What a couple of weeks!
Mum and Dad came to visit 2 weeks ago. A fab surprise that they were both able to come together - they chose to close the tearooms for a week and enjoy a well-earned break. It was touch and go whether Dad would be able to make it, right up to the last minute.... unfortunately he had a kidney stone and had been told not to fly, but nature ran it's painful course and just in the nick of time Dad made it!

It was quite an eventful week that followed too. I tend to lose track of days and dates here, as you know (sorry for all those forgotten birthdays!) so I can't guarantee they are in the right order! I was working for the first few days, back-to-back courses, but had the rest of the week off as a result which was perfect.
They arrived on the Monday (13/11) and spent a day or two relaxing at the Lighthouse. It was Dad's birthday on the Thursday, I was working in the morning but joined them for a lazy afternoon and a quick dip. I sat and helped identify some of the fish they had seen, including a torpedo ray! Along with the very rare 'Grass Green Lemony' anemone, eh Ma? A very long story.... and you kinda had to be there. Dad and I were in hysterics. The conversation went a little like this:

M: I saw something with long green wavy fingers.
T: Anemone.
M: No, grass green.
T: Yes. Anemone.
M: A grass green lemony?
T: No!
M: Let me write that one down....
T: Grass...
M: Grass...
T: Green...
M: Green...
T: Lemony....

and so hysterics followed. We got there eventually!
(Sorry Mum, had to tell that one..... one more to go!)

I had booked a table at Carm Inn and arranged for a surprise birthday cake too. We had a yummy meal accompanied by an even yummier bottle of wine that Dad had picked up en route. The next day I joined them for breakfast and then we headed off down to the Southern Oasis for a relaxed day of sun and snorkelling. We spent the day at 3 Pools. Saw lots snorkelling, including a blue triggerfish, a giant puffer and some reef squid... oh, and a black plastic bag that Mum was trying to identify until a diver grabbed it and stuck in the pocket of his BCD! (Told you!) Unfortunately there was a bit of a rip current out of the second pool so it was a bit of a struggle swimming back in. Well done to Mum and Dad on that one!

The following day Mum and Dad headed off to St Catherine's Monastery - a bit of a let-down as they had removed the majority of the icons etc from the gallery for some exhibition in the USA. Typical huh? Still, there Bedouin driver pointed out a few sights that I wasn't aware of, including a rock formation camel!

Sunday. The last full day. Unfortunately there had been a lot of sewage overflow from the drains the night before so Mum and Dad didn't really feel like snorkelling that day, can't blame them really. I went for a lovely walk down to Islands with Dad late afternoon, watched what we think was a pod of Pilot Whales up the coast, and then some crazy lone snorkeller at Islands in the dusk and trying to decide whether he was in trouble or not - he was fine - doing a bit of skin-diving which is why he kept dispappearing amongst the waves! We were just about to head back when I received a call from Harry to say that one of our friends hadn't surfaced from a deep dive.

The week ended on a very tragic note. We lost a very good friend and colleague that day, and we are still all trying to come to terms with it here in Dahab. A memorial service was held Sunday just gone, at Islands (ironically), a lovely event that paid our due respects to an excellent guy that was taken from this world far sooner than he or any of us would have liked. A few drinks at Blue Beach followed. It turned into the kind of event that I am sure he will be devastated that he missed.

Harry and I are both keeping busy with work - he's doing a Tech course at the moment, and I start another Open Water tomorrow. Winter is here, although I know it's nothing in comparison to UK temperatures. I felt daft snorkelling in a neoprene vest and wetsuit while Mum and Dad were in swimsuit and trunks only... but y'know, acclimatisation!! Silly that I am now thinking of investing in a drysuit for water that is 22 C!