Mucho Moucha!

Sunday was a relaxing day. I'm only just recovering from my quasi-vacation. We took a few reporters who were in the area out to Moucha Island with the intention of them reporting what military members do for recreation. Unfortunately, their video camera malfunctioned and they weren't able to get any footage. I guess we'll have to go back!

Moucha Island is a small desert island surrounded by coral reefs and turquoise blue water in the middle of the Gulf of Tadjoura. There is a beach and some small buildings that are the cantina, shower/bathrooms, and an outdoor dining room with a small kitchen attached, and the dive shop. Of course I came prepared with my PADI diver certification card. Other than diving, I spent the day lounging under the thatch-roofed umbrella, cliff diving, snorkeling, and watching the hordes of hermit crabs on the beach.

I was also able to go on two dives. One was a wreck dive. A 100 meter freighter that was layed over on its port side with coral growing on the deck and hull. It was phenomenal. We didn't actually go into it, but it was neat to see an old ship grown over on the bottom of the sea. The second dive was a reef. The water is so warm that it's hardly a relief from the Djiboutian heat, but we went down about 19 meters and it was like someone turned on the air conditioning. Very cool, so to speak.



(This is Najlae with News 21, Omar and me. I was given a matching Berkeley hat...not sure I want to wear it though. Oh, who am I kidding; I'm a closet liberal)


(Approaching Moucha Island. The dive shop is left of the dock. The cantina is to the right)


(Mr. Crab was very fast. I tried to take a picture when he was to the right in the shot, but he sprinted to the other side. The beach was littered with shells and coral. It was like gravel.)


(I followed Mr. Crab to his hideout. All the gang is there trying to avoid being eaten or stepped on)


(Going out on our second dive trip. Yes the glaring white spot near the front of the boat is me. I'm a little better now. Aaron, from News 21 is next to me. He would be white, but his freckles mostly touch)


I'm not exactly sure why I haven't been diving in a while, but I'll be remedying that.

Avoiding the Bends...this time,

Marty