Port Galib, Egypt

25 32N  34 38E

06/08/09

 

After departing Hurghada, Egypt yesterday, we sailed S about 12 mi., to a reef just off the coast...the prop needed cleaning, & we needed a swim, so it was great to stop for a short while & finally get in the water...the water temperature was perfect, & the visibility good...the isolated "bommies" (coral heads) were healthy with lots of small colourful fish...we would have liked to stay longer, but it was an exposed anchorage, & not a good place to spend the night...off we went in a gentle breeze, heading S for Port Galib...it was a full moon night, so the moon was coming up as the sun was setting over the desert mountains...beautiful!...unfortunately, as the sun went down, the wind died along with it...we can't believe we're having to power down the Red Sea!...finally, the winds started filling in around 5 am & we were able to sail the rest of the way to Port Galib, arriving late in the morning...this is another "purpose" built tourist complex...out in the middle of no where & all very squeaky clean...nothing like the "real" Egypt!...we were surprised to see so many of these complexes all along the coast, with thousands of rooms...& lots more being built...tourism & the Suez are the main source of income here in Egypt, but it seems like they've reached the saturation level...This will be our last port in Egypt as we head on down the Red Sea...we will be taking a bit of Egypt with us tho...everything including us, is covered in a thin layer of desert dust...keeping everything clean is difficult!...Our next destination will be a reef about 150 mi. S, called Dolphin reef...it's famous for having a resident school of dolphins there to swim with...something we're looking foreword to...along with catching some fish on the way...bye for now, the crew of Dany II