Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt ~ Snorkeling, Reading, & Wreck Dives

Hello! You have arrived on the fourth in a series of posts about our incredible trip to Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt in 2012! To start over at the beginning, click here!

The third post covered our first and second days' dives, and boy, were they pretty epic! Our very first dive, the one that started it all, was in Cozumel, Mexico. Then we got our Open Water PADI Certification during a trip to Croatia, and our Advanced Open Water PADI Certification in Palma Mallorca! We had purchased our own "kit" (complete sets of diving gear) in preparation for this trip to Sharm! We definitely love to dive!

Monday 2 July 2012
9:12

We didn't end up napping through the whole third dive :) the water was just too inviting, so we hopped in with snorkels and took a little swim around for about 15 minutes. There were a lot of fishes even though the visibility wasn't great. Right next to the boat there was a big school of fusiliers, Suez, I think, because they had the dark stripe on their backs. There was a nice shallow coral reef nearby and we saw some clown fish and more of those frilly turquoise fish. At one point a diver on a scooter and his buddy were right below us. They got some clown fish to swim up out of their anemone and Austin and another snorkeler from our group did surface dives down to get a better look. The diver gave the other guy a breath from his tank!

Suez Fusiliersimage credit

It was Mick, Michelle, and John's last day diving, so we had a beer with them back at the center. Thy had taken some neat pictures, so we gave them one of Austin's business cards. Michelle said they would hit us up for future dive trips, too!

We said our goodbyes and hopped onto our respective transfers.

We got back to the hotel earlier than we have all week, but still not early enough for ice cream :( So we took nice long showers and enjoyed some quality time in the room before dinner. Austin was really tired and not very hungry, but he accompanied me to dinner anyway (he's so sweet)! After dinner I did some laundry and we turned on the tv. Austin fell asleep around 20:30 after watching the end of "Deep Blue Sea" (for the record, a really bad movie to watch while on diving holiday!).

I stayed up until about 23:00 finishing my book Asenath - a fictional account of Joseph's wife's life (I figured it was an appropriate read while on vacation in Egypt).

I was wide awake at about 5:10 this morning but fought valiantly to go back to sleep until about 6:15 when I gave up and started getting ready. In spite of my early rise, we did end up getting to breakfast a little behind schedule. They also forgot to make us lunches today. Thankfully we have a decent amount of leftovers from yesterday.
We're back on the Empress Shorouk today with 12 other divers 2 guides from {Emperor Linky}Emperor and a private guide who is with some underwater photographers (part of the 14). There's a guy on the boat today who looks really familiar, but I can't place him. Chris is still with us today, and probably will be tomorrow as well.

We're kitted up and ready to go with 15 liter tanks for this first dive, and we're en route to Ras Mohammed.

13:21

image credit

Our first dive of the day was a drift from Eel Garden to Shark Observatory. We jumped with the second group, which was the two of us with an instructor called Brian. He was leading two AOWD students, so he pretty much left us to ourselves. We were both on 15 liter tanks, and we ended up with a 46 minute dive. We went to about 30 meters right away and initially we were over a sandy sloping bottom full of garden eels on the way back up to where we leveled up (about 20m), we saw a big stone fish. Pretty soon we came to a reef wall, and there were loads of anthias and butterfly fish and unicorn fish and some big parrotfish. I love how they sometimes swim on their sides!

image credit

There were also some smallish schools of medium-sized fish that were half yellow on top and half purple on the bottom, Chris said he thinks they're goat fish, about ten or twelve of them were schooled together and they would dart in and out of the groups of anthias! Thy was pretty cool to watch. Additionally, there were several green anemones with couples of clown fish on them. Austin is the clown fish whisperer apparently because he would put his face right up next to the anemone and the clown fishes would practically bump into his mask swimming towards his eyes. He pulled me over to have a try, but they don't seem to like me as much as they like him.

