My 31st birthday

Hi together,

my 31st birthday is already a few days ago, but anyway I want to write some words about it.

My birthday was on a monday. But here on Cyprus was it Easter Monday. Which means that everybody was off, except of some Pubs. Easter Sunday was everything closed.

Ira made me a special birthday present. She invited me for a dive. Of course to the Zenobia. The sunken roll-on/roll_off ferry in Larnaca.

So my birthday started very early. At 7, to be exact. A very uncivilized hour for me. But somehow I managed it. Not least because of Ira’s wake up calls. :)

I was already one day before diving and had still everything in my car. So I just had to go first to the dive shop to unload all the equipment. Then back at home, to bring the car back… and by foot back to the shop.

Ira catch me on the way and we walked together to the shop. We arrived together with Anton. So we putted everything on the pickup truck an started to Larnaca.

The dive boat is in the small harbor. We arrived and carried our stuff on the boat. Then parking the car and we was off to the buoy. The only remaining indication on the surface. The buoy is also used to land for the dive boats. It’s just a few minutes drive from the harbor to the buoy. It’s just time to change and then straight in the water.

Of course we was prepared with warm water, to flood the suit, not to get straight the cold water in. But I forgot my socks and undershirt. :( Well, the water was here a few degrees warmer. Just not soo much. But anyway. We submerged to a depth of 30 meter, to the Zenobia.

This time we came up on another spot. At the stern of the vessel. We went quickly over the side and ended up direct at the parking level. Just the view over the railing is stunning. You watch from 18 meter down to over 30 meter and you see there the trucks lying and hanging. The first thing you realize are the wheels… and then that this are basically whole trucks.

We went further down and slowly more forward to the bow. Till a hatch was letting us in the huge wreck. Now it became dark and tight. It’s easy to loose orientation and it feels a bit strange. :) Especially because the wreck is lying on it’s side. So you’re swimming basically transverse to the normal direction. But there is not much time to think about it. You’ll be more busy not to loose the person in front and not to hit yourself somewhere.

We went up and down… swimming through the wreckage and wholes in the steal beams. Sometimes between was even the sun shining trough the – still intact – windows. Which are now – in sideway position – above, instead on the side.

The most stunning thing was the last room. I guess it must be the dining hall or meeting room. The room is at least very big. At least here you’ll realize that something is strange. Because this room does not goes longer in it’s wide, it’s going down. That is really impressive and surreal.

Through another hatch, on the other side of the room, we came back outside. Just out of the wreck again you look straight 15-20 meter down again. And for a short moment I was afraid to “fall down”… but I didn’t, I was flying in the same height. That is fascination diving!

We went then for a short time down to 34 meter. But just quick, we was running out of time. So, we went back up and the same way back.
After a deco stop was our great dive at the end. And this day was no second one, because it was Eastern. The captain of the dive boat made just one trip that day.
Ok, at the end of the dive it became a bit chilly… and partly the one dive was enough… but… well :)

Then we went back to Limassol. To wash our equipment, a good hot tea and then we went back home.

At home I also needed a shower to wash myself and the rest of the equipment. Then calling home and relaxing a bit :)

In the evening I went out with some friends – for a beer – first in a restaurant on the beach and later in a pub.

It was a great day. Thank your for all involved people and especially to my buddy Ira, for the great birthday present. (All other was of course also great! ;) )

While editing the dive movies I got the idea to make maybe a small movie or a reportage about the Zenobia. I work still on the concept… below a small trailer, how it could look like :)

Best regards
Gordon