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Safety stops
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Day 21
This morning we slept in a little, which provided an additional boost of energy to our group. After a breakfast of toast and cereal- admittedly somewhat repetitive but still enough to satiate our hunger- we walked down to the dive shop and prepared for a two dive day. Several of us stopped by the bread store and bought sticky buns, fresh buns of bread with sweet buttery fillings. The dives today were awesome; the variegated coral and numerous manta rays were only part of an experience completed with lots of playful activity underwater. Everyone agreed that everything is more fun underwater, whether it was blowing air in each other’s faces, taking each other’s fins, or attempting to communicate verbally through the ill-conducive liquid medium.
The surface interval between the dives was tranquil in an unorthodox sense, our group’s strange mood manifest in our obsession with covering each other in sand. Although it began raining while we were on the beach, several people decided to go snorkeling and the rest of us hung out in the water, remarking at how much warmer it was than the cool rain. The second dive after lunch was, according to some, one of the most fun in the entire trip. The site was called One Tree Reef and it began with the group descending down a sloping wall to 60 feet. The visibility was great and we were greeted by a lone manta that casually glided past as if to welcome us to the site. And that is pretty much where peace and serenity ended for this dive! Our 12 minute safety stop is a testament to just how much fun you can have under water at only 15 feet.
Following the dive, some people assisted in our daily provisioning for the following days’ breakfast and something to cook for dinner which was nice because it gave us all a chance to walk around town a bit and buy some well desired snacks. With laden bags and sugar highs we left town and began the long, arduous journey home. Which means that we asked the dive shop to give us a ride to Paradise Lodge. Retiring to our abode, we relaxed for several hours and then had a dinner of pasta and meat sauce. After dinner we played improvisational games, courtesy of Austin’s forensic knowledge. Some of these included games that are played on “Whose Line Is It Anyway,” such as the dating game and the dinner party game. Both games involve a short act in which one must impersonate someone or something. Everyone agreed that these games were a lot of fun and we plan on making it a daily event for the rest of the trip.
Overall, our group is ecstatic about another day of diving tomorrow, but we miss everyone a lot.
Peace,
Greg Hertz
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