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Egypt: A bit of biking and a lot of diving

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Silver
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Joined: 03 Oct 2004
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PostPosted: 16:22 - 24 Oct 2005    Post subject: Egypt: A bit of biking and a lot of diving Reply with quote
Okay, so I'm going to start "on topic" and then go completely off topic (you have been warned Wink ).

Got back from two weeks in Egypt at 4am this morning, after the world's worst flight. It was delayed by two hours initially (which I can live with) but then we got sat in front of the three most annoying people in history on the plane; three big old "Essex Burds". Think of 'Birds of a feather' without the humour ( Shocked ) and devoid of any level of intelligence (I know it has none, but take that away too). Everything was "facking 'ell" at full volume and absolutely everything needed complaining about. So all the way back (5 hours) I had to listen to their inane drivel. For example, we're blasting up the runway to take off and one says to the another "How fast do you reckon this has to go to take off?" Reply? "About 500mph" Laughing

Anyway, while we were in Sharm I found a centre hiring out KTM bikes for a blast round their motorcross track. You could also take a bike on a guided tour into the desert.

I got a KTM 125SX to wobble round their track on (they wouldn't let anyone use the humps and jumps unfortunately).

https://www.rollingthunder.co.uk/images/egypt/IMG_9125.jpg

I haven't ridden a two stroke offroad and was pretty impressed with the power, even though it's only a 125.

https://www.rollingthunder.co.uk/images/egypt/IMG_9174.jpg

During the break the bloke came to me and said "You're only using the first three gears".

"Errrr... yeah, I know".

"You can get up to fifth round here," was his reponse.

"Yeah, maybe you can." Laughing

https://www.rollingthunder.co.uk/images/egypt/IMG_9177.jpg

https://www.rollingthunder.co.uk/images/egypt/IMG_9122.jpg

After that (30 minutes in intense sunshine, I was knackered) we took a one hour trip into the desert. Jeanette took a beach buggy type thing (she didn't want to ride a bike!) and I took a KTM 640 LC4.

https://www.rollingthunder.co.uk/images/egypt/IMG_9783.jpg

Never having ridden on sand before, if was an eye opening experience. The front wheel tries to tuck when you hit deep sand and I had quite a few snakey wobbles. Only way out of it is to wrap the trottle open and power through it!

Anyway, I was pretty chuffed with going on holiday for two weeks and still getting some biking in.

Now, we also managed a shed load of diving (about 17 dives) so here are some pictures for anyone interested in photography / diving. All taken with a little Canon IXUS 430 and an underwater housing.

https://www.rollingthunder.co.uk/images/egypt/IMG_8729.jpg

An eel of some description:
https://www.rollingthunder.co.uk/images/egypt/IMG_8937.jpg

We found Nemo:
https://www.rollingthunder.co.uk/images/egypt/IMG_9010.jpg

The poisonous Lionfish:
https://www.rollingthunder.co.uk/images/egypt/IMG_9063.jpg

And the equally dangerous Scorpianfish (if you can see it!):
https://www.rollingthunder.co.uk/images/egypt/IMG_8948.jpg

Blue Spotted Stingray:
https://www.rollingthunder.co.uk/images/egypt/IMG_9076.jpg

Turtle!
https://www.rollingthunder.co.uk/images/egypt/IMG_9077.jpg

A Shit load of fish (technical term):
https://www.rollingthunder.co.uk/images/egypt/IMG_8891.jpg

Crocodile Fish:
https://www.rollingthunder.co.uk/images/egypt/IMG_8740.jpg

Moray eel:
https://www.rollingthunder.co.uk/images/egypt/IMG_8988.jpg

We also dived the Thistlegorm, a WWII British transporter that got sunk by some German bombers. It's fascinating because there's all sorts down there on the boat; jeeps, BSA bikes, ammunition (yes, it's still there!), train carriages etc.

The main deck gun:
https://www.rollingthunder.co.uk/images/egypt/IMG_9046.jpg

Unused shells anyone?
https://www.rollingthunder.co.uk/images/egypt/IMG_9044.jpg

BSA bike; one careful owner:
https://www.rollingthunder.co.uk/images/egypt/IMG_9056.jpg

Just a couple more random shots... Sunrise from Mt Sinai (where Moses received the Ten Commandments from God, if you're into that sort of thing):
https://www.rollingthunder.co.uk/images/egypt/IMG_8863.jpg

And finally, how's this for parking? This was the hotel being built next to ours. Surely a contender for Caption Competition! Laughing
https://www.rollingthunder.co.uk/images/egypt/IMG_8647.jpg
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Chriss
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Joined: 07 May 2005
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PostPosted: 16:26 - 24 Oct 2005    Post subject: Reply with quote
Wow, alot better than when I went out there. Smile

Looks like you had fun! Smile
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Wave2k
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Joined: 06 Apr 2004
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PostPosted: 16:29 - 24 Oct 2005    Post subject: Reply with quote
looks pretty dam cool glad you had a good time, i was lucky on my NZ flight, no one annoying, but imagine if there was, 24 hours of it Confused
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Dom
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Joined: 06 Sep 2004
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PostPosted: 16:31 - 24 Oct 2005    Post subject: Reply with quote
You look really comfortable on the bike in this pic. Laughing

https://www.rollingthunder.co.uk/images/egypt/IMG_9177.jpg

Looks like a great holiday, and some nice pics. Thumbs Up
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colin1
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Joined: 17 Feb 2005
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PostPosted: 16:36 - 24 Oct 2005    Post subject: Reply with quote
sounds like a great holiday
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Silver
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PostPosted: 16:39 - 24 Oct 2005    Post subject: Reply with quote
Dom wrote:
You look really comfortable on the bike in this pic. Laughing


Trying to lean the bike whilst keep the body upright, supermoto stylee. Goes against all my road riding habits though - just want to stick my knee out!
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Dom
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PostPosted: 16:51 - 24 Oct 2005    Post subject: Reply with quote
Silver wrote:
Trying to lean the bike whilst keep the body upright, supermoto stylee. Goes against all my road riding habits though - just want to stick my knee out!


