Newsletter 3 – September 2005

We had the opportunity of diving the Medes Islands again. Apparently not bad for the ‘Med’ as these islands are a marine reserve and there are plenty of fish about especially inquisitive grouper, which sometimes wont leave you alone! Two HSD divers had a dive of a lifetime in 2004 after allegedly finding a feeding / cleaning station and seeing all kinds of stuff!

The Cathedral Cave and Dolphin Cave with the Top Hat were probably the highlights of the week. The Cathedral Cave is about 70m long and very large, Dolphin Cave is smaller but has a statue of a dolphin at one end. The Top Hat is a small cave where you can surface in a cave and have a natter (this may well have been one of Julie’s favourites!). Fish life is numerous on the ‘island’ dives with common sights including: Common Eagle Ray, Moray, Barracuda, Grouper, Cardinalfish, Zebra Bream, Two-banded Bream, White Bream, Striped Bream, Common Bream, Gilt Headed Bream, Cow Bream, Red Mullet, Damselfish, Wrasse, Blenny, Neon Tetris and others. The visibility varies between 10-20m+.

picture of scuba diver The second dive of a day normally means a coastal dive, which last year were described as an English Channel drift dive without the drift – not exactly riveting but a dive is still a dive. Somehow this year we only did one coastal dive and it wasn’t bad, a few small caves and a few octopus out in the open - very enjoyable.

Unfortunately the weather played a part on some days. One evening we had torrential rain to the extent that the roads turned into rivers. We decided to go to the bowling alley below the hotel. Despite the hotel being hit by lightning and a few blackouts being experienced, we managed a game before the management decided it was too dangerous and we were asked to leave. Now bearing in mind the whole town had been shutting up shop from the late afternoon because of a ‘big storm brewing’ we knew options were limited regarding drinking holes being open – but never fear the Brits were here - the English sports bar had to be open…. and it was. A quick dash and upon arrival at the pub the blokes were dry because they didn’t dawdle like the birds (hair and make up ruined). A very enjoyable evening watching the ‘light and water’ show, followed by a paddle back to the hotel in the early hours (next year take waders!).

Other ‘high’ lights of the holiday were Arthur and Garry having a room in the gods. Nice view though apparently. And there seemed to be a poltergeist in Alan’s room as all the furniture mysteriously moved around.

Evenings consisted of drinks in different establishments with varying levels of entertainment, including rowdy games of table football and a hotel with live entertainment and dancing. It was at the latter venue that our very own Fred Astaire showed off his talents.

Now you probably all remember when Gene Kelly was ‘Singing In The Rain’, he was swinging round a lamp post. Well a lesson to be learned is that not all lamp posts are made from iron. Some are more like paper mache and can bend quite easily! On the same night a certain dance diva (aka Ginger Rogers) decided to put on her dancing shoes – well everyone else’s until she found a more comfortable pair.

I understand that Mick and Arthur went for a 4 hour bike ride on one of the last days returning a bit saddle sore. Apparently an enjoyable ride, although a local farmer did not take kindly to having his fruit picked by the 'Apple Scrumpers of Estartit'.

Throughout the holiday, Selena ‘I cant sit still for 5 minutes' Irvine insisted on giving haircuts, foot massages, back massages and also resorted to plucking eyebrows - Ouch!!! Even on the last day when poor old me pulled a muscle in my back lifting my dive bag (must get one on wheels), I got several massages to ease the pain. Convenient that I managed to get out of dragging my luggage about on the last day – memories of Julie – Dover – Hypothermia, spring to mind. Anything to get out of humping heavy dive gear about!

The final night was quite depressing to start with, watching a pathetic England performance against Ireland, but things soon cheered up with the karaoke. After a long wait finally the ‘blokes’ got to sing a couple of songs including ‘Is This The Way To Amarillo’ and ‘Tainted Love’ and the Weather ’girls’ (Julie Selena and Karen) sang ‘Its Raining Men’. Arthur also sang a solo – some stirling performances, although none quite had the ‘X’ factor.

This was followed by a joint rendition with a Dutch contingent of ….. altogether now….. ‘a Pizza Hut, a Pizza Hut, Kentucky Fried Chicken and a Pizza Hut, McDonalds, McDonalds, Kentucky Fried Chicken and a Pizza Hut’ – you had to be there!!!! This was followed by some aerobics (don’t ask!).

Luckily or unluckily the last days diving was cancelled (otherwise I would have missed it through over indulgence). Nearly had a heart attack when I thought I’d missed a dive.

For a cheap diving holiday in warmish water and an almost tropical climate only a short distance from the UK - L’Estartit is not a bad place to go. One club diver commented that “El Rei Del Mar, the hotel dive centre, seems well organised and helpful without being too pricey”. So there you go – cheap as chips.

The Hotel Panorama, albeit stuck in a bit of a time warp décor wise, is very good value especially with the full board option of 3 meals a day– most nights there was ‘a how many scrummy desserts can I fit on my plate’ competition.

(http://rei-del-mar.com/ http://rei-del-mar.com/hotel_panorama/index.html)

One key point worth mentioning is that after a good day’s diving, a nice cool beer goes down a treat. Some non divers should take note – Campari is not something drunk by ‘blokes’ no matter what you mix it with!

Alan Walker Tours has been nominated for the tour guide of the year award!

To mark our appreciation of his efforts in organising the holiday he was presented with a trolley bag from the shop across the road (they did a roaring trade on the last day!), a Valentino Rossi T shirt and a piece of old tat (a nice dolphin wind chime). I’m sure the latter will certainly be treasured (or put forward as raffle prize at Christmas).

L’Estartit crew consisted of Alan, Richard, Karen, John (thats a bit early for me), Sylvia (the dive / golf widow), Garry H (Justice), Dave Eyeball and Missus (Helen), Arthur (Fred Astaire), Julie and Selena (the cheeky girls), Mick, Darren, Chris and Victoria AND who could forget Camp Arry ‘Campari Jim’.

Here are some of the motley crew.

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