Who knew I was married to the clown fish whisperer?
image credit

We had an hour-long surface interval and Kirstie briefed us on Shark & Yolanda take 2. This time I was on a 15-liter tank and Austin was on a 12-liter. We started out the dive in Brian's group again. We jumped on Shark, went with the current around the front, spent some time in the saddle, came around the back of Yolanda and dropped in over the wreck. We were able to really explore the bathroom fixtures this time which was cool! There was a really big stonefish and a moray poking his head out of his hole that I saw on the way to the wreck, but no one was close enough for me to point them out.

On the front of Yolanda we saw a huge moray out feeding, and Ryan and the students went up a little ahead of us and we joined up with Kirstie's group. We went through a small cave, and came out around 5m. It was the first dive that I wasn't the one making us come up -- my longest dive ever at 52 minutes -- and I came out of the water with 72 bars!

We opted out of the third dive again, but right now the group is doing a local dive called Paradise.

15:47

They did see a small white-tipped reef shark, but I don't really feel like we missed that much ;) Another diver, Kevin, who skipped the third dive as well, regaled us with stories of the Thistlegorm - an amazing wreck nearby. If we don't do it this week, it's definitely on my bucket list. They say it's one of the best wreck dives in the world.

image credit

Next time we wrap up our diving days, and after that we go from wet to DRY!!! Be sure to check back!

His,

Click here to read part 5!

To see a list of ALL of our travel stories, in chronological order, click here!

Book Review: Courting Trouble by Deanne Gist

"Tired of waiting for a match made in Heaven, she'll settle for one made in Texas."



"It's 1894, the year of Essie's thirtieth birthday, and she decides the Lord has more important things to do than provide her a husband. If she wants one, she needs to cat him herself. So she writes down the names of all the eligible bachelors in her small Texas town, makes a lists of their attributes and drawbacks, closes her eyes, twirls her finger, and . . . picks one. But convincing the lucky "husband-to-be" will be a bit more of a problem."
(quotes from the back cover)

It's summertime and the reading is good :)

I just finished Courting Trouble by Deanne Gist, and I was very impressed!

The story covers about 8 months in the life of a 30-year-old single woman, Esther (Essie) Spreckelmeyer, in the small town of Corsicana, Texas in 1894. Essie is the only child of the town's judge, and beloved by almost everyone in her delightful little hometown.

This book is well-written and obviously, thoroughly well-researched; however, through the first few chapters I was afraid that I was not going to like it. This was mostly because I got that "I'm so embarrassed for you" feeling on almost every page reading about Essie's attempts to catch a husband. I should have realized that that was actually a very good sign - I was already emotionally connected to Essie.

Throughout the rest of the book, we follow Essie as she wrestles with God's plan for her life, and at some points, takes matters into her own hands - with some heartbreaking consequences. I'm pretty sure that the people at the laundromat thought I had lost my mind. There I was, folding clothes and reading simultaneously, and weeping as Essie and her family worked through some of the more serious issues together. (I'd make that a much better sentence, but I'd hate to give away the good parts :D)

This was such a beautiful story of God's grace and redemptive power in a person's life. It was also a wonderful, realistic look at how the choices we make effect everyone around us, not just ourselves. The author also did a fantastic job of looking at God's forgiveness and the importance of accepting His forgiveness by forgiving ourselves.

All in all a great, emotional read that I would highly recommend! I both shed some tears and laughed out loud, and I can't wait to get my hands on the sequel: Deep in the Heart of Trouble.

Hope you have a tremendous Tuesday!

Book Review: Zion Covenant Series by Bodie Thoene

I am steaming through the rest of this series, and I am LOVING it! I don't have quotes from these three since they had to be returned to the library, but I am constantly impressed by how well-researched and well-written they have all been!

Munich Signature (Zion Covenant)

You know how with some series the first and maybe even the second books are really good, and then it seems like the author is just dragging the story lines along to keep making money from a popular series? That is soooooooo not the case with the Zion Covenant Series! Each installment in this series that I have read thus far has been incredible enough to stand on its own besides the fact that it is a piece of this captivating sextet that Bodie and Brock Thoene have created!

