Sharm el Sheikh -- The Perfect End

Perched at the tip of the Sinai Peninsula, jetting out into the Red Sea, the resort-destined or dive enthusiast traveler will find Sharm el Sheikh. Perhaps it is Sharm's holy geographical position--just south of Mt. Sinai (the mountain upon which Moses was given the ten commandments by God)--but the location and its surrounding coral reefs are truly divine.

Ryan, Mina and myself arrived at the Marriott Renaissance two days ago, a palace like hotel postured at the doorstep of Ras Mohammad National Coral Park. As I discussed in my previous posting, it was not until we parted with Ashcraft's friend were we able to be completely take in by the service of this 5-star hotel, and thus leaving the in-your-face style of Egyptian businessmen behind us once and for all. After six weeks of living in the dirt or in near-condemned hotels, and negotiating for the cloths on our backs, a little luxury and service felt pretty good. Truthfully, I think our only demand at that point was a decent shower.

While we are on a role here, why don't I go out on a limb and say that our time here can be summed up in three small words, class, class, class (Thank you Vince Vaughn). Each morning after arising to sunshine, plush bedding and a world class breakfast, we are shuttled to the marina which houses an armada of white nautical monstrosities waiting to accommodate hundreds of divers and snorkelers hungry to view the beauties of this oceanic playground.

Surprisingly, with two law and two MBA degrees among the group, we were unable to clearly see that not a single fishing boat birthed in this marina--and rightfully so. The entire coastline surrounding Sharm is a protected National Park which bars commercial fishing. Needless to say, poor quality seafood is ubiquitous in Sharm, which we discovered in a rather nauseating fashion by ordering fish, not just once, but twice. On a redeeming note, Dave Guetta will be performing in two nights in the Vegas-like downtown of Sharm on the last night of Ramadan...perhaps this warrants pushing my flight back.

While our decision was out of pure laziness, choosing the hotel's dive operator, "Dive-In," turned out to be a brilliant choice--their operation ran like clockwork and the staff was top-notch, including Olga, a platinum blond ex-Russian spy, and Jim a pirate in a former (or potentially current) life.

I am riding an ever-flowing high right now after our fourth dive of the past two days--a spot called Shark Reef. Each dive thus far has topped the previous one, and Shark Reef was no slouch. And while each dive was singularly novel for its greatness, this one transcended just diving and became one the greatest experiences of this trip.

That is saying a lot considering I have spent the past month and a half diving with great whites, drinking cow's blood and mingling with lions. It was hands down the most spectacular decent of my short career (with only 30+ dives under my belt).

The dive consisted of a myriad of sea life unlike I have ever seen, from turtles and gigantic barracuda, to napoleons and thousands of tiny fish which bubbled around us as we ascended a bottomless reef wall nearly 100ft down. The colors and shapes of the coral were deserving of an exhibit at Muse de Orse or the New York MOMA, with the turquoise and bright purple clusters standing out. The geographical diversity was unprecedented for a single dive. At one point we crossed between two fairly separated reefs, putting us into the "blue" momentarily--freaking Mina out and leaving me in a state of bliss. Oh, did I mention, the endless visibility? We might as well have been looking through a well cleaned window.

Somehow this was all accomplished in just under an hour. I felt like I had captured a lifetime of experiences and sights in that short window of 2000 and 200psi. Or if you are Mina, 2000 and 1000 psi (my girlfriend does not consume any oxygen). Can anything ever top that? If we get the chance to dive the shipwreck of Thistlegrom, there is a very good possibility, but we will see...I may be ruined from here on out.

For any would be traveler to Egypt, do not make the tragic mistake of leaving Egypt without making at least a quick stop in Sharm el Sheikh. After nearly two months in Africa and a mind full of unique experiences, Sharm will always be the bright coral of our trip.