A Salty Tale on the Red Sea

The wind was in my face as the boat skimmed across the sparkling waters of the Red Sea. It was a day to be smiling as the sun was up, it was warm, and the horizen beckoned in front of us. The horizen has always had a magical spell on me, allowing one to dream of far off adventures into the unknown. This small ,almost landlocked piece of ocean, has had important roots in the distant passages of history, and still does, as history continues to unfold. One can easily reflect on this important body of salty water.

The Red Sea is basically a sea water inlet of the Indian Ocean, being narrow at its entrance in the South, ending in the North with the Sinai Peninsula and the Suez Canal. It is roughly 1400 miles long being just over 200 miles wide at its widest spot. It borders mainly Egypt, Sudan and Eritria on the West, and Saudi Arabia and Yemen on the East. It has been a major source of commerce and shipping in ancient times, going back to the days of the Pharoahs (ancient Egypt), to the present where oil tankers move their black gold from the Middle East to Europe (via the Suez Canal) and beyond. Then there is the Book of Exodus with the "parting" of its waters in the North. Today in the South end there continues to be major problems with modern piracy, inflicting their scourge on commercial vessels as well as pleasure boaters (eg. modern sailors on their way to and from Europe and Asia).

At this juncture one may ask why is the Red sea called "red" when it is as blue as any other ocean or sea?
Theories abound from that of the intermittent plankton blooms, that colour the water red, to possibly an ancient source suggesting the directions of the compass. In that explanation the ancient world considered it "south", the root of the word translating to "red", just as the Black Sea further North translating from a "northerly" word. A little esoterica from the mists of time, in case you were interested.

Today, none of this matters. We are on the hunt to explore coral reefs. The Red Sea is the Northern most tropical sea in the world, and has some of the largest biodiversity of marine life on the planet - hence some of the best diving and snorkelling in the world. We are headed to a string of reefs about 15 miles offshore via a dive boat leaving from Jeddah. The advantage, at least to us, is that as Saudi Arabia is not open to tourism unless for religious purposes, it then becomes the home for many still relatively undisturbed reef systems, not trampled on by many thousands of resort seeking tourists..
So my friends let us start from the beginning of this small adventure.

Although early it is already getting hot, the morning sun still relatively low in the sky. The three dive boats getting ready for their trip offshore. From our location at the Dive Village & Desert Divers it is a several mile trip down the inlet at the North end of Jeddah to the open water. That trip offers some interesting shore based sights that can be viewed from our boat.

                                                                    Our trusty vessel.

From the bridgedeck prior to departure. The Dive Village, in the background, has some hotel type rooms and a small private beach further in from the boat dock.

              As can be seen we are not the only Canucks on board. The dive tanks are waiting.

         We are now off, making our way out of the inlet.  A "no wake" rule dosn't seem to apply.

       Even early, the Sea Doos are already out in the inlet. No driving lessons, no life jackets on them!

                                            A "cottage" with their "dinghy" - still in the inlet.

                                            Another private residence with their "floating toys".

       In contrast, a salute to tradition with this large old wooden dhow. A small marina behind it.

After clearing with the coast guard we start heading offshore - some of the Jeddah cityscape through the haze (telephoto shot through humidity!).

We are now clear and heading for the horizen, another dive boat ahead of us. The reefs we seek are 15 miles offshore.

Jim, Mark & Joy enjoying the ride from the bridgedeck - we have about an hour to get to our destination.

                                          We leave the shoreline quickly behind in our wake.

The sister dive boat has arrived first. Although three boats were prepared this is the closest we get to any of them (this is a partial telephoto shot), being the first reef destination, the other two destinations we are on our own as each boat has a separate intinerary.
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  This is our anchor - it is used to hook onto a piece of coral outcropping at the edge of the reef. It works.

Yes this is a coral reef - would one expect this 15 miles offshore in what appears to be open sea? There is no land visible in any direction, just open horizen. Many ships have been lost over the years. Yes GPS helped us find our locations, but a number of small reefs have not been properly charted. Try seeing this in a storm!

                                   Dive gear made ready for the anticipated plunge to the depths.

                                                                      The wait is over.

   Preliminary matters before the descent. Unfortunately no underwater camera - maybe in the future?

Snorkelling is great too - the best colours associated with reef life are actually within the first thirty feet of depth.

Yours truly again - there is no rush, enough time just to relax and float! The salinity in the Red sea is a little more than many ocean systems due to its smaller size, surrounded by deserts and experiencing higher heat - therefore more evaporation with little rainfall - you get the picture. Hence slightly better buoyancy.
Warm and clear - no stress here.