The other amazing facet of this series is the mastery with which Thoene weaves together many separate, but similar story-lines together without them becoming convaluted or overly simplified! I have also found that often books with several characters involved in multiple escapades, I am very interested in one or two of the characters while I find myself bored by the others. With these books, the unfolding of each of the dramas swept me along so spellbindingly that "I'm just going to read one chapter," turned into, "I can't believe it's already two o'clock in the morning!"

Jerusalem Interlude

I have read many books about the history of this time period, but there is something about reading the accurate historic portrayals of important events intertwined with the emotional personal stories of the specific characters that gives such amazing perspective to the gravity of the situations.

I also love the way that Thoene envelops each thread of the story with the main characters love of Christ that compels them to act on behalf of the downtrodden and disenfranchised, those deemed unworthy, untouchable and subhuman by the powers of the day. That same love that empowers them to take a stand when the majority of the world was choosing to turn a blind eye to the atrocities being committed against God's chosen people.

Danzig Passage

This is an inspiring and challenging series that makes you think about what is truly important in this life, and in eternity. I hope you get a chance to read them, and that you enjoy them as much as I have! If you've already read this series, I'd love to hear your thoughts! Leave me a comment and let me know, but please don't tell me how the last book, Warsaw Requiem, ends - I haven't finished that one yet!

Have a great Monday everyone!

Book Review: Prague Counterpoint by Bodie Thoene

Okay, so I am LOVING this series, and I'm bummed that I had to leave it back in Iowa :S I think the fact that I read both Prague Counterpoint (Zion Covenant, Book 2) and Vienna Prelude (Zion Covenant, Book 1) in less than a week should indicate how great these books are! (And it was a busy week at that, lol!)

This installment in the Zion Covenant series covers the period of history right after the Anschluss of Germany and Austria and before the invasion of Czechoslovakia. Although this is a dramatic and compelling time of history in and of itself, Prague Counterpoint (Zion Covenant, Book 2) kept me turning pages into the wee hours of the morning! Again, Thoene weaves an intricate and engrossing plot in the midst of fascinating and accurate historic, political drama!

The book itself belonged to the church library, so it had to be left in Iowa, so I do not have any "favorite quotes" for this review, but there were many!

I am so excited to keep going with this series, and I'm thrilled that the third book in the series, Munich Signature (Zion Covenant), is available for the Kindle, so I'll be able to read it on the road! :)

What's on your summer reading list?

Book Review: Vienna Prelude by Bodie Thoene

I used to do book reviews pretty regularly on my 100 things in 1001 days blog, but due to the added craziness of our new lifestyle, I'm no longer posting over there; therefore, I bring the book reviews here :)

I just finished reading Vienna Prelude by Bodie Thoene. This book, the first of the Zion Covenant series, was absolutely phenomenal! Set in pre-World War II Europe, the book follows the life of Elisa Lindheim (alias Linder) a Jewish-German violin player who lives and works in Vienna.

This period of history has always fascinated me, so this series is right up my alley. On top of that, I LOVE Thoene's work. Many of her books are written with her husband, Brock, and in fact in the next book in this series, Prague Counterpoint (Zion Covenant, Book 2), he is credited as having done the "Research & Development," so it's fun to know that they do such amazing work together. I read their book First Light (A. D. Chronicles, Book 1) last summer, and I am continually impressed by how historically accurate - without being the tiniest bit dry - their work is! Vienna Prelude (Zion Covenant, Book 1) was no exception! Thoene expertly weaves historical report of fact into a gripping, exciting plot that kept me turning pages until the wee hours of the morning :)

Another thing that brings me back to her writing again and again is how she is able to move her characters to the understanding of God's love and sovereignty despite the chaos around them. It's always a good reminder for me!

