did not know how it would be for me since my last dive was 8 months ago. It was also very touch and go until the last dive. Will I still panic and be worried? Will I remember anything about what I have to do under water? Ironically, I was calmer than I have ever being while diving. It was a very natural experience. I gave Assar my camera and he was a great photographer. Two dives later, I was ready for more.

I want to tell you that I went back to diving right away, but I waited another week before going back to Penguin Dive Center. I went out for the first time with strangers to Dahab south again. This time, I did eel garden and the caves. My instructor Omar is still my favorite instructor. I dove with him 2 times now. With each dive, I felt more confident, and more comfortable.

I also started swimming every day. I blocked it out in my work schedule a 2.5 hour block each day, that I can make it down to the light house and swim for an hour, get some food, and then come back shower and continue on my day. Swimming at the light house next to the coral is like swimming in an aquarium. I got stung a few times in the water by micro organisms, minor, but annoying. I am thinking I need to wear a thin neoprene wet suit top that is long sleeve for swimming.

Assar visited me the week after, it has being 3 weeks since I saw them. Diving only to 18 meter was very limiting, and I could not go to many places. So after very little convincing, I decided to get my advance certificate. We did a quick dive in front of the dive center, and saw a sea turtle. I tried my new fin and my new Shearwater computer that H arrange for me that Assar brought with him. I am more comfortable now and start being the camera man.

Shaban, Assar and I went to do the premiere dive in Dahab, Canyon and Blue Hole. It was my deep dive and drift dive circuit for the advance certificate. This first one is the canyon. Where we saw eels and octopus and dove into the canyon. First time descending to 30 meters or 100 ft. I did not get narcosis and was pretty lucid the whole time. They try to tell me to do this counting thing in the water. I could not even remember it on land. lol. Made for a pretty funny video.

Second dive at the blue hole, going down the bells. Was pretty interesting. Not much to see, but when I went out to the open sea, there was definitely a shock factor. Nothing but blue, it was pretty sketchy. The only thing is that there was a reef wall where we came down so at least there was some reference. So adjusting my air to stay at the right level was very important. Very happy to have my own computer.

I finished my advance certificate the week after with three consecutive dives with Nadine. All three at the light house. First is peak bouyancy, second was navigation, and the final one was night dive. It was the first time I went back to dive at the Light house since January. I remember struggling with all these activity when I first dove there 8 month ago. It was very easy this time around. Even the night dive was not as scary as I thought it was going to be. I finally made it down to the elephant that I saw on my dive in Jan.

I guess I’m a diver now, I went back to the Blue Hole and Canyon again. This time with Omar, and Adel, and Claudia. I wore a full suit, which was 5mm instead of my usual 3mm shorty. Mainly because I did not want to get stung under water. But I feel like the full suit is so much tighter than the shorty, and I would say it felt restrictive when I wore it. Both dives I used up my air too fast. I’m not sure if the tightness of my suit is causing me to breath rapidly. But everything is fine, I’m calm and cool. I also got better at my photography skills.

It is December now, Nobel has become a huge part of my life and my time. I am diving regularly every Sunday. I am also settle into my new place. I lost 5 kg at least with my new diet and exercise routine. I have another 5 or 10 to go. Everything is working out, the war 200 miles away have not at all effected my live here in Dahab. I will be going next week to Cairo to pick up my diving gear. I bought all my own gear now. Tomorrows I dive again. I need to get to 50 dives + plus Thithlegorm wreck dive. I’m not sure I want to go deeper. I do want to go to Elphinstone after 50 dives to see if I can see some sharks.

When I hear people tell me they find my adventures exciting, but “that is not me (them)”, “I could never do that”. I always remember myself telling other people the same exact thing even when I am doing the activity. I told myself and others that I’m just going to get my Open water, then I thought I’m not going to dive more than 18 meters, I do not need my own gear, now I’m saying I do not need to go anymore than 30 meters.

I am constantly reminded that I do not know anything about myself, and I can be so much more than I think I am or what I can do. I am constantly reminded the prison we make out of our own mind, in the name of fear and safety, is a battle that needs to be fought everyday.