                                           But it becomes time to head to the next reef system.

                        Some reefs are marked, or have visible out croppings, but many are not.

The anchoring process at the reefs is interesting in that the boat circles close to the reef, but not too close, to find the best spot to "hook" the anchor taking into account the direction of wind and current.

                                       The anchor line is led out - note the clarity of the water.

                Looking down the boarding ladder on the stern - bottom details can just be made out.

                                                           Off you go for the next dive.

Between the second and third dives, during our break we are served a nice hot lunch, with salad and cold drinks - quite civilized. Fortunately there is a lot of shelter from the blazing sun.

Unfortunately the trip is coming to an end as we head back to Jeddah. However we take many good memories with us having experienced a piece of mother nature that is still experiencing vitality. How many more years do we have left before this ocean ecosystem starts its decline as has begun to happen in many parts of the world?

As we enter the inlet we can observe these many small fishing boats. The catches as seen in the local fish markets are still relatively plentiful, but for how long?

It's now getting late in the afternoon as we arrive back. The National flag can be seen here. It has been a great day with another adventure completed on our life journey.
Stay tuned for others to come.

Home and Home Again

The coastline of Jeddah, abutting the Red Sea, could be seen below.  The Lufthansa jet was lowering its altitude on its approch to the airport located on the inland part of the city. It had been a long flight from Toronto via Frankfurt after my first trip home. Hard to believe that more than six months had elapsed since arriving, feeling like only weeks since our last journey via this same route. The Customs & Immigration agent asked one question "where are you coming from?" "Canada via Frankfurt" being the answer. With that he stamped my exit re-entry visa and said "welcome". No fuss, my "bread yeast" being safe. The hospital driver was waiting to pick me up to take me "home" again. Joy had taken a separate trip on this occasion visiting her family in the Philadelphia area.
It had been a hectic but worthwhile trip. There was a trip to the Boston area for an intensive conference lasting a week. There were the visits to London and Toronto to visit my son Mike, good friends and colleagues.I thank those many people for their hospitality, kindness and good will. That sense of community is very gratifying despite the recent geographic distances and the passage of time. Yes there was a sense of "home sickness" but also the realization of being fortunate to have been given this opportunity this late in my career with the recent "tour of duty".

As the Blog is entitled "Where's Walden" here is Walden, surrounded by other vessels this spring at Ed's. Walden is the dark green vessel to the left centre of the picture. She seems to have endured the first winter "on the hard" under the careful eye of Ed. Hard to believe this is located in farm country just north of London. But as noted earlier, at this part of the life journey, the Blog is about the travels of Walden's crew.

  There was the kindness of Richie & Joan hosting a "boat dinner" at their home in downtown London.

         A collection of Lake Huron pirates. Looking forward to future voyages in their company.

Are these my "Charlies Angels" at the LRCP? Great to see you all over a bite to eat and a beverage.
My apologies to Michael for not getting a photo op as he kindly hosted a dinner at his home. But glad to see my wine is still intact! Also great to chat with Diane, Scott, Ted and many other colleagues from the LRCP.

Also great to see you Ed, Alan & Barb and others on this brief hurried trip. Not enough time for all these kind people.

     Yes posed photos can be a problem! Sorry Mike but great to see you again on my trip to Toronto.
   Unfortunately as already noted not enough time on this trip home to see everyone in an optimized manner.

Joy visited the Washington, DC and Philadelphia region to see her family. Spring was in the air. Unfortunately photo ops were limited on her trip, although she had a great time seeing everyone. Again time seemed short, but plans to visit again in September.

Finally we are "home" again. The concept of "home" can be an issue for a nomad or expat in our case. I have lived in seven countries, Joy in five. We have found that "home" can be any number of places, a place where you "settle" even for a relatively brief period of time. You develop a new comfort zone, a new community, despite initial difficulties with the new and unfamiliar. Yes there are the initial hassles to overcome, the unfamiliar to become familiar, but one adapts. We are fortunately an adaptable species. Where our hearts lie are a different matter. At some point we will return to Canada which will eventually be our "home", likely the final one. Our friends, family and community back in Canada are important to us.  But for now we have adapted to a certain degree, as our apartment is comfortable, our work is familiar, we have our local community of friends and activities, we have our opportunities to travel and explore the world some more (before retirement when those opportunities to see the world become more limited in this increasingly more dangerous and expensive world)..For now my friends we have gone home and come home all in one trip. Stay tuned for future adventures.