Some of my favorite quotes:

"Gott soll allein mein Herze haben." She sang the words so softly that no one in the crowded room could hear her. "God alone shall have my heart. . . . ." ... The answer whispered back to her, joyfully and without a doubt: "Was Gott tut, das is wohilgetan! What God has done is rightly done!" ... Somehow it was those last lyrics that came back as a challenge to Elisa. What she had questioned before must now be accepted and believed. If her heart was to belong to God alone, then she must have faith that He did not make mistakes. Men might fail miserabely - that was in evidence all around. But that which was done by God would not fail.

p.277

"Pity them, Jacob. Pity them for the evil they worship and the end that will surely come to them. Weep for our tormentors who have forgotten that they are also eternal. There will be a moment when it is too late to beg forgiveness . . ."

p.320

"No. It is not fear of hell that turns my heart from evil." Theo smiled to himself as though he had discovered a secret. "We have been privileged to see what becomes of men who give themselves over to darkness. They are no longer men. They are the creatures; we are still men." He reached out to touch the arm of th eprofessor. "And yet, we all began exactly alike, like lumps of coal, maybe in different shapes and sizes. The fire and the pressure of hatred consumes some men until they consume others around them in a white-hot fire. And others, trapped in the same fierce pressure and terrible heat, become diamonds to glisten in the hand of God. To shine bright when the blackness is all around, to find love when others are burning in their hatred. Isn't that the essence of God?" ... "A long time ago I gave up hope of ever seeing my Anna again. Or the children. And in that moment, I suppose I died to what I was." ... "Yet when I let go even of life and put myself in the hands of God, I became free, Julius! And I said to God that in this darkness, I want to become a shining light. The men who have imprisoned me changed my name to Stern. Like your name. Stern means star. Do you think that the Gestapo knew how much I wanted to shine! ...

p.339-340

This is one book, series, and author that I would recommend to anyone, any time, with no reservations whatsoever!

Have a great evening!

MHR Inspiration #12

Another week, another Thursday! I hope you are all doing well out there in blogland! :)

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I found the following quotes this week while doing my "marriag research," and I thought they were fantastic:

When a husband and wife both want their partner to receive life’s best before they do, you have a marriage that’s going to exceed every wedding day dream. Their love not only lasts; it continually grows. — Gary Smalley

How to ride the rough waves in a relation long enough for the waters to get calm? When does it sink in that overcoming difficult times gets easier with practice? How do you drag some of the good feelings, good times vibrations into the stormy places? To love someone long and deep is a "consummation devoutly to be wished"!... It is day by day, one step at a time. It may not mean two bathrooms, but just some space, some privacy, some area to be alone. ...Unlike the wedding event, that takes place in a day, marriage is a long process that goes on at some level every day for the rest of your life....We have to learn how to live together... I thought I loved you, Ossie, when we got married, but as I see now, I was only in the kindergarten of the proposition. To arrive at love is like working on a double doctorate in the subject of Life. - Ruby Dee

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Only one article this week, but it's a really good one:

God's Design for Marriage
by Carol Heffernan

In this article, she references the Book Sacred Marriage by Gary Thomas. I have never read this book, but I have heard nothing but good things about it, and after reading this article, I think I'll pick it up to read on our upcoming vacation! :)

My favorite line in the artile is "What if your relationship isn't as much about you and your spouse as it is about you and God?" So often I think that we look at our circumstances and the difficulties in our situations and try to "fix" the symptoms while ignoring our true need for deeper and more meaningful relationship with God.

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Prompt/Theme for Friday, February 27, 2009

Free Form! No prompt this week! Share anything you'd like the world to know about your rocking awesome hubby! :)

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Challenge:

1. Pray this prayer: Lord, how can I love my spouse today like (s)he's never been loved and never will be loved? every day for the next week, and see what happens!

2. Pick 1 book on marriage from this list that you will commit to read (either on your own or with your spouse) within the next three months!


Have a great Thursday everybody!

~ My Husband Rocks! ~ real

Click here to read about why I started MHR Fridays!

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Austin is so awesome! :) I think I'll keep him forever and always! One of the things that I love the most about Austin is that he is 100% genuinely himself all the time. He does not change who he is depending up on the situation or the group of people he is with. He just is who he is, and he doesn't pretend to be anything that he is not.


