As we made our way to Ras Mohammed, the Egyptian equivalent of Yosemite National Park to us American’s, I couldn’t help but hear the Disney theme song from The Little Mermaid “Under the Sea” playing in my head. Ayman Sharm, our new friend and taxi driver turned tour guide, is speeding along the rare blacktopped highway towards Cairo to the checkpoint where they inspect p
assports, Egyptian visas and Ayman’s ID. Could you imagine having your ID or passport checked going from PA across the Walt Whitman Bridge to the beach every weekend during the summer? Can you say traffic jam?
The drive through the Sinai desert is amazing as the sun reaches its hot peak and as we twist and turn through small mountains and flat sandy roads we make our way to the first tourist deserted cove. The benefit of a “local” guide is that you don’t run into too many tour buses but deep inside your subconscious you feel that pang of discomfort that we’d be hard to find if our Egyptian guide wanted us to be lost forever. It is amazing how much trust you need to have in your fellow man to really experience a country. From Russia to Turkey to Israel and now Egypt we count on the Golden Rule: “Do unto others.” I’d say so far so good.
The Irish tonic is flowing as we lather up Team Glavin with SPF 500 and hope for the best. The Sun God Rah is laughing as our light haired, freckle faced boys are donning their snorkels and flippers headed to the Red Sea. They look like “creatures from the white lagoon” headed back to the Sea. It is comical as Seamus and Pearse are trying to master their flipper
s as they launch and spray sand at each other with every step as the flipper snaps back. With their sunscreen as a fixative, by the time they reach the sea they look like sugar coated butter cookies.
The water is cool to the touch and you can see the different temperatures and depths of the water by the distinct colors of the white, aqua and deep deep blue water. The sea bed is uneven right from the start and you footing is unsure almost immediately. As you submerge your face into the water you know that you are in for a special experience as the sea flora starts to change color almost immediately. It only takes 15-20 ft from shore before the first of many treats comes into view. The sea floor undulates and with each change there is an amazing coral spectacle of orange, blue, green, pink etc. and like I tell Eamon and Pearse about those girls, just because their beautiful doesn’t mean you can touch them. It was a hard lesson learned by all of us and we have the red rashes to prove it. Another early lesson learned is that you can’t hear mom yell “Oh S--- that hurt” under water.
Amazingly the water warms as you move towards the deep blue as if it is inviting you to share in the wonderment it has to offer. The boys are flitting back and forth and Ann, surprising all of us, looks like she is auditioning for a role on the TV show Flipper. Pearse has some issues with his mask and mastering the “mouth breathing” but he works hard trying to keep up and wants to see everything like his brothers. As we make our way to the “shelf” the fish are plentiful and the view under the ocean is staggeringly beautiful. With each stroke you seem like you enter a
different world of tropical fish. There are red and green, orange and grey, yellow and blue and the occasional “Nemo” or something resembling that lost pesca. We see 3 ft fluorescent green eels or “snake fish” as their called here and fish as big as Pearse. The water is almost intoxicating as you want to go further and further out to see what else it has to offer. Before you know it you are looking down and the sea floor is 20-30 feet below. The schools of purple fish and green fish beckon you to follow but one gulp of sea water reminds you that God didn’t make us with real fins!
We wait patiently to see if the underwater camera will capture our Jacque Cousteau like day. We left Ras Mohammed tired, gratefully lily white, and filled with images burned in our minds that remind us of the day we saw life “Under the Sea.”
assports, Egyptian visas and Ayman’s ID. Could you imagine having your ID or passport checked going from PA across the Walt Whitman Bridge to the beach every weekend during the summer? Can you say traffic jam?The drive through the Sinai desert is amazing as the sun reaches its hot peak and as we twist and turn through small mountains and flat sandy roads we make our way to the first tourist deserted cove. The benefit of a “local” guide is that you don’t run into too many tour buses but deep inside your subconscious you feel that pang of discomfort that we’d be hard to find if our Egyptian guide wanted us to be lost forever. It is amazing how much trust you need to have in your fellow man to really experience a country. From Russia to Turkey to Israel and now Egypt we count on the Golden Rule: “Do unto others.” I’d say so far so good.
The Irish tonic is flowing as we lather up Team Glavin with SPF 500 and hope for the best. The Sun God Rah is laughing as our light haired, freckle faced boys are donning their snorkels and flippers headed to the Red Sea. They look like “creatures from the white lagoon” headed back to the Sea. It is comical as Seamus and Pearse are trying to master their flipper
s as they launch and spray sand at each other with every step as the flipper snaps back. With their sunscreen as a fixative, by the time they reach the sea they look like sugar coated butter cookies.The water is cool to the touch and you can see the different temperatures and depths of the water by the distinct colors of the white, aqua and deep deep blue water. The sea bed is uneven right from the start and you footing is unsure almost immediately. As you submerge your face into the water you know that you are in for a special experience as the sea flora starts to change color almost immediately. It only takes 15-20 ft from shore before the first of many treats comes into view. The sea floor undulates and with each change there is an amazing coral spectacle of orange, blue, green, pink etc. and like I tell Eamon and Pearse about those girls, just because their beautiful doesn’t mean you can touch them. It was a hard lesson learned by all of us and we have the red rashes to prove it. Another early lesson learned is that you can’t hear mom yell “Oh S--- that hurt” under water.
Amazingly the water warms as you move towards the deep blue as if it is inviting you to share in the wonderment it has to offer. The boys are flitting back and forth and Ann, surprising all of us, looks like she is auditioning for a role on the TV show Flipper. Pearse has some issues with his mask and mastering the “mouth breathing” but he works hard trying to keep up and wants to see everything like his brothers. As we make our way to the “shelf” the fish are plentiful and the view under the ocean is staggeringly beautiful. With each stroke you seem like you enter a
different world of tropical fish. There are red and green, orange and grey, yellow and blue and the occasional “Nemo” or something resembling that lost pesca. We see 3 ft fluorescent green eels or “snake fish” as their called here and fish as big as Pearse. The water is almost intoxicating as you want to go further and further out to see what else it has to offer. Before you know it you are looking down and the sea floor is 20-30 feet below. The schools of purple fish and green fish beckon you to follow but one gulp of sea water reminds you that God didn’t make us with real fins!We wait patiently to see if the underwater camera will capture our Jacque Cousteau like day. We left Ras Mohammed tired, gratefully lily white, and filled with images burned in our minds that remind us of the day we saw life “Under the Sea.”
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