Sunday, June 22, 2014 - Snorkeling

Jason woke us up at 6:00 a.m. because he needed some itch cream… Ughhh!  I couldn’t go back to sleep, so David and I went out and got a cup of coffee and walked out to the end of the dock for a bit.  It was nice and quiet, with a bit of a breeze going. So beautiful and peaceful...

We went to breakfast at 7:30 a.m.  I had a spinach cheese omelet, Danika had mango yogurt.  They had fry bread and banana bread too.  It really was such a lovely morning sitting out on the veranda.

We met the snorkel boat at the dock at 8:15 a.m. and left at 8:30 a.m. for the half hour boat ride to the Southern Barrier Reef.  The ride out was very bumpy as the water was full of white caps.  I sat in the middle of the boat, they had warned us that the closer to the front, the bumpier it gets.  They weren't kidding!  Garif, the driver, was really nice.  He told me to move to the back on the ride back.  He had noticed the scar on my back, and said the bumps were not good for backs.  I have to agree!

Martin was our snorkeling guide and there were seven people in our group. I think  that was too many as it was difficult to stay out of each other’s way. Everyone  wanted to be near Martin to hear what he had to say and see the things he was showing.  We ended up taking it in turns.  Unfortunately Jason was assigned with the other group for (kids) and was not happy because the kids were brats. We really should have stayed together as a family.  We will make sure that doens't happen again because we have no pictures with Jason snorkeling. 

However, on a positive note, our guide, Martin, was amazing.  He really wanted to show us so much and he made sure everyone saw everything.  At one point he found an octopus. He had a pointing stick and he put it near the octopus and it grabbed on.  Martin made sure each one of us had a chance to feel the octopus tugging on the stick.  He really was a great guide.  It was also nice and refreshing to be in the water.  It was the perfect temperature.  

We are so glad we had a waterproof camera as it was really fun taking underwater pictures. Danika looks great with that shirt and those shorts, we could always find her!

This was a giant spiny lobster Martin pointed out to us...

We saw so many different kinds of fish that I can't even remember all of the names. 

Awww... so cute, daddy and daughter...

 

That's Jason, furthest front, and Danika, standing on our snorkeling boat.

We stopped at International Zoological Expeditions (IZE) on the South Water Caye for a snack and potty break.  While we were there we took some underwater pictures near the dock.  This chain just stood out - love the red-orange.

There was also a really cute seahorse among this school of fish.

Then it swam over to this knotted rope...

This was our view while we had our snacks of fresh pineapple (sliced with a machete, of course) and cookies.  Yep, I think we are in paradise.

The person to the far right in the water is Jason.  They went for a little swim while we were relaxing.

We went out for a second snorkeling session after the break. W saw so many things including a beautiful red bottomed sea cucumber (which Danika and I got to hold),  a 4 ft. nurse shark, a Spanish lobster (no picture), large rough tail sting rays, and a spotted eagle ray that swam slowly underneath us.  It was amazing!

Look closely and you can see the nurse shark hiding...

The ride back was much smoother because I sat in the back and even stood for a while.  We stopped and watched a group of bottle-nosed dolphins playing around on the way.  We were back at Hamanasi at 1:00 p.m.  This is the view coming back into Hamanasi.  All the jungle you can see belongs to Hamanasi, with just the area back from the dock cleared for the pool area, the lodge, the Adventure Center and the rooms.  This makes Hamanasi much more private than any other resort in the area.

Lunch was fabulous.  It is served on blue mats rather than the white table cloths, giving it a more relaxed feel and it is just as delicious!

After lunch we went for a swim to cool off.  Then Danika and I rode bikes into Hopkins, the town a little over a mile away.  We saw these kids playing soccer (futbol) on the way into town.  It was so nice overlooking the sea with a gentle breeze blowing.

Danika bought a doll (she named her Cecilia) for $15 and I bought a necklace, earrings and hair clip made from a conch shell for $25.  Unfortunately my hair clip broke because I dropped it when I was trying it on… boo… I will try to go back and get another one.

When we got back we went swimming again to cool off and relax a bit.  This was typically how it was...very few people at all.

Danika was out swimming in the ocean with Ola, a girl from Connecticut.  She was Polish and English was her second language and was there with her dad.  They were out playing in the seaweed and Danika felt something funny, but thought it was the seaweed brushing against her.  Then Ola felt something and brought up her hand and it had welts on it.  That is when they realized they were being stung by a jellyfish!  

The great thing is that when we checked in, Hamanasi gave us an orientation and told us about two things: one, the sand flies, and two, the jellyfish.  They told us that if we get stung, just to go to the kitchen and they will put vinegar on it.  Well, Danika remembered them telling us that, so she took Ola to the kitchen and took care of it!  We didn't even know about the stings until much later.  Wow, that was so nice! 

We found this jellyfish washed up on the beach later.  We figured we should take a picture so we remember the story...

All too soon it was time for showers and dinner.  David took this panorama of the veranda where we are so blessed to have our meals.  We took almost all of our meals at this corner table overlooking the pool and dock.

It is getting dark quickly...

Can't beat steak and shrimp!

Seriously good chocolate molten cake!

After dinner, we went back to the room and Jason turned beet red! It was weird because we were applying sunscreen all day and he wasn't red before we went to dinner.  We were shocked.  Luckily we brought aloe vera with us.  We put it on, but he looks pretty badly burned!  His sheets are sticking to him, so I think some baby powder will help… yep, it does the trick!

I am feeling a bit sick as we have been eating way too much, and the chocolate molten cake for dessert just put me over the edge…