Political Tsunami and Mardi Gras

It's before 5 am, and both of us are up. Joy has a day shift today - thursday the first day of the weekend here. The first prayer call of the day is the sound in the air. It is still dark. With our first coffee we sit on the balcony, viewing the lights in the distant sky of planes coming in to land at the Jeddah International Airport.
The city lights still stretch out before us as dawn is just starting. Today the forecast is for 31 deg C and sunny - nothing new for this spring day. The air at this time of the morning is still cool with the breeze.

Our thoughts wander off to the ongoing unrest in the region, although all is calm in the Magic Kingdom.
We are surrounded by turmoil - Libya in the far west, Tunisia and Egypt fortunately now more settled after starting this viral like spread of political dissent in the region. The ongoing conflict of Israel and Palestine in the north, with the limited unrest in Jordan, but increasing issues in Syria. On the Arabian Peninsula there are the increasing problems in Yemen and Bahrain, Oman now just grumbling along. Qatar, the UAE and Saudi Arabia so far are quiet. History is unfolding before our eyes. This was not on our list of expectations when we planned this "tour of duty" or later life work adventure. But we are safe and ok, despite what one may imagine from watching CNN, BBC or Aljazeera news stations.

Yemen and Bahrain are clearly closer to "home" as both have borders with Saudi Arabia.
Yemen is the poorest country on the Arabian Peninsula, marked by tribal allegiances, and a long time dictator/president. It has been a smoldering powder keg for some time, now ignited by the spreading voices of the younger generation throughout the region.
Bahrain is somewhat different. It is an island nation state in the Gulf joined to Saudi Arabia by a land bridge. It is open to Western influences and has been a popular weekend destination for people from the Kingdom. It is also where I proposed to Joy many years ago now. Recently it was to be the location of one of the auto Grand Prix events on the world circuit, but the event was cancelled due to the recent increasing unrest. The country is not poor, unlike most of the other countries with uprisings in the region. The Royal Family has ties with the Royal Family in the Kingdom here. That in itself is an important fact leading to the invitation of troops from the Kingdom here to try to limit the unrest there. The unrest however has political/religious roots, not coming from poverty as has been the case in other locations. It is important at this time to point out that Islam has two major sects - Sunni and Shia.  Iran across the Gulf from Bahrain is Shia.  Saudi Arabia is predominantly Sunni. The Royal Family in Bahrain is Sunni, but the majority of its population, like its close neighbor Iran is Shia. Without getting into regional and national politics I believe you can see where this is going.

Now what about the Magic Kingdom, where we presently reside? How is the government coping when surrounded by virulent unrest? Fortunately the Kingdom is a very rich country, the major economic power in the Middle East. Politically it has a moderating influence in the region. It also sits on the largest oil reserves in the world and is a major supplier of this black gold. Therefore the west, as well as these two expats, best hope that the tsunami of unrest stops at its borders.

Here there have been a number of political and economic moves, resulting from the concerns over the surrounding political tsunami. Yesterday there was a special edition of the Arab News, the major local English language newspaper. I will share some items from that issue as they show one "window" of what is viewed and what is being done in an attempt to stem the tide. I apologize ahead of time for the quality of "photos of the pages" - I have essentially used the "photos" as props.

               The King on the front cover with the Kingdom Tower in Riyadh in the background.

As part of this special supplement there is the published list of "Royal Decrees" from the King that have just been announced. The Kingdom has "decreed" about $100 billion in benefits to the country and its citizens!!
I am not sure whether any other country in the world would be able to drop that chunk of change?! Remember also that there is no income tax in this country. That's a lot of barrels of black gold.

No you cannot read this page. It is a written message from the King to "Oh Noble People". He goes on to say "I am proud of you" and to say "you are guarantors of the unity of this country". Further on in the body of the text he goes on to say: "Oh brave men of all military sectors and in particular the security men of the Interior Ministry, you are the shield of this country and the striking hand against anyone tempted to undermine its security and stability. May Allah bless you in all your endeavors". Clearly the aim of these actions is to maintain stability.

Elsewhere in this issue there are articles dealing with a lot of the regional conflicts of which we are all aware.
It is always interesting looking at the local point of view.

This cartoon in that issue points out the perceived dual purpose of the conflict in Libya.
Did you notice the Canadian flag on the jet?

So that is a short overview of the happenings in the region from a political perspective - the "political tsunami"
So what of "Mardi Gras" in the title of this Blog episode?
Despite what one sees in the news, life goes on at its usual pace. Expats like ourselves still carry on enjoying life as best we can. A sense of community becomes even more important than at home as we now live in a foreign country with very different customs and lifestyle. As one cannot "go native" one develops a community within a community and strive to make life happen. It is a very different world but clearly one learns that we are a very adaptable species.
Yes "Mardi Gras" did take place, without going to New Orleans, with pot luck Cajun and other delicacies.

