Located on the Sinai Peninsula, Dahab is an old fishing village turned diver's paradise. Its position on the Red Sea offers travelers the opportunity to lose themselves among the waves at an affordable price and hundreds of visitors appeared to be taking an indefinite vacation from life.
Initially, our plan was to arrive in Egypt, check into the hostel and enjoy a mid-day rest before heading out at 11 pm to hike up Mt. Sinai. However, a full day of border crossings with an intense hike through Petra the day before left us feeling drained and we reluctantly crossed Mt. Sinai's sunrise experience off the to-do list—a decision I still somewhat regret. Instead, we opted for a full night's sleep and a morning of scuba diving in the Red Sea.
After a quick mini lesson on the use of a regulator and tips on how to clear a face mask under water, we entered the depths of the sea. As it turns out, scuba diving is terrifying. Breathing through a regulator encourages panic and it required a substantial amount of mental reassurance and personal pep talks to not suck up all of my oxygen at once. I never mastered the face mask water removal technique during our short lesson and was out of luck during the dive. Apparently, the sea was full of fascinating coral and exotic fish. I wouldn't know.
In the end, I determined the ocean is too big for my personal exploration and I am perfectly happy to snorkel or swim at depths that do not require substantial artificial breathing apparatuses. I also prefer to pop out of the water whenever I fancy without worrying about getting a case of the bends.
Not the most glamorous picture but proof that we did squeeze into wet suits in order to experience terrifying underwater adventures.
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