• Diving the S.S. Thistlegorm, Egypt

    Diving the S.S. Thistlegorm, Egypt

    The wind was gusting over 20 knots, and the dive boat lurched in the choppy seas. Geared-up and ready, I have to admit I was feeling nervous. It didn’t seem all that long ago that I had done my first scuba dive, and now I was waiting to descend to…

  • The S.S. Thistlegorm, Egypt

    The S.S. Thistlegorm, Egypt

    Merchant seaman are arguably the forgotten heroes of World War II. Sailing the unarmed, or lightly armed, cargo ships that delivered troops and vital supplies was a dangerous game.

  • The Minibuses of Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt

    The Minibuses of Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt

    I had been too nervous to jump on the taxi minibuses in Egypt’s heaving cities, but figured I couldn’t go too far wrong in the beachside resort town of Sharm El Sheik. Riding the minibuses turned out to be a really enjoyable local experience.

  • ‘Take away this ball and chain…’

    ‘Take away this ball and chain…’

    Mike Ness of Social Distortion wrote ‘Ball and Chain’ in 1987, and has described the song as a ‘hard luck story’. For Ness, his ‘ball and chain’ was addition; mine is living in the past.

  • Under the Red Sea, Egypt

    Under the Red Sea, Egypt

    When you’re middle-aged, and you experience something that blows your mind kid-style, it’s something to celebrate. I did something last week that left me yelling with pure joy and wonder. I went scuba diving under the Red Sea.

  • Siwa Oasis, Egypt

    Siwa Oasis, Egypt

    Although I had spent over a month in Egypt, and had visited a few places on the arid edge of the Nile Valley, I hadn’t gone deep into the desert. Having spent many years living in Central Australia, I was keen to see the country’s dry interior.

  • Aswan, Egypt

    Aswan, Egypt

    Despite Aswan, Egypt, having some amazing sites to explore, I can’t say I had a great time.

  • Treasures of Luxor, Egypt

    Treasures of Luxor, Egypt

    Exploring Luxor today, with its innumerable (and incredibly well preserved) ancient sites all clustered together, is an unforgettable experience.

  • Tutankhamun: The Boy King, Egypt

    Tutankhamun: The Boy King, Egypt

    British Archaeologist Howard Carter had been working in Egypt for 31 dry and dusty years before he made arguably the world’s most sensational archaeological discovery.

  • In the Valley of the Kings, Egypt

    In the Valley of the Kings, Egypt

    It was already well on the way to the forecast high of 42 degrees in Luxor when I left my accommodation and walked towards town. I was heading to the Valley of the Kings, one of Egypt’s most astounding ancient sites.

Midlife Crisis Odyssey