                                                            Joy with the other "chefs".

                      Yours truly feeling no pain. Yes with the requisate "Mardi Gras" necklace.

                The skipper with my friend & "mentor"- Jim, who directs operations at the hospital.

                                                       A good time was had by all.
                                   A brief snapshot of life in the Kingdom at this time.
                             Turmoil in the region - yes. Life carrying on as usual - yes.

Next weekend we will be flying back across the Atlantic for the first time since leaving Canada.
Hard to believe its now been six months. Stay tuned for the next set of ramblings.

An Arabian Vegas in a Region of Turmoil

As the flight from Jeddah descends into Dubai, viewing the glistening city lights below, we can forget for a moment that we presently live in a region of turmoil. Tunisia, Libya, Egypt, Jordan, Bahrain, and more recently even Oman, all have experienced uprisings, some completed, others ongoing. Where will things spread? At present however both in the Magic Kingdom as well as the UAE, where Dubai is located, things are peaceful.

We are on a trip to Dubai, for an extended weekend, for the Skipper to attend a medical conference, and the Admiral to kick up her feet. The trip is sponsored by a pharmaceutical firm, so my flight and our hotel, where the conference is held, are provided for. The conference is a Middle East Summit for Hematology & Oncology. I manage to attend some excellent sessions on GIST, NET, m-TOR inhibitors, and bone health & metastases. Fortunately there is also time to see some of the city which I last visited ten years ago after leaving Saudi Arabia during my first tour of duty. The city skyscape has certainly changed rapidly during that decade. Despite the reputed financial problems it clearly is not apparent to these visitors. We are put up in a Hyatt (one of three Hyatts in Dubai) that was not built when I previously visited a decade ago.

Dubai is a city like no other in the world. It started out as a small fishing & pearling village on the sea. It subsequently became a port, where the British established links with the locals to protect their trade routes to India and beyond, during the days of Empire expansion. Then oil was discoverd - the rest is history. Like Vegas it rapidly became a modern decadent & brash city arising from the desert. Like Vegas it is a mecca for those to unload their hard earned cash, but instead of gambling (un Islamic) it became a mega destination for shopping. It also developed abundant numbers of luxury hotels, restaurants, and night life activities. Money, and people with money, flowed in large amounts.

A view of downtown from our hotel window at dawn. The pyramid building on the right is a Raffle's Hotel, imported from the original in Singapore.

Another closer up view (early morning) from our window - the missle or spire shaped building arising above the rest of the downtown skyline is the Burj Khalifa Tower, it is now the tallest building in the world, a kilometre high - the CN tower gives way again. It is a combined office, hotel and apartment complex.

The Burj Khalifa Tower closer up. Very impressive and somewhat surrealistic.

                                               A closer view again.

The base of the Burj Khalifa Tower. Continued development in the area can be seen from the construction cranes off on the left.

We are off to the Dubai Mall, being a city of shopping for the local wealthy, expats and tourists. This is situated close to the base of the Burj Khalifa tower. Malls are not like malls we are used to at home. They are huge, encompass a number of attractions, and fit with the local climate requiring large air conditioned spaces by which to stroll, eat, receive entertainment, and shop.

At the entrance to the Dubai Mall this Bentley is parked - I don't suspect it will get a ticket! Yes Dubai is a testament to money. But Dubai is also different from other countries on the Arabian peninsula, as can be seen from the dress code, which is quite common.

These young ladies on the left, with their short skirts & heels, being a common sight, are in contrast to the more conventional dress of the local woman on the right. Both coexist with acceptance in this Arabian Vegas.

Entering the Dubai Mall - again a liberal view of the dress code. An Arabian Muslim country open to the world.

   Further examples of some of the expat populace strolling in the Dubai Mall.

Now we encounter this "purse" on viewing. Why the glass case, and security (out of view)? This purse, "For Sale", has 381 carats of diamonds attached to it and is valued at $3.8 million US! I am sure someone will buy it, but certainly not common unwashed plebians like ourselves.

No this is not a mistake and given you a shot from a SCUBA dive. This is a view of the Dubai Aquarium which is housed in the Dubai Mall. The old Gold Souk has also been enveloped by this mall. Remember malls here do not necessarily fit with your image of a mall at home.

