Snorkeling

We went out snorkeling yesterday - Ritchie and I were laughing on the boat ride out - the turquoise waters, the blue sky, the spray of the cool water, the sun - what a way to earn credits! Much better than what we imagine the bilingual science class would be like back at TC - this is hands-on excitement! It was my second time snorkeling, but a lot harder than my first time. My first time was in Ixtapa, MX, in waist deep, very calm waters. Yesterday we rode out to the "aquarium," a ring of coral reef in front of Club Med. The water was quite deep around the reef, up to 15 feet or so, and the waves and the pull of the tide added an element of challenge that at first made me quite nervous. I got the hang of it though, and it was worth sticking it out - I saw anemones, a puffer fish, lots of beautiful black and yellow striped fish, some that were purple, irridescent blue, white - of all shapes and sizes. The land life was as interesting and varied as the fauna, with plants called sea fans growing out of the coral, with big rippling leaves that resemble fish. After what was probably about an hour (although it felt much longer, floating just below the surface and not hearing any sounds - a whole other world) we gathered back at the boat and headed back to shore. Wish I had reapplied the sunscreen before laying out on the beach and swimming some more - I am "that guy" wondering around the resort today - a veritable lobster and now refusing to expose any skin to the sun - I've got long khaki pants, a long tee-shirt, my hat, and a towel that I'm walking with wrapped around my neck and/ or over my head. I hate being that guy. Besides the emotional sting of shame, there's the physical pain as well - my shoulder is a world of fire. I'm off to six senses for the "Sunburn Soother" - hope it works!