Hungry in Hurghada - Part 2.

Deserted in the desert. That's how it felt as we landed in Hurghada. A pleasant 21º and glorious blue sky greeted us. With Ray’s experience to guide us through customs we soon found ourselves sitting on a bus, a little too early. Egypt was two hours ahead and it was now 6pm, we were on our way to our apartments - aida verdi.

Saturday 09:08 Onboard ISA our boat for the week. Can’t quite believe I'm actually here. Sitting on top of the boat sailing away from shore. It's a gorgeous day, and I'm a little apprehensive, the kit is down stairs all ready to go. Most other people on the boat seem pretty advanced, but it looks like people will leave us alone. All the others have their own kit and have done around 100 dives, and here's me 9 dives in the freezing North Sea. The view from here is stunning, hills in the distance hardly another boat in sight and the sea is much calmer than my nerves. The dive couldn't come soon enough we've got about three-quarters of an hour to wait! Home seems a very long way off, and there's no turning back now.

Of course I would never have drunk too much last night! What a great time we had, regretting it a little bit when we had to get up at 0630 this morning. Started off innocent enough. Our deserted bar in the hotel and a Stella. The Stella certainly remained constant, fortunately we changed location. Had quick walk into town and found a very reasonable Italian. Chicken and mushroom was consumed and enjoyed along with more Stella. As usual I forgot to take a towel with me, and my first attempt to barter for one didn't go too well. I ended up paying the going price e32 Egyptian pounds.

The Hilton was our next location and in 'the pub' there was some live music. I don't know if its cause I'm in the holiday mood but the guy play Santana, and it was excellent. Just him on a guitar and the usual attractive singer - who for a change could actually sing.

This was far too sophisticated for us, so we soon legged it upstairs, where the nightclub was. What a bizarre start. I think the entertainment was supposed to be funny. But I guess it was Egyptian humour. A woman was lying down and ubi dooby was the catchphrase to start with a the woman (who was lying on some sheets - it wasn't porno) was asking for ubi doobie from her husband. I want ubi doobie she screamed. Ended up them playing hand games, believe me that was the only part of the entertainment I understand. It got even more bizarre, a man standing as a statue trying to swim and various women coming out a painting him??? Fortunately it only last about half-hour and soon the music was blaring out the speakers. It took a good hour or so before we were pissed enough to start dancing. When we did there was no stopping us. The local talent was rather whorish and the images of two women in Florissant pink and green should stay with me for the remainder of the week. But Ray and I bounced around the dancefloor until 1am. Stotting back home at 1am and into the land of nod in minutes.

We’ve just our boat brief, and well be diving in around 30 minutes its 945 and the bottled water is going down perfectly. Bloody hell I'm still scared.

Margaret is our dive master and Kirsten is another one I will definitely dive with one of them to start with. I really cannot wait. The next time I write I will have experience the Red Sea! This is the trip of a lifetime, about to become a reality.

The Rings of Saturn

270,000 kilometres in diameter yet no thicker than 100 meters, Saturn's ring system must rank amongst the most spectacular phenomena in the solar system. Many things are still unknown about them, and an understanding of their dynamics and evolution has implications for the origin of the solar system itself.

First observed by Galilio in 1610 when he pointed the telescope to the heavens. He understood them to be handles or large moons on either side of the planet. Viewed from Earth they move in such a way that every 15 years they will be side on to earth and therefore disappear, known as the ring plane crossing. Galilio observed this in 1612 and wrote "I do not know what to say in a case so surprising, so unlooked for and so novel"

It wasn't until 1856 that our very own James Clerk Maxwell realised they were not solid rings, but made up of “an indefinite number of unconnected particles”.

The rings have been given letter names in the order of their discovery, only A, B and C rings and the Enke gap can be viewed from Earth. It wasn’t until Voyager flew past in 1980 that the others were identified.

Still not fully understood it is thought that the majority of them are plain old water ice, countless unconnected particles, ranging in size from nearly invisible dust to icebergs the size of a house.

Particles can be cleared from a region to form the divisions by the gravitational effects of a moon about 10 kilometres in size, such a moon was found within the Encke gap.

Large dark shadows, now termed spokes, have been viewed moving across the B ring, these are thought to be clouds of smaller grains acquiring electrical charges and interacting with the magnetic field.

In 2004 the Cassini probe will approach Saturn, it is expected to reveal many more of Saturn's secrets.

Hello Holland

Hi to all those people who've moved over to Holland.

HELLO STEPHEN KELLY!!!!!!!!

Hi Suzie

Hi Kevin

Hi Chris.