A cruise in Sudan, the ultimate paradise of divers

Organized trip with NosyTour - total cost (including taxes, etc etc) = approximately 2000 €. All details of the costs in the spot they found in the diary.

Premise: the more I read this diary, the more I realize that it is virtually impossible to describe the incredible experience that we lived in a single week in Sudan, both in humans for the atmosphere that is created by boat, both in the "submarine" to all the wonders that we saw! So take it for informational purposes only to get an idea of how it can be this kind of journey, and realize that here I could make only a small part of the trip, what to expect from !?!?!

 

The departure

We leave on Friday from Milan Malpensa Airport with the flight of 15, 35 and, after 4 hours of flight add up to a half hour late and arrived in Cairo (and here are the 22 - 1 hour ahead of Italy) where a corresponding waiting for us to attend to all the procedures relating to visas.
Note: for any entry into Egypt will pay € 12 for the visa and 18 € to get out of 'Egypt to Sudan.
After baggage claim, we come together at the nearby Novotel, where he settled directly with the correspondent for a trip the next morning as our flight to Sudan is in the afternoon, I take the opportunity to see some 'of Cairo: church suspended, pyramids, sphinx and lunch on the Nile (for a total of 55 €).
The afternoon of Saturday, we're back at the airport towards Sudan! Hurray, at 19 you start and after 1 hour and a quarter we came .. and here are the 21.15 (a total of two hours ahead of Italy). Control procedures for a bit 'long and tedious provide that luggage and passports are kept open for as long as your stay, and remember that if, arrived by boat, you have your passport with you means that something did not go in the direction right and you will see there an avid Chico (aka 'manager' time) that there urlerà against all the insults you know in your language (one of us has happened, although he was a strict German tourist!).
After 20 minutes away by shuttle, we are finally to the boat.

The Daedalus, yacht equipped with 9 cabins with private bathroom (very important!) And air conditioning. 32.5 meters long and 7 wide, comfortable and functional, especially for divers, who has dedicated a large area in the cockpit above. But the spaces for relaxation and post-draft chat are very comfortable: spacious lounge dining area, 2 upper decks with sundeck.
Note: Once in the boat, you will be required to pay taxes again Sudanese - 205 euro in total. Our tour operator had warned us of this and we had no surprises as it has happened to others!
Here we are finally all came together with the rest of the group (we did not know before); around us: 6 Italian, 3 German and one French, 3 local guides and all the crew! and so began our wonderful and unforgettable adventure in the Sudan!

Let's get to the serious things... Diving!

The stretch of Red Sea, which overlooks the coast of Sudan, the definitions of the sea with "the highest concentration of life in the world" by the great French oceanographer J. Cousteau, who here has taken the opportunity to continue his experiments (see below).
A pleasing scent can breathe a bit of adventure 'everywhere and this, combined with abundant marine life that rotates among the colorful coral gardens still intact, the historical relics dating from the second world war and the constant presence of sharks, diving gives a something of the wild.
In general, the most beautiful dives were those of mid-morning, not the dawn (at about 7 am) .. say that they have served to keep us in training and particularly disposing of the huge amount of food taken in a boat ... the water temperature was maintained between 24 and 26 degrees and a wetsuit 5 mm was more than enough. Remember that the gloves are not appreciated - invite the temptation to touch the corals in danger of ruining what nature has created in such a long time !!!... I however, would recommend to take them and keep them in the pocket of jackets, you never know, might be useful in cases of strong current during the safety stops and not disdaining even a mask of reserve, I lost mine for the current and fortunately a person from the group had one!



THE WRECK OF UMBRIA
Left the port, after only 20 minutes by boat meets Wingate Reef where lies the wreck of Umbria, an Italian ship intentionally sunk June 10, 1940 by its captain to prevent its cargo of weapons and equipment fell into the hands of the British navy .
The well 150 meters long wreck is at a maximum depth of 40 meters, lies on the left side. When arriving at the bow, turn around to look at from the outside in all its majesty, it is really worth!
Here we have made it 4 dives, including a very impressive night, along corridors and hold the load still intact viewing related material, wine bottles, sinks, 2 large ovens and un'impastatrice and even 3 Fiat 1100 ... all accompanied by numerous tropical species that live in the wreckage as the angel fish, glass fish, a lonely porcupine fish and more ... and, despite the 4 dives, we still managed to visit the wreck in all its extension.


Sanganeb
On Monday morning we went to Sanganeb, where the position of the reef is recognizable thanks to a high beacon tower located on a coral.
Immersing both the northern and southern ends of the reef, we encountered large schools of barracuda sedentary, jacks, parrot, grouper, tuna, white tip sharks and a few gray, even the colors are beautiful: the walls covered with soft corals, sea fans and corals of every hue .
The particularity of this dive is that, surpassing the first part of reef outcropping, the outer wall falls deeply and then you come to a sandy plateau about 20 meters long but very rich life.

Sailing north can be reached Sha'ab Rumi Reef, one of the most fascinating in the Red Sea. So nice that we have unanimously asked the guides to let us stay there for a day instead of going to Shaab Suede, to visit the wreck of the "Blue Bell" in '77 with all the wrecked vehicle loads Toyota. Umbria had already abundantly satiated our appetite for wrecks! We therefore had the possibility to make a diving point for each described below and I assure you that the second time was never the same as before ...


