Had Enough - I'm outta here!

[Crowley]

Well folks,

My time in Sharm is drawing to an end - see my new blog post. Please note that this is about what it's become like to live here, rather than visit for a holiday, which I most certainly intend to do in the future. The diving is still awesome, and there are plenty of quality dive operations running excellent customer-service focused excursions and courses. This is more about the bit that you don't get to see as a tourist...

I won't be leaving Scubaboard or the Red Sea forum though!

Crowley's Blog - The End is Nigh.... - Blogs - ScubaBoard - Scuba Diving Forum - Diving Social Network

Cheers

C.

 

[Oldbear]

Well good luck buddy...I have always enjoyed your blogs and postings.

 

[koozemani]

Best if luck. Sad to hear you're leaving, but anxious to see where you land.

 

[Insta-Gator]

Good luck in the move. Hope you find a happy place.

 

[TSandM]

I recently went through a work-related crisis, and everybody told me, "When one door closes, another is opening." I hope that proves true for you, and hope you continue to write here on SB. I love good writing . . .

 

[Mr. Willoughby]

It sucks when your day begins with you counting the seconds until it's over... Been there myself.

Good luck to you, and thanks for all of the interesting blog posts.

 

[BluewaterSail]

Good luck and keep us posted when you have your future plan in place!

 

[Red Sea Leonfish]

Would the last European dive-guide to leave Sharm please lock-up the kit room and turn off the compressor..?

That is sad news indeed. I'm glad that you felt able to offer assurances that people shouldn't be put off from visiting just for the same reasons that you have validly decided against continuing to live and work in Sharm. However, for all the reasons you have cited, it goes to show how the dive industry in Sharm has changed dramatically over the last few years.

In particular, your posts and your articles have always conveyed a great sense of excitement and accomplishment in your work as a dive guide and your enjoyment of your life in Egypt. The fact that the political, economic and cultural situation has now deteriorated to the point that it has undermined all of that speaks volumes for the future of an area of the world which I have become similarly fond of over the last ten and half years since I first took up diving (first in a pool near Guildford, then in the old hotel pool at Ocean Club near Delta Sharm and finally in the Gardens on a dayboat from the jetty near to the White House in Na'ama Bay).

I still plan on going back but my BSAC club has decided to avoid Egypt this year and I only have so much holiday to spend diving this year. Who knows what the situation will be in 2014?

When the people who have out-lasted coral bleaching, aggressive hawkers, pharaoh's revenge, crazy taxi-drivers, terrorist attacks focused specifically on international visitors, plane bomb threats (Bristol-Sharm), shark attacks, suspended diving, revolution, fuel shortages, civil unrest and reported (albeit greatly exaggerated) breakdown of law and order finally pack up and/or stop coming back then it must mean something...

Please do let us know where-ever you land. Happy travels and good diving!

"When life closes a bulkhead it opens a port hole..."

 

[Diver0001]

Reading your blog it sounds like culture shock.

The 1 year mark is an important time frame with respect to culture shock. That´s the point at which you´re able to adjust or not. Usually the outcome is one of:

- acceptance but rejection (I get it, I can appreciate it but it's not my can of worms)
- acceptance and adjustment (I get it and I can get used to it)
- nonacceptance

sounds like you landed in the 3rd class. It explains the stress, the drinking, the fatigue, and the not being able to overlook the bahaviour of the locals, some of which may be normal and some of which may be going through a transition period of its own due to the recent upheaval. This could easily contribute to a new bout of culture shock even if you were able to adjust well enough to survive before the revolution.

At any rate, it seems to fit the pattern perfectly.

R..

 

[Scuba_Sammi_x]

:-O

After seeing in the new year with you pal - I'm shocked you are leaving us!!

Best of luck with your next venture, safe diving, keep blogging - and definately keep in touch. Very much enjoyed our après dive chats....x

All the best
x