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Easter in the Red Sea

In the wilds of Marsa Alam, Egypt, nothing is familiar. Pastel mountains, a pink, green and yellow pointillist fantasy, soar overhead, scraping the shimmering curtain of the sky.

	Though there is much new construction in Marsa Alam, the old ways continue

Sand dunes fan out in orderly waves, orange-striped goats feeding between them, and flocks of blue parrots coast by above. Hamada el-Kawy, my guide to this strange land, taps his eyes and points to a purple unicorn grazing on a nearby mountain. Unicorns are famously wary of strangers, but this one hasn’t noticed us yet, its horned head facing the other direction. We make our way toward it, silently, slowly, hoping for a closer look, but it’s no good. It sees us and bolts.

The Red Sea, one of the world’s premier diving destinations, can be reached from Europe by cheap charter flights. The climate is tropical; prices are reasonable. Unfortunately, the most popular resort areas, like Hurghada and Sharm el Sheikh, are also overrun with tourists, the reefs teeming with as many divers as fish. Marsa Alam is farther south, the newcomer on the scene, still offering the serenity and solitude lost by its neighbors to the north. An international airport opened there in 2001, and the area is developing rapidly, but right now it’s at the traveler’s sweet spot: sufficient infrastructure without too many people taking advantage of it.

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	The Beauforts crocodile fish lives on sandy or rubble substrates near mangroves, seagrass or coral reefs, in very shallow water down to at least 30 meters.

Description & Behavior
The Crocodile fish, Cymbacephalus beauforti (Knapp, 1973), aka Crocodilefish, De Beaufort's flathead ... is a mottled brownish gray species of flatfish with fluorescent green markings criss-crossing its body. It often camouflages itself on sheltered or semi-exposed reefs. It may reach 50 centimeters in length and has 9 or 10 dorsal spines, 11 dorsal soft rays, no anal spines, 11 anal soft rays, and large pelvic fins. Juveniles are entirely black, though as they age they gradually take on the blotched pattern of the adult. The rear edge of the maxilla ends well in front of eye, and near the eye there is a prominent pit, a smooth infraorbital ridge, and a smooth suborbital ridge bearing 2 spines. The interopercular flap is usually broader than long, with several subdivisions. The eyes of the Crocodilefish have frilly iris lappets (see second photo), which help break up the black pupil of the fish, and thus improve its camouflage.

Read more about the crocodile fish

	Earth Day began in the US on 22 April 1970 to raise the status of environment issues to the global stage.

On the 30th anniversary of Earth Day in 2000, Project AWARE began to help organise dive volunteers and put aquatic issues on the Earth Day map. Since that time thousands of divers in more than 115 countries of the world have helped protect underwater environments and educate local communities each April.

In the week of 22 April, staff at Emperor Divers' Marsa Alam dive centre and Coral Beach Diving Hotel will be taking part in the ultimate of Earth Day activities – the Project AWARE's Dive for Earth Day!

In a bid to protect and clean up our underwater environment, the team will be organising shoreline and underwater cleanups, coral reef and fish surveys, AWARE Kids activities, educational seminars/presentation.

If you're diving Marsa Alam at the same time, then join in, have fun AND improve your underwater world.

If you are a dive center participating in the event please let us know how much rubbish you have collected to publish in the Red Sea Community Newsletter after the event!
Email us the information: info@spotlocal.net

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	Focus and still your mind.

Breathing underwater, experiencing the weightless state of buoyancy and discovering other body-mind awareness and sensations can enhance ones’ meditation practice and inner quietude. Approaching the study of scuba diving from a holistic, yogic framework, diving becomes part of ones’ personal journey inward an intimate connection with nature.

You will be learning diving as a meditation rather than a sport, using yoga breathing and meditation techniques to focus and still your mind, therefore enhancing your experience whilst under the water, then in turn bringing this experience back to your yoga practice. This approach brings us to very close encounters with nature and also helps us to feel stillness and relaxation. Combining the two approaches allows you to experience another state of consciousness through the weightlessness one achieves in diving.

Non divers will learn diving in an open, respectful and natural way and receive PADI certification. Certified divers will markedly better their buoyancy skills and ability to observe sea life, as well as increase lung capacity and air consumption. For all, yoga diving removes stress and encourages a freedom from thought. Diving helps you to experience breath and movement under water as a form of meditation. Taught together diving and yoga can open you up to different worlds, both inner and outer.

For people with yoga experience you can develop your practice, particularly your breathing and meditation techniques.

The course is run by two highly experienced teachers in their respective fields.

find our more about yogic diving

For the first time in the Red Sea area, all property companies, developers, architects, contractors, interior designers are in one place!

Real estate fairs

April 23 - 25, 2007
InterContinental Hotel, Hurghada, Egypt

Developers!
Brokers!
Interior designers!
Property management!
House keeping!

The latest projects!
The best offers!
The best terms of payment!
Furnishing in terms!
Technical advices!

We are waiting for you!!
For more information please contact:

mail: info@interhousingexpo.com website: www.interhousingexpo.com

	The 2007 Red Sea & Pan Arab Amateur Open Championship. Dates: 3rd to 8th July

The tournament, which takes place from July 3rd to July 8th, will be played on the award-winning Cascades; a stunning desert and oceanfront links course, situated in a spectacular setting on the Red Sea coast of Egypt.

This golf tournament was first started in 2001 as the Pan Arab Amateur Open, and rapidly established itself as the most important individual tournament in the region with more than 120 participants in 2006. For the first time this year, amateurs from European and International federations are invited to take part alongside players from the Arab nations.

The main events of the tournament are the Mens, Seniors, and Ladies Gold Category Tournaments that are played off scratch with the winners having their names inscribed on the Soma Bay Challenge Cups that are exhibited in The Cascades Trophy Cabinets. Silver miniatures of the Cups (or a Silver Plate) will be presented to each winner of the Gold tournaments. Higher handicap golfers will have the chance to compete in the Silver and Bronze tournaments.

All amateur golfers are welcome!

Contact

These pretty little flower gardens are perfect for Mother's Day, Grandparent's Day, birthdays, or just to celebrate springtime. Make one for your teacher, too!

	Servings: 8 - 10 Time: 15 min / 5 min prep

Ingredients:
2 cups all-purpose flour, 1 tablespoon baking powder, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/3 cup butter or margarine, 3/4 cup milk

Preparation:
Whisk dry ingredients together in a bowl; cut in shortening (I use a pastry cutter) until flour mixture resembles coarse crumbs; form a well in the center of mixture; pour milk into the well and stir quickly with a fork just until dough comes together.
Turn dough onto a lightly floured surface; knead gently (do NOT overwork - dough should remain soft and somewhat sticky) about ten strokes; pat or roll out dough to a 5/8" thickness; cut biscuits using a round cutter or the top of a glass ~ For super-quick square biscuits, simply use a knife to cut a tic-tac-toe shape through the rolled out dough.
Place cut biscuits onto an ungreased baking sheet or pizza stone; bake at 450° for 10-12 minutes or just until biscuits are light golden-brown.

NOTE: For buttermilk biscuits, add 1/4 teaspoon baking soda to the dry ingredients and substitute buttermilk for the milk.

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Spot Red Sea Community Newsletter is the best way to let the community know about any available jobs. With 11, 000 subscribers you are bound to have success!

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