XHYXNAME KIRSTYANDREWS
Egypian Queen
Kirsty Andrews has finally got an opportunity to dive in the Red Sea , finding the experience is worth all the hassle and worry
I
’ m writing this column on location ; a travelling correspondent , if you will . Specifically , I am coming to the end of a week ’ s liveaboard trip in Egypt . These are words that seemed very unlikely up to a few weeks ago , but all of a sudden everything came together ... and here I am .
Looking back into the distant past , in mid-2020 , I signed up to a trip on the basis that it probably wasn ’ t going to happen , all things considering , but it would be nice to have something to look forward to , and you never know , it might just come off . Sure enough , it was postponed , and then another tentative date suggested which was postponed again . The third time I didn ’ t allow myself to get too excited , but all of a sudden , there was mysterious alignment between the governmental guidance , a pause in viral spread and the boat was available - and we were on !
It actually took me a little while to acclimatise to the idea that I might be getting on a flight and travelling to another country , after all this time . Admittedly ,
20 there were additional tests to purchase , forms to complete , procedures to go through , but nothing insurmountable , it turned out .
On the boat , everything immediately felt incredibly familiar . In a way , in times of Covid , the idea of being effectively isolated with a finite group of people for a week isn ’ t such a bad one . Among our group , there were some like me who had continued to dive regularly at home , but many had packed their kit away two years or more ago and not got it out since , so there was a bit of re-familiarisation required .
And the reefs … the reefs . I have written in these pages before about the soft spot I have for the colours , shapes and sounds of the Red Sea . The hard and soft corals alone are a sight for sore eyes , but it ’ s the myriad fish species and in particular the sprinkling of gold and pink anthias in the shallows that bring a leap of joy . We have been treated to visits from bottlenose dolphins and hawksbill turtles and admired some of the iconic wrecks of the area , in crystal clear visibility and warm ( ish ) waters .
Over recent times I ’ d often cast my mind to friends in the diving industry outside the UK , wondering how they were braving the Covid storm . Although I still love my UK trips , probably more than anywhere else in the world , it feels good to be away and part of the international diving community , contributing my tourist presence .
Of course it ’ s not without risk , choosing to cross borders and not knowing whether the rules or procedures will change midway through . The travel industry itself is vulnerable and there ’ s always a possibility that a company may not make it through the pandemic - several have not . But I don ’ t believe we can run our lives in fear of that , and I ’ m pleased that this time it has worked out . I can ’ t help but think that in the past I ’ ve taken travel for granted ; perhaps not given enough thought to the footprint of my journeying or the regularity of my trips . I am determined to cherish this experience and thoughtfully consider where and when I will plan my next adventure . �