Hehe, maybe you should've just tried for the first ever desert safari kneedown session, that'd shut up old smart-arse 5 gears for sure. Wink
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romperstomper...
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Joined: 14 Jan 2005
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PostPosted: 18:20 - 24 Oct 2005    Post subject: Reply with quote
went to sharm myself 14 days diving holiday ,loved the thistlegorm ,top 10 wrecks of the world shame about the pilfering also dived the dunraven ,would like to go on a wreck safari next visit !
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Silver
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PostPosted: 19:00 - 24 Oct 2005    Post subject: Reply with quote
romperstomper1 wrote:
went to sharm myself 14 days diving holiday ,loved the thistlegorm ,top 10 wrecks of the world shame about the pilfering also dived the dunraven ,would like to go on a wreck safari next visit !


Yeah, unfortunately everything of any value gets nicked, starting with the ship's bell. I did the Dunraven a few years ago - bit tame compared to the Thistlegorm but still interesting!

What struck me most was how busy it was (in terms of dive boats). I was last in Sharm in 2001 (before it became so popular) and there would be a couple of boats on each dive site. This time there seemed to be five or six on each site. On one day (whilst at sea) I counted 40 boats within a mile of so. It's not good for the reef.
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instigator
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Joined: 19 Oct 2004
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PostPosted: 19:31 - 24 Oct 2005    Post subject: Reply with quote
Made me jealous. Yet more amazing pictures from your holidays. Nice one. Very Happy Thumbs Up

P.S That's not actually nemo, it is a clownfish but not the same kind. Wink

P.P.S I've seen how poisonous those lionfish are - Makes a grown man weep for long time. Laughing Shocked
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romperstomper...
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PostPosted: 19:31 - 24 Oct 2005    Post subject: Reply with quote
we dived the thistlegorm off season jan 03 with rough seas ,6 boats which was apparenttly very quite due to the weather ,there was 30 in our party split in two waves with me at the back ! Best dive I've done yet ,Wow what a great wreck would love to do it solo !
Nice pics are they you own ?
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Silver
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PostPosted: 21:36 - 24 Oct 2005    Post subject: Reply with quote
instigator wrote:
P.P.S I've seen how poisonous those lionfish are - Makes a grown man weep for long time. Laughing Shocked


What was the outcome? I'm told they can paralyse a limb on a grown adult for about 8 hours.

In reality they're very timid of divers. I think they're cool, and because they don't swim very fast you can chase them for pictures (most things just vanish as soon as you show too much interest!)

Edit: Quick search on Lionfish venom:

"A person punctured by one of the sharp spines will immediately feel strong pain. Rapid swelling of the affected body area develops which may make the movement of limbs very difficult. Lion-fish stings can cause nausea, breathing difficulties, paralysis, convulsions and collapse. Even death may occur in exceptional circumstances. Most people survive in spite of the great pain. The venom in the spines remains active for days, so even discarded spines should be treated with caution. It may take several months for a full recovery and if the sting is left untreated, gangrene may develop." Shocked

romperstomper1 wrote:
we dived the thistlegorm off season jan 03 with rough seas ,6 boats which was apparenttly very quite due to the weather ,there was 30 in our party split in two waves with me at the back ! Best dive I've done yet ,Wow what a great wreck would love to do it solo !
Nice pics are they you own ?


I do like the Thistlegorm, done five dives there now.

Yep, the pictures are all mine. I took about 400 underwater pictures and those are a selection of the best ones. Underwater photography is very difficult, much more so that normal and I have great respect for some of the professionals and the pictures they produce.
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romperstomper...
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Joined: 14 Jan 2005
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PostPosted: 22:08 - 24 Oct 2005    Post subject: Reply with quote
Silver wrote:
. Underwater photography is very difficult, much more so that normal and I have great respect for some of the professionals and the pictures they produce.


Yeah I know thats why I asked ,they look rather good !
One guy on the holiday spent all his dives looking through the lens ,took hundreds ,poor bloke did'nt have a single decent one !
I just pinch mine of websites ,got some great wreck pics ,checkout www.scubaboard.com
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biggerjohn
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Joined: 11 Apr 2005
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PostPosted: 15:34 - 25 Oct 2005    Post subject: Reply with quote
Looks like a top holiday it brings back to memories of when I was out there in 1994

I wonder it that huge Napoleon Rass is still pestering divers for food on the edge of the coral reef with the wrecked cargo ship on it when we where there the dive boat operator told us he was at least 10 years old then.
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instigator
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PostPosted: 15:41 - 25 Oct 2005    Post subject: Reply with quote
Silver wrote:
instigator wrote:
P.P.S I've seen how poisonous those lionfish are - Makes a grown man weep for long time. Laughing Shocked


What was the outcome? I'm told they can paralyse a limb on a grown adult for about 8 hours.


Yup, all that you just quoted there, severe pain followed by his arm ballooning up and going red. Left work in the morning and apparently came back the next day. It was at a fish suppliers I went to for a day (they supply fish to pretty much all of Glasgow's pet shops and any surrounding towns). Went in to clean the tank and not thinking it would move much, put his arm in to take out the very few bits of rock in the tank. It's fin just touched the guy.

"Take a bee sting and multiply it by 100" he said, after asking how much it hurt. Laughing Shocked

I was going to keep them but realised I'd really need more of a 6ft-8ft tank to make any sort of decent set-up to keep one. Most I'd spent on a fish was £50, think they retailed at £80 in shops.
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