The Dubai Aquarium within the mall. You can pay to "go inside" and walk through a clear glass tunnel which runs through it such that you can be surrounded 360 degrees by swimming fish. A SCUBA diver goes in each day to supply food for the larger predators such as the sharks swimming there - I guess so they don't turn their attention to the many smaller fish.

In the opposite direction for attractions the mall also houses an ice rink - here they are playing ice hockey. Will we see the Emirates at a Hockey World Cup one day?

After this visit we decide to visit another mall, the Mall of the Emirates, a fifteen minute taxi ride away, as it houses an attraction I am curious to view.

This is not what I was expecting - this was at one of the exits to the Mall of the Emirates, close to a taxi stand. Again unlikely these will be ticketed or towed. This silver grey Lamborghini, has parked behind it a Toyota 4X4 (likely an expat's), another Lamborghini(white), followed by another Bentley, a Porsche Cayenne, then an Audi R8. Yes Yorkville in Toronto would be put to shame.

As noted, the Mall of the Emirates. Malls, love them or hate them, but in this part of the world essential if one is to get out and about with the temperatures in excess of 40 deg C, with humidity and endless sunshine much of the year. They become cities within a city.

Another view of a portion of the Mall of the Emirates. As noted earlier they are huge, where one could walk much of the day if one wishes.

                Oh, have we relocated for springtime in the mountains?

In the "Aspen Bakery". Yes within the Mall of the Emirates - as noted not a standard mall in design or function. A place not just to shop.

Another corner in this part of the Mall. The roaring fire - and through the window on the right is that winter? Does it look like a ski resort? Have a look at the posters surrounding the fire. Remember this could take place when it is 50 deg C outside.

Now remember we are located on a flat sandy desert by the edge of the sea. We are also in a Mall. But this is Dubai where many things are possible. They in fact have built an indoor air conditioned ski hill, with artificial snow falling, and have called it Ski Dubai. This is not the Alps but as big a hill as one has in London.

Hard to believe we are in a desert country. That is a chair lift on the left. The skiers are coming down the slope on the right side of the picture. And yes it is snowing!

The kids are having fun - not a country where snow outfits are normally seen.

We are now off to another part of Dubai, to the Jumeirah Beach region - a different flavor. The city is an ocean city and much of its attraction also lies with the coastal outdoor attractions. One of its major international landmarks also lies in this region.

Off to the left of the picture is a side view of the Jumeirah Beach hotel, one of the original five star hotels built on this stretch of beach. It is shaped like a wave from the front. My son Michael and I stayed there over a decade ago - beautiful hotel. Next to it is a wonderful water park, fun for kids and adults who think they are still kids. However on the right side, on its own small man made peninsula, is the Burj al-Arab hotel, an international landmark for Dubai. This is reputed to be the only seven star hotel in the world. If you have to ask the price you can't afford it - although I understand that if you can drop about $5k a night you might get a room! You cannot visit it unless you have a room or a dinner reservation. There is a helicopter pad on its roof in case you want to come in unseen. You get your own private butler and access to a Rolls Royce for your excursions. Another face of Dubai.

Jumeirah Beach - not sure why he is carrying a surfboard as there is no surf?

In this location they have also developed a shoreside facility, coined Jumeirah Souk, but far from the original concept of a souk. Yes there is a modern part to look like an old souk, but then there canals (Venice like?), apartments, restaurants, night clubs, more stores, etc by the shore. Actually the area was quite pleasant and relaxing, more laid back, a different feel from the city itself.

      A modern structure to look like an old souk - a nod to history?

Moving outside in the Jumeirah Souk development. Again the modern structures to "look original", a contrast to so much of the rest of the city with its modern architecture.

                              The "Venice like" part of the development.

The area is lined with walkways, retail outlets, cafes, nightspots and some small watercraft for "canal touring".

                                         Maybe an Arabian Venice?

                             As night comes, this tranquil area comes alive.

Joy, her sister Brenda(who she hasn't seen for years), and the skipper partake in a little food and libation at one of the "canal side" establishments. There is good food, appropriate libation, a bar, a live band and small dance floor. A fitting way to celebrate life.

Fireworks over the water. The end of an evening out and an end to this episode.

Dubai, love it or hate it, has been an experiment of sorts of what happens when wealthy Arabia is open to the west. This episode has only touched on what constitutes Dubai, but hopefully it has portrayed an image which can open one's perception of the different kinds of life and living that can take place in this part of the world. The images through the media only tell part of the story of life in the Middle East, and often a distorted story. Clearly this Arabian Vegas is unique, as is the Vegas people at home are familiar. In a three hour flight we would be back in Jeddah, a very different world. Stay tuned for our next adventure.