HAPPY NEW ERA....

Well, Christmas was a quiet affair. I was working right up until Christmas Day and then back in the water again on Boxing Day. I enjoyed a lovely Christmas with just a few friends... lots of red wine and a beautiful turkey dinner.

Unfortunately on 27th I started to feel ill. I made it into the dive centre but cancelled and made my apologies before heading straight back to bed for a couple of days. Nothing really came of it, but I knew I was on the verge of something... I made it back in for a day guiding at Eel Garden and Islands but sorry to say that for the first time I couldn't wait to get out of the water! It was a beautiful dive at Islands and I was guiding 1:1 so it was very relaxed, but every twist and turn of the coral maze was incredibly uncomfortable. I again headed straight home for bed... a week later I visited the doctor and found out I had a case of Amoebic Dysentry... lovely. New Year's Eve was a little lame as I certainly wasn't in the mood for getting drunk and partying, and at 11pm when Harry knocked a pint of beer over me I realised that sitting at the bar cold & wet and watching everyne else having a good time was not my idea of fun so I was in bed by 11.50pm! Shocking. Will have to make up for it next year!

I've finally gotten over that and now just have a nasty cold so I haven't been in the water for a couple of weeks..... and now it doesn't look like I will be back in the water in Dahab again for a while. Harry and I have decided to move back to the UK, settling in either Devon or Cornwall. We've been talking about moving on for a while now. It doesn't mean that either of us will give up our diving... we hope to carry on in the UK (after I have bought a drysuit and plenty of thermal layers!!) both teaching and fun diving. I have never dived in the UK before and I feel like I'm due for a change... I don't want to start taking Dahab for granted, I want to leave with all the happy memories that I have. A few of our Dahabian friends have already returned so I am sure we will catch up regularly, whether for diving or drinking or both!

I'll be back in the UK in a week, spending a while getting pampered by Mum & Dad and eating lots of pork before looking for a 'real job' and a flat. Harry will be following shortly after. It's a quiet time of year work-wise here so there's no point in me hanging around... so I hopefully will be able to catch up with you all in person very, very soon. As soon as I have my UK mobile back in operation I'll let you all know.

Here's to a Happy New Era!!!