Simon and the last of Dahab

Hey All,

Have to leave Dahab now and run North to make it to Jordon before Wednesday. It'll be a shame to leave behind this lovely little town, though the fact they've really started pushing the Bob Marley does make a little easier to accept. I was Bob free for the first week but they went for it on the Saturday and haven't let up since.

There is a lack of Trustifarians, thank god, but still THAT album seems synonymous in most people's minds with kicking back and letting go. "I love ALL Reggae, from No Woman No Cry to I Shot The Sheriff." Gah.

Still, I can't really be that grumpy. I've finished diving now and have my Advanced - the night dive was incredible. We swam without torches and the luminescent plankton sent fairy dust off every finger and fin movement, trails of light spinning behind us. When we got to the Canyon fish with glowing eyes were milling in its depths - as we free fell in they piled out past us. Just astounding.

When I haven't been underwater, I've also had some good times in the evening. There's a bar that does occassional live music. First there was a German band doing Celtic music (a rendition of Dirty Old Town being one of the more bearable ones), and naturally one of them looked like Matt.

They were followed by a really woeful Rolling Stones cover band. The soundcheck was long and painful (Wan. Waaaaaan. Waaaaaaan Twoo-ooe. Wan wan wan wan twoeeooeeoo) before the singwer mockneyed through songs you loved until he rendered them dirt.

Finally he invited the German band back for a 'blues jam' which was deeply embarrassing for all, and I thought I caught 'Matt' contemplating the eternal pain of existence whilst shaking a tambourine in a sort of bluesy fashion.

Still, all good things must end, and I'll probably be back here at some point, or summat. I'm looking forward to eating less burgers and pizzas, and also being a bit more on my own rather than attached to someone who is really quite a nice fellow (though when he and the Aussie got together the casual racism, homophobia and sexism naturally rose more to the surface), but who spends his days waiting in the room for me to finish Diving so we can do stuff. I'm looking forward to filling my days myself a bit more, though naturally I hope I continue to meet nice people throughout.

Hope all's well back home. Missing you all. And reading the Guardian in my dressing gown.

Love, explosions and joy,

Simon