Sha'ab Rumi South point - and here is a picture that can sum up everything!
Here too the wall goes down for about twenty yards to go on a plateau that is one of the underwater wonders of the abundance of marine life. During the dive there is also a continuous passage of pelagic fish: barracuda and reef sharks (white tip and gray). Even just standing there still and look around you will see a world of flora and fauna around you, it's like being in the cinema!
But this dive we remained in the heart, especially for one reason: just 40 meters down, that's gazing into the blue, suddenly materialize as if by magic a school of hammerhead sharks, are a dozen and go back toward us to poke a little 'round and offer us a spectacle without equal! It is really very strong emotion to be there still and watch the hammers that almost seems Danzino around you! I have consumed almost 100 bar in those few minutes!
The second time we went there, unfortunately, the presence of 'parrots rhinoceros' (those with a large lump on his head, which looks like a prehistoric species) has created a vacuum around us, all other fish if it looked good to feel them nearby, including our video-operator.


Sha'ab Rumi - Remains of Precontinente II
Just outside the pass are the remains of Precontinente II, selected by Cousteau in 1963 as headquarters of his science project, which aims to study human adaptation to long stays underwater.
For this purpose special houses were built, placed at different depths that accommodate the sub keeping the same external pressure through a mixture of helium. We entered the 'bell', which for some was also used as a springboard during the night dive, for an insane moon walk!
You have honored us with their presence moray eel, stingray, a few grouper and a turtle, which in the eyes of our guide, "was tarrrmente old woman who could not wait to die." During the night you can see over the same turtle before he sleeps too many crabs along with the inevitable lion fish.


Sha'ab Rumi - North
Here too we have been pardoned by the presence of a group of hammers, though not as big as the first and we were lucky enough to see the tuna's largest and most experienced ever seen to deserve the nickname of Rambo! Due to the strong current from the north, is where best to take gloves and a mask of reserve, as mentioned early, prevention is better than ... heal cuts on your hands with vinegar!
... In summary, we saw everything we wanted to see and even more! we lack the tiger shark and the manta, excellent excuse to repeat the experience!

Curious to know more details??

--- ---- Guides
Availability and skills common to all three of our guides that have allowed us to dive safely and always respecting the environment underwater.
All three were definitely a key ingredient in the success of this magical holiday, each in its uniqueness:
Alessio has instilled a new philosophy in practice because of his pearls of life lived in Roman, Cisco, obviously rasta, gave us a mix of sympathy and warmth Sardinian San Salvador is a spectacle never seen thanks to the 'effect of its jellyfish-free dred underwater and finally, Andrea (Pozzi for his friends), always most present video operator, who shot the best moments of our dives and life on the boat and at the same time attentive to each of us to the point of rushing to the aid of first difficulty and for this group nicknamed 'Sea Angel'. Of course we all bought his dvd, sweet companion in moments of nostalgia that beset you return, ... but effective way to arouse the envy of friends divers who stayed at home (especially the part of hammerhead sharks). Want a taste?
http://video.google.it/videoplay?docid=-4080226207722776607&hl=it

---- But as we would have done without the crew? ---
Sama (Egyptian nostalgic facility managers), Sala (sailor handyman), Jango (captain), Mohamed (The Cook, the unsurpassable), Mohamed and Kaled (the tireless drivers of zodiac) ... all great and very efficient! And here, like good Italian, a special note of credit goes to the cook who has delighted every day of fantastic dishes that had nothing to envy to Italian cuisine! and I wanted to lose weight in a boat!


--- And how life boat?
The days were held primarily so, with time marked by the mere sound of the bell!
6, 30 alarm, briefings and draft
8, 30 / 9 hearty breakfast (crepes, nutella, jam, honey, cheeses, freshly cooked omelettes, ...) and then relax
11 / 11, 30 briefings and second dive, usually this was the best of the day
13, 30 lunch and then relax
15, 30 briefings and third dive
17 snack of freshly baked cakes
.. and then for the insatiable, there is also the chance to do a night dive depending on conditions and where we are around 20 and then back again 'legs under the table' for dinner ...
Despite the apparent repetitiveness, every day was different than the previous for the type of diving, chat group, the possibility to fish is by boat from the dinghy, the dolphins that sometimes approached the boat or raft, and we always accompanied for a while, and it is not even the night pizza! ... One day we also 'touched down' going to visit the Lighthouse Sanganeb which offers a spectacular view over the reef.
Even some small unexpected technical failure is not but the experienced team has always been able to handle it all ready ... even in case of minor injuries or muscle aches, the guides have always been close and supportive with the first aid kit handy in the boat. We had even the doctor in our group (but this is a fortune that can not happen to anyone!)
The weather was a bit 'variable - some days of wind and rough seas we were but the sun is always presented on time to noon so the warmer weather.
In short, the unexpected in a normal day at home can only create boredom and discomfort, here turned into opportunity for fun and has helped to create a cheerful atmosphere and a strong team spirit!

Must we come back??

Friday evening we return by boat to Port Sudan, where some elected representatives are greeted by a tiger shark that comes out in all its majesty ... during dinner we are accompanied by the music of a party to the port with the spirits sad for having to leave this magical adventure and this group but at the same time full of joy for the experience just living. On Saturday morning we take the opportunity to take a walk to Port Sudan to visit the market ... the environment is typical of an African city: crumbling shops, warm colors, so many smells that mingle with each other, curious glances, heat, arabian music, hanging animals surrounded by insects unidentified ... take a walk here is nice, does not even seem to be in a country with these internal tensions, but, taken dall'incontenibile want to go by boat, rieccoci on board for the last dinner, the final greetings with the crew and guides (sigh!).
With the shuttle to the airport through a back road a bit 'improbable ... the evening we are back to Cairo -> another entry, another visa (12 €). Spend the night at the Novotel, next Sunday we expect the plane to Milan, where we arrive at the merciless 14, 30 local time, and wait there is ... freezing!


--- Liveaboards in Sudan in two words? ---
Suffice it to say that before boarding the boat I was a bit 'skeptical for fear of being bored to see always and only the sea ... but the last day did not want to get off!