(I just felt like wedding pics today :)

This brings up a very important issue for all of us. I fear I have misled some of you, and for that I am truly sorry. My intent for ~ My Husband Rocks! ~ Fridays was never to give anyone the impression that we need to pretend like everything is okay when it is not, or portray a false image of our marriages in order to have a great "MHR post." I completely understand and appreciate that we are all going to have weeks when it is hard to remember something about our husbands that makes them so amazing. This does not mean that we love them any less than we do on the weeks when our lists are overflowing from the computer screens. It just means that they are human, and so are we. MHRF is there to encourage us to choose to focus on the things we love and appreciate about our husbands instead of dwelling upon those aspects of their personalities that make us want to scream. I believe that when we do that, it will lead to harmony in our homes because what we choose to think about and focus upon has the most tremendous impact on our attitudes.



I am not sure that any of that made much sense after it came out of my brain, but it has been bugging me for the last few days, and I wanted to be sure that I cleared it up.

Anyway, back to my rocking awesome husband! :)

It has been pretty cold here this week, so every morning as part of his routine Austin makes sure to go out and turn my car on so it has time to warm up. I did not ask him or expect him to do this, he just did it.

He has also been very tolerant of my projects. I am the kind of person who always has way too many things going on at one time. I know this. I am admitting that I have a problem. Recently it has gotten very crazy. In addition to all of my real responsibilities with the house and food and hubby and dog, I am in the middle of reading at lest three books, writing mine, getting ready for the holidays, and this week I decided that I should make a quilt. Oh, and I think I have a half-crocheted baby blanket somewhere, too. My poor born-organized hubby cannot understand this compulsion, but he has been such a sweetheart this week. I know that having the quilting pieces laying out in the family room is not his desired decorating style (and I do tidy up when I am not working on it) but he has not complained about it at all, and he has even been very encouraging about catching up with my NaNoWriMo novel (I'm about 5,000 words behind at this point, and he is very good at reminding me that that project actually has a deadline).



So, suffice it to say, my husband totally rocks!

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Be sure to check in with the other ladies who are bragging on their rocking hubbies today by clicking on the "My Husband Rocks Participants" button in the left sidebar.

(if you would like to add the MHR Fridays button to your sidebar, use this code ).

<a href="http://honestandlasting.blogspot.com/2008/06/my-husband-rocks-friday.html"><img src="http://i303.photobucket.com/albums/nn135/katylinvw/mosaicmhrf.jpg"/></a>

If you're not a blogger, but still want the world to know about your amazing husband (or wife, or husband to be, or wife to be, etc.) leave a shout-out in the form of a comment! If you're unable to comment, e-mail me at katylinvw [at] yahoo [dot] com and I'll add your shout out to this post!

As always, on Fridays From*me Tees will refund your shipping on any order of two or more items if you mention the great adventure and ~my husband rocks! Fridays~ in the "how did you hear about us?" section of your order form, so run on over there and check them out, too! Thank you From*me Tees!

Thanks for reading everybody! Have a fantastic weekend!

Marriage Builder Monday - on a Tuesday :)

Hello and happy Tuesday!

I know I'm a day late on this one, but yesterday was our big BATW day! Thanks to everyone for your visits and your sweet comments! I am hoping to return the favor within the next couple of days :)

I am starting the book The Power of a Praying Wife by Stormie Omartian, so one thing that I'm going to do for Austin this week, and for the next several, is to read this book and put it into practice. I have a tendency to just zip through a book and while I get a lot out of it, I know that in certain situations, it is best to read slowly, taking everything in and even rereading when necessary. Therefore, I am going to read just a single chapter per week, and take longer if I feel the need. This week's chapter is entitled "His Wife" and it's about looking at myself and what I need to improve upon rather than always thinking about and focusing upon the areas in which he needs to improve.



Another practical thing I am planning for Austin this week will happen on Friday evening. We are going away for our anniversary this weekend, and the trip involves a six-hour drive. Having just returned from a cross-country road trip to Florida in which he drove the bulk of the 25 hour drive (both ways), he is not particularly looking forward to the driving portion of our weekend. So, I am going to drive the entire way there, and if he would like, the entire way back. If he'll let me. Sometimes he's kind of macho about that. He feels responsible to get us there safely. He's so stinking cute! :)

Hope everyone's having a great, great Tuesday!