Three years ago we were in Aqaba, Jordan where we snorkeled in the Red Sea.  Today we snorkeled at Coral Reef Nature Preserve, just across the Red Sea from Aqaba.  With the cold 16 mph wind and a strong current our snorkeling task seemed daunting.  First however, we had to survive breakfast.  We have stayed in many lodgings with a breakfast bar, but this place had about a breakfast "times six" bar.  It had pretty much anything imaginable, with of course the caveat that this is the Middle East and so no pork sausages etc.  Craig ate a fruit course, a main course and then a dessert course.  The desserts included not only the usual breakfast pastries but also such items as cheesecake and a chocolate something.  Awesome but something that we knew required restraint in light of last night's dinner.  We did not use restraint.  Phyllis did avoid the dessert bar but indulged in three Americanos.

After breakfast we walked about five minutes down to the Coral Reef Nature Preserve to scout out the place and ask a few questions.  (Do they rent snorkel gear and lockers, have showers, etc.)  With affirmative answers we walked back to Yam Suf for an hour of pool lounging and then gathered up our courage to brave the water.  As it turned out, the water temperature was fine though the wind was a bit rough on any body part above the surface.  The snorkeling was highly regulated as you had to swim in a prescribed path and could only enter and leave the water in certain areas so as to protect the reef.  We chose the long circuit (a long one-way trip for which luckily the wind and current took you in the correct direction, because reversing direction was not only against the rules but virtually impossible anyway).  We really enjoyed the reef.  The highlights were the coral itself which was varied and colorful and a couple of octopi hanging out in one spot.  Unfortunately, when packing we had decided that the underwater camera would at most be used once and therefore reluctantly left it behind.  Thus no photos of those awesome octopi.  The rental gear was iffy; the masks were good but the snorkels themselves left a bit to be desired as the mouthpieces were flimsy and they were not fitted with one-way valves, and thus in the choppy seas Phyllis got water down her snorkel several times.  Hey, it's a rental.

The walk back up the beach to the park entrance was into the cold wind but we survived and happily showered in warm water and then found a sunny spot out of the wind to dry out after which Craig had an ice cream bar for lunch while Phyllis (because she's a better person or at least has more will power or was too cold) continued her post-breakfast fast.  Finally feeling mostly dry we walked back to the hotel into the wind and after a brief foray into the heated pool (for Craig), whiled away the rest of the afternoon.  It's Valentine's Day, which led us to the hotel bar for a bottle of wine which led us to the bar menu which resulted in dinner at the bar.  The meal was good and Phyllis got a rose so the day ended well.  Tomorrow is moving day so early to bed.