So Many Changes

It’s been a fair while since my last post, for many reasons.

I’ll skip over the past few months and summarise what’s happening now.

A bar on the beach is the main news – taken over at Geisum Marina, lots of work to be done and quite difficult balancing it with my main work, but it’s getting easier.

It’s a heavenly place to work and I’m sat at the bar now with a few customers, working on my main job and taking a little time out with a Stella to get this blog thingy going again.

All is well although there are few tourists here at the moment.  No troubles from the revolution, it’s a perfectly safe place to come to.

I’ll get photos and info posted on here as we go.

Red Sea Life–White Tip Reef Shark

White Tip Reef sharks are a fairly small species of shark, not growing to more than 1.6 metres usually.

They are usually found near drop-offs within the red sea and rarely in shallow water.

It is one of the most common sharks found in the Red Sea, but does not pose a threat to humans as although they are inquisitive and may swim around humans, they are not aggressive. They rest on the sea floor or in caves during the day, coming out to hunt in groups at night.

The generally stay within a small territorial area, only rarely travelling long distances and then usually to settle down in a new area.

And then there was none

Bar not happening now.

Went to pick up my business cards last night and on the way home my phone must have fallen out of my pocket – there goes my entire contact list!

I have a backup of the contacts but no way to extract them at the moment.

Not been great past few days, angina and stuff playing up and it’s been rather warm!  I have ordered an air conditioning unit though, something I should have done months ago.

I’m going to use today as my last day of recuperation, so off for a few beers at Shahrazad.

Normal Service Resumed

Ok I’m feeling a lot better now, just a bit of a blip I think, all work and no play …

So I’m working on completing accounting software that Ashraf’s developed, for bugger all as most things out here in Egypt seem to be, but Rami asked me and I’ll do anything for that man, he’s helped me out a lot.  Old VB6 system and weird coding but we’ll get there.

I’ve also done a design for St George Systems, so hopefully we’ll get that finished and online shortly.

Rami’s two websites need completing and I now have a ton more real estate on www.buyhurghada.com so get over there and buy something!

Took a break for an hour today – I’m going to make sure I get swimming at least 1 hour each day – and while I was down at the Geisum marina a pod of dolphhins came by to play. That sort of thing really sets the mood for the day :D

It’s not all roses

Been working hard on a a website for www.Hurghada4trips.net.  It’s a lot of work for very little money here, which isn’t that much of a problem as living is fairly cheap, but I’ve done so much work that I haven’t been paid for that I need to start getting a grip!

I’ve also been concentrating on developing the Real Estate side of things: www.buyhurghada.com and www.rethurghada.com and I’ve got my flyers and business card designs prepared, although not printed yet.

I have menu designs for St. Valentinos, www.abouthurghada.com/valentinos but my printer is out of ink and I can’t get Epson ink ANYWHERE in Hurghada!

The property management side requires me to make some phone calls, I’ve set up a page at www.abouthurghada.com/ss for it and there’s a guy who has an apartment block he wants managing, but I just don’t have time at the moment as :

Ashraf has imploded while writing an accounting system for AVA Safaris and after retrieving the source code from him I’ve been drafted in to get it working.

It’s a bizarre system and as I know nothing about accounting will be a steep learning curve. My brain is on meltdown at the moment.

I have a meeting today with a guy who owns a computer business – I think he wants to pass some business my way.  I also have to see Ashraf to get this accounting system installed correctly.

I’ll report again once the fun comes back.

Catching up again

It’s been a month since my last confession – people staying and places to see – it’s been a good month.  I finally have my bike licence and driving licence!!!!

Egypt is definitely good for me, all I need now is an income.  My depression is well and truly behind me and I continue to heal well.

I went down to Safaga one day with Sayid and snorkelled off the beach while he collected coral sand for the aquarium – while I’ve been on dive trips and boat trips out here I’ve never seen anything like the reefs off the shore there.  25km south of Safaga, nothing but desert and it was like swimming in a filled aquarium.  I floated in serenity and peered back at a turtle who was watching me.

I also went out with Sayid when they were collecting fish for the aquarium.  The reef wasn’t particularly lively, but Amgad speared a parrot fish and we cooked and ate that on the boat, and collected giant clams.

I’ve developed the software and website for Red Sea Dolphin now but they don’t have the money to pay me for it at the moment, so that’s on hold.

While visiting Steve and Marie at the Oasis Resort I pulled into their car park and hit a patch of loose sand, so I now have a wound above my ankle where I burnt it on the exhaust of the bike.  It’ll be a few weeks before that heals up I think.

I’ll try and keep on top of the blog for those of you with an interest.

Mah a salama

It’s been a while…

Christine came and stayed for a week and introduced me to Nabeel and her friends over at Geisum.  We were fed and watered gratis all week and had a very relaxing time sitting and chatting to them all. 

Nabeel’s one of the three brothers that own the Geisum but he doesn get on with the other two – he’s an adorable wacky little bloke with a huge heart.

We met up with Nasiya, her brother  Adheel and his mate Lee one day on Mojito beach and chilled for a bit.  Had a great Chinese at the Golden Dragon and spent a night at Rami’s with Karim, Alain and Nagy chatting away.

I’ve spent the past week ripping my hair out, but I finally have plates on my bike.  It involved numerous trips to the traffic police, land registry office, metalwork shop, bike shop, insurance company etc but with the help of Rami it was eventually sorted.

Now the kick-stand is broken on my bike ;)

I also have to take my bike test on Sunday – apparently they’re not happy with my International Licence.  I’m tempted to ignore them.

I still don’t have my flyers or business cards printed so I’m going to sod the printer that’s doing them and get them done elsewhere – 3 months is a bit much don’t you think?

Other than that, things are all good on the Gypto front.  I may be a bit busy for the next 2 weeks, software and websites to be worked on, so catch up with you all soon.