FIGJAM'S Epic Adventure: El Tur... Take Two!

17/8/09

747 (local time)

Ouch!, I'm absolutely aching! 3 MASSIVE days sailing in conditions ranging from waves to flat water, with winds from 20 knots to 30 knots, my hands are absolutely buggered!

Well, myself Lionel, Lizzy and James all headed off to El Tur for a few reasons.

1. So I could get my extended visa

2. So we could windsurf somewhere different

3. So we could windsurf in some waves!

Right, so similar to last time I went to El Tur, we had to be down at the beach so we could leave at around 6am. So I woke up at 5.20 had my breakfast packed a small backpack of clothes and headed off down.

We had the van packed and we were all ready to go by 6.15 so we headed off.

Luckily it was a Friday, because in Egypt (and most Muslim countries) Friday is their day off, which meant there was minimal checkpoints because all the guards had their day off, so if you wanted to bomb a Muslim country do it on Friday because everyone will be sleeping! (I don't endorse bombing of another country)

Anyway, we were at El Tur by 8.30ish and I was out on the water by 9. We sailed around for 1.5 hours and were then called in, because 2 Utes had rocked up and we were loading them full of windsurf kit so we could be taken down to the local wave spot!

So we loaded one ute with 6 boards and about 12 sails, and sent that down the highway, and on the other ute we put a few boards, all the booms and 8 blokes sitting in the tray... there was a definite health and safety issue.

So we made it too the wave beach, it was cross-on so good fun for jumping and backside wave riding! Of course, I was first out there. It was great fun reminded me of back home sailing with all the boys, lots and lots of fun! We sailed non-stop for 2 hours, then packed up the utes again and went back to the lagoon. I did a bit of freestyle until I could sail no more, my hands were a mess! So red and bruised!

We had dinner and because we had no accommodation, we slept under the stars that night. We woke to the sunrise and had an early swim then got stuck into some breakfast, it was a buffet so I went ALL OUT!

Today was going to be awesome, because we had Danielle the resident photographer coming down to the wave beach to get some awesome shots of us windsurfing! And she did, they looked awesome!

Same again, we had some beers and dinner, and because once again we didn’t have any accommodation so we slept under the stars... again, I saw a shooting star! IT WAS COOL!

We woke again... to the sunrise, I had to get up a bit earlier because I had to organise my visa. I thought it was going to be a massive ball ache, but luckily I was one of the first there so it only took about 15 minutes to get it sorted... This visa allows me to stay in Egypt for another 4 months, which takes me up to December, I doubt ill be staying here until then...

Anyway, the plan of attack today was to sail until around 2ish, because at 2.30 the van was coming to take us all back to Dahab.

So in the small session of sailing that we had the group of us focused on trying forward loops! Lets just say, I didn’t last until 2 o clock... my body was bruised and broken by 1 o clock... I had to rest. Some sick photos will be up to show the carnage!

The bus arrived, we packed all our kit into it, and we were on our way back to Dahab. I don't remember much of the trip, I was asleep!

I do remember the MASSIVE argument between the taxi driver, his boss, Us and the Tour Company we hired the bus through. Something about wanting more money... it was pretty intense a lot of yelling at one another, because he wanted a ridiculous amount of money from us, which we flatly denied. Anyway we got it all sorted, unpacked the stuff and I headed back home for an early night.

A massive 3 days but defiantly worth it!

The End, Steve

PS: I have been playing around with Google Earth! And, I have realised that I am 13,592.54 Kilometres from home! Pretty cool stuff! I'm making spaghetti bol tonight, so ill let you know how that goes!

PPS: This is my 50^th post! Woo Hoo!