The MDS Troup returned from one of the most magnificent trips we have ever had…the Red Sea Egypt & Jordan. Due to the pandemic and other situational problems this trip had been delayed for three years.
We departed Chicago O’Hare on Royal Jordanian Air and flew to Amman Jordan then onto Cairo Egypt. We overnighted in Cairo before flying Egyptian Air down to Hurghada. We spent eight days on the Liveaboard Dive Boat Emperor Elite diving the southern Red Sea. We started with the Elphinstone Reef, The Brothers Reefs and spent the last two days on Daedalus Reef. There we saw sixteen hammerheads in one school, a couple of thrasher sharks and had close encounters of the first kind with Oceanic White Tips. Ask Jenny and Ruth how exciting that was. The coral walls provide all the panoramic beauty and excitement we were promised. All this was complimented with one fantastic crew. As we left the boat we were told if we left anything they would send it to us, however I did leave a part of my heart and soul that will remain there into perpetuity
After disembarkation we toured the antiquities of Egypt. We were levitated with a sunrise Hot Air Balloon ride over the Valley of the Kings. The Pyramid’s, Sphinx and Museum provided us with enlightenment of over 3000 years of the Pharaohs of Old, Middle and New Kingdoms. Our lodging at Luxor was Steigenberger Hotel on the bank of Nile River. This afforded us the opportunity to wash our feet in the Nile River and take a sunset ride in a Egyptian Felucca sailboat.
Half of the group returned home after five days of touring while seven adventure seekers continued onto Amman Jordan. We linked up with the Goddess of Tour Guides…Maha. Her abundant knowledge, experience and charismatic personality provide us with an undaunted exploration of the City of Petra, numerous castles, temples and delightful restaurants.
We turned our ageing years back with a mud bath while bobbing like corks the Dead Sea, and we spent on night glamping in the red sand desert at Wadi Rum. Wadi Rum is the location for filming several movies to include The Martin and Lawrence of Arabia to name just a few
I’ve led 167 trips to foreign countries and islands but this trip is unequivocally the best. Numerous Bucket Lists were check of on this once in a lifetime adventure. .
All arrangements were coordinated and made with a lady named Petra at Fly & Sea Travel, Vancouver…… I can sum this Adventure up in three words…
SIMPLY THE BEST
MDS QUEST FOR ADVENTURE AND FUN
Day 1 1/2
Our trip to Little Cayman was launched around O Dark hundred as we embarked from the parking lot MDS on a Super Timmis motor coach to O’Hare Travel was easy an incredibly good idea
We traveled via AA without incident to Miami where we first discovered the renovation of the Miami airport. My recollection was one of crummy ole carpets, difficult navigation which always impeded you movement from one terminal to another. Not so in the new AA terminal…..a treat and joy to experience. Our easy and uneventful travel all ended there when we boarded of flight to Grand Cayman. Suffice it to say it was April 1st!!!!! After 45 minutes and no crew (who were delayed by inclement weather on the east coast) we were finally transferred to another plane, but all was not a muck since Ron and myself enjoyed relaxing in the American Express Centurion Lounge.
The long and short we spent a wonderful night in the Grand Cayman Holiday Inn today
we traveled to Little Cayman via twin prop deHavilland DHC6 Otter. It was an exhilarating experience as our pilot quietly and most skillfully dodged the weather.
Our experience can only bed echoed on my philosophy “When the Travel Gods Frown” … Smile and call it an ADVENTURE
Day 2 Little Cayman Adventure Apr 2022 continued
After an evening of a much needed repose from the long arduous trip we awoke Sunday morning to a magnificent sunrise
We were greeted by a wonderful breakfast and then followed by the obligatory briefings, crew and boat assignment The crew consists of Jill who is from Canada, and is an energetic girl with and effervescent personality, George a thin ecstatic chap from the UK, and our Capt Steve who heralds from Wales and sports a hair dew reminiscent of Boris Johnson.
Out entire entourage boarded the Sea Dreamer and headed to north side of Little Cayman Island. The morning consisted of one dive as a refresher dive “like this is what diving is all about”:after a three year hiatus is from diving. After lunch we returned to the north side of the island and made two dives. The first dive on the Great Wall West was a thrilling wall dive with fantastic visibility “muy granda” lobsters and a plethora of fish life.
The last dive on Busch Gardens was a shallow dive that provided us an abundance of coral heads, giant barrel sponges and overall a thrilling adventure. For those who were patient and watched closely were able to observe the Sailfin Blenny do his dance.
We returned to home base to enjoy an afternoon of relaxation in the pool, rum punch, and friendly conversation with the group and other divers from around the country.
Dinner was a wide variety to tasty morsels and lamb., however lamb was unbelievable quite delectable. lol
DAY 4 Little Cayman Adventure Apr 2022 continued
Day four found us heading out again to the north wall. The first dive was on Jackson’s Reef another wall dive. What was noticeable about this were the numerous red sponges littering the wall sticking up waving like little fingers in the breeze. We dropped up over the top side to encounter a giant turtle sitting on a coral head. At the conclusion of the dive we watched some stingrays scuttle across the sand followed by a giant permit seeking a free lunch. Just as we were finishing the dive we discovered a huge, huge lobster, one of the biggest lobsters I seen a Little Cayman.
The second dive this morning was at Ringers Reef a kind of uneventful dive, but very colorful at the top, however we did encounter an abundance of life. As the underwater breakfast bell tolled for sea life the blue chromes, brown chromes and a plethora of other hungry fish scuttled about in the water column to feed. We packed up and headed back for lunch, enjoyed a ride on a placid sea drenched with fields of sargassum. We were greeted with burgers on the grill, cooked just to perfection rare in the middle but not bloody
The last dive the day was an afternoon on Barracuda Bite. This dive had a phenomenal field of enormous, gorgeous, barrel sponges littering the wall. These aged giants were in excess of 6 feet tall and just as wide. We enjoyed a long swim through which turned up and emerged out of a hole, which was reminiscent of coming through the birth canal again. Visibility was great, colors were incredibly wonderful, and great way to end the day. However, because of the weather conditions there was no night dive. (Yet another GREAT DAY on LITTLE CAYMAN)