my Dentist, Ken, was down here last year doing a clinic at the elementary school, and we did a couple dives together... he came back again this week and we made plans to do it again.
i got to see the sunrise
and my favorite sign at the end of the dock ...
the 7am Water Taxi got me to San Pedro and Ecologic Dive Shop early, so i took advantage of the time and went to the Immigration Office and got my 30day Visa extension. not sure what i'm going to do yet, but i didn't want to be restricted by having to leave here on 6 Feb.
fun to see Jannel, a friend i met 5 yrs ago, was working there, she checked me in and i got my equipment fitted. we headed out through the Reef into open water to our Dive Site, The Tackle Box. we were all getting ready, and i was leaning over the edge of the boat, trying to rinse my mask ... and i dropped it :( i HATE doing something stupid ! ... my brand new mask, sinking down down down, into the deep blue. everyone was busy getting gear on... they said 'we'll get it' .. they put another mask on my face and i went in ... i looked down and saw lots of coral and grasses and 'kissed my mask goodbye' :(
first thing we saw was this nice big Nurse Shark cruising by... some of you commented that i was 'really brave' being with those Nurse Sharks on my last post. Nurse Sharks don't have teeth ... they are bottom feeders, and have 'plates' to process their food ... they are in the same family as a StingRay ... so there really is no danger being around them ... as long as you don't put your fingers in their mouth :)
it was a great, picturesque dive, with 'finger-like' canyons, with sand bottoms ..
our Dive Master talked about doing some 'swim-throughs' ... i don't do caves, i don't like getting into tight dark spaces; but short 'swim-throughs' are fun... you can see the other side and there is light ... kind of like a short tunnel ... it was short and fun
then i noticed the Dive Master was pointing and signaling 'shark' .... not a Nurse Shark ... but a 'real' shark ... a Reef Shark ... the ones with teeth. my mask had fogged up a bit, and i couldn't see anything in the distance ... then finally it got a little closer and i saw the Reef Shark ...
i don't feel afraid when i see a shark .... i wouldn't say i'm 'brave', but i don't get freaked out ... i am curious and they are curious ... it checked us out, realized we were not, and didn't have any food, ... and then left ...
then i saw the divers ahead of me, entering another 'swim-through' ... but i couldn't see the end on this one ... and it looked dark in there ... and narrow ... but by the time i was that far in ... i couldn't turn around ... i was in ... it was narrow, and it did have some turns, and i could see the sides and where i was going ... ... and i relaxed and breathed deep and slow .... around another turn or 2, and we were out ... and there was a nice surprise waiting for us at the end .... thousands of tiny little fishes swirling around and around in the current ...
Ken posted a video of me navigating the 'swim-through' ... you can view it on my FaceBook page ...
as we were diving, i thought again about my mask, and said my little prayer to Saint Anthony, in case he was listening, that maybe someone found my mask .... when i surfaced, i saw my mask dangling from my Dive Master's arm ... yippeeee ... those guys are great !!!!! .... and so is Saint Anthony !!!!!!!!! :)
we went back to the Dive Shop and had fruits, juices, rolls, and chips and cheezy salsa
... then back in the boat for our second dive ....
there were a LOT of very large Black Groupers everywhere .... they are not colorful, but their pattern and dark black edging on their tail and fins are very attractive ..
Black Durgon ... distinctive white markings on a TriggerFish ...
and some colorful corals ...
that's me on the left with the white fins ...
after the dive, Ken and i walked across the bridge to the north end of the island, which is less inhabited and way less busy, noisy and conjested .... he had heard of a little restaurant that specialized in LionFish. it was quite expensive, even by San Pedro standards, but it was First Class ... they even offer a Chef's Table dinner. Ken had the Pina-Colada LionFish... i tasted it ... very pina-colada-y good :)
and i had LionFish Ceviche .... the presentation was beautiful ...
i checked myself into Hostel La Vista in San Pedro ... it's a relatively new Hostel and right in the center of town, across from the park ... i was concerned about the night noise, but it turned out not to be a problem. i was in a 4-bed dorm with only 1 other girl. it's interesting to go to other Hostels and compare them to Madi's. our room was a tiny dungeon with no windows; but it did have a fan, and HOT water shower. but i would WAY prefer to stay at Madi's !!!!!!!!!!
Ken had an extra ticket to the Jerry Jeff Walker 'Concert' tonight at Fido's in San Pedro .. and he invited me to go with him :) ...anyone out there know Jerry Jeff? .... he wrote and recorded "Mr Bojangles" in 1968 ... ahhhhhhh, now you know, huh? ....he owns a place here in San Pedro and has been having these parties that he calls "Camp Belize" for many years ... and he has quite a following! ... he got a dance floor full of women when he sang "i like my women just a little on the trashy side" ... :) ...which he recorded in 1989.
and here we are at the 'concert' ..
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