The driver picked us up and was telling us about the island as we were driving. He was a very scarey driver and he was saying how he was the best one. YIKES!!!! We all tried to buckle up but all the seat-belts where under the seat. So we were hanging on for dear life.
We arrived at Paradise Cove/Deadman's Reef. It was absolutely breathtaking. The water was so clear for so far out. We didn't get too many photos unfortunately. We did get some with Holly's camera though. We're just waiting for some so I can post them. But you get the idea from our camera.
We were worried that we wouldn't be able to snorkel because it was such an overcast day and it looked like a storm was coming but we were able to after all. So while Holly and Chris where still getting ready, Natalie and I walked down to the beach and started looking for seashells. Not many on the beach but in the water there were lots. So I was finding them and giving them to Natalie for her collection.
So we got ready to get in the water. It was so nice and refreshing. Except the fact that I forgot my water shoes and I was starting to panic. haha I am such a baby! It was almost too much for be but luckily it was deep enough I could put my fins on and not have to touch the ocean bottom with bare feet. Once I did, I found tons of seashells. There are no shells on the beaches but tons in the water. I grabbed a few then realized didn't have anything to put them in, so I dropped them. It was really cool. I'd snorkel anytime off the beach but good luck trying to get us to snorkel off a boat again.
Before we got our gear on, we had a safety lesson of where we could go and what not to touch. Of course not to touch the reef, especially the fire corral. They'd burn you. So of course, once we're in snorkeling, I don't remember which corral was the fire one and I avoid them like the pleg.
Before we got out too far, I found a sand dollar! I was so excited!! I've always wished to find a whole one but never have. I don't know why they are so fascinating to me but they are. They are so beautiful, simple and beautiful.
Once we get out further, we start seeing the brightly colored fish and corral. It was magnificent! Heavenly Father sure knew what he was doing when he created this earth. It was just amazing. We saw three massive stingrays (bigger than us). They were just gliding through the water at their own slow pace. We just watched them for a while. It was nature in its most beautiful form.
We were surrounded by this one kind of fish, I felt like they were going to run in to me. I had to keep my hands moving around me so they wouldn't touch me. We also saw many schools of fish. That was also very neat how they swam together and turned together and just moved as one big body of fish.
We caught up with Holly & Chris and took some photos of them and then they let us use their camera for a bit. I don't know how those turned out yet but I think between the two of us, we got some great shots.
The waves were big out past the reef, so we started coming back in slowly. We found a puffy sand dollar but weren't sure if we were allowed to keep it Quique left it. Later we found out we could have kept it. But at least we have it in memory. Once we got closer, I started getting sea shells again. My hands were full and then I remembered Quique had pockets on his swim trunks, so I unloaded and went for more. I was going at it for some time, I guess and then Quique was done. I didn't know at the time though, while he was just floating around waiting for me, he ran into a fire corral and it burned his back in a few spots. It was pretty painful.
We got out and Chris came down to us and said the shuttle was going to leave soon and they were going to go on it instead of staying the rest of the day. We decided to go as well and not kayak because the waves were coming in bigger and we didn't want to get sick. So we got our money back, I changed and we left to go back to the hotel.
We all were talking so much on the way back about how cool it was and how their kids liked it. It was an amazing experience!
So now we had a huge portion of the day left. So we watch a bit more TV and then lazily walked around. We laid in the hammock for a long time. Nervous the coconuts were going to fall on us because the wind was blowing so hard. It looked like it was going to storm anytime. After being in the hammock for ever, we went to play shuffle board. We played for a bit. Then a couple asked us how to play, so we explained it to them. Then they took one of the broken shuffle board sticks and went to whack a coconut out of a tree. I still wonder if it worked.
We went down to walk along the beach, it was super windy. We took more photos. Then we went back over to the marketplace. They had some entertainment going on. There was a local band performing. During their break, there was an 80 year old man and a young man doing the limbo. It was pretty surprising how low the old man got. Then it was just shocking how low the young man got and the tricks he added to it as well. One time he was holding a little girl doing the limbo. The last time he put a drink on his forehead and did it. It was awesome! We gladly tipped them. The band came back and played. While they played, there was a man who got people dancing. He was good. He knew what he was doing. We sat and watched him getting people involved. He was great with all ages. I was most impressed when he started dancing with an elderly woman in a wheel chair. She was missing a leg and having a blast! It was so inspiring just watching this man make this woman so incredibly happy. He danced with another girl who had some sort of physical aliment and she was having a great time.
Once they sang the song, we walked back to our room and went to bed exhausted.
