6/1/2011 Sharm El Sheikh/Hilton Fayrouz, Ocean College Dive Center, dinner at Al Dente

Breakfast buffet.  Egg station.  Hot and cold items.  I have one egg over easy, toast, grilled tomato, melon, orange juice, coffee.  Hungry I also have grapefruit and 3 mini pastries!



OCEAN COLLEGE DIVE CENTER.  Richard checks in and then has to wait for the coach that will take the divers over to the dock area where the dive boats are located.  Richard has his check dive with Moustafa Ali on the boat Seagull.  If all goes well he will do another dive.  He is the only American.  Others on the boat are from Canada, England, Russia, and Switzerland.  He takes 50 LE to pay for lunch on the boat.  At the dive shop I have them hold a T shirt for Richard to check when he returns.  While he's diving I head to the pool.  I run into Nick from our Nile cruise.  His wife and her friend are shopping.  He was on the beach but told me it's very windy.  He's off to meet the girls.  Small world!

Pool time for me at the larger pool.  For lunch I just grab something light right at our hotel cafe.  A smoked chicken with pepper slaw on a bagel and water.  55LE.

Larger pool

Richard returns and likes the dive shirt.  Cost 87.50 LE.  I also get a book specific to Sharm diving.  15 LE for a few laminated pages.  A hat 60 LE.

Back of the shirt

Dive T shirt

The grounds of this resort are pretty.  We check out the smaller pools.  Richard likes them because no one else is here.  Pool time for Richard and me.  Nice way to spend some time.  Doing nothing.

Then we check out the beach.  It really is a nice stretch of beach by our hotel.  Lots of water sports available for extra cost.  Back to our room to change for dinner.  Cute towel art on the beds.

Glass bottom boat

Towel art

AL DENTE.  Dinner is at this Italian restaurant.  Open air seating.  This place is part of the Novotel Sharm Hotel.  Located on the beach.  Richard has minestrone soup with grated parmesan cheese and crunchy garlic bread, penne all arrabbiata which is home made penne pasta with a spicy tomato sauce with basil and garlic, Sakara beer.  I have home made lasagna Bolognese with a meaty ragout, mineral water, and sprite.  Food was tasty and filling.  Portion size was perfect and I liked that the pasta wasn't overcooked.  The food was attractively plated.  We received efficient and friendly service.  Cost without tip 218 LE.



Tomorrow is a 2 tank dive for Richard.