I tried to eat more at breakfast, conscious that lunch would definately be smaller than yesterday and dinner wouldn't be served until gone 20:00.
We succeeded breakfast with hiring some snorkelling kit. I sat in the sun for the best part of an hour while Ian snorkelled out to the reef. I really couldn't bear the heat a moment longer and had already taken a dip in the ocean to cool down. It was scorching!
I joined Ian snorkelling and saw starfish, parrotfish, gobies, sea cucumbers, sea urchins, unicornfish, pufferfish, picasso triggerfish and orange lined triggerfish. Then I spotted a big octopus hiding in coral! He looked pretty big so I noted to return to him later on. A six bar wrasse swam towards me and tried to get the beads from my bikini top, I think perhaps he was trying to clean me!
I challenged Ian to a game of tennis. What a mistake. Bearing in mind that I haven't raised a racket since attending school, and I'm not noted for my sporting abilities nor interests, I enthusiastically took to the tennis court and began serving. Six games on Ian had won the set and match with me losing each and every game! But it wasn't for the want of trying I assure you!
We also played a game of table tennis before lunch, which I suggested. Five games later Ian had won each game. But it wasn't for the want of trying I assure you!
Lunch consisted of a shared plate of chips and a shared plate of melon and we were joined by a heron catching fish in the harbour and the brief appearance of a stingray.
Before sunset we ventured back out to where I had found the octopus earlier in the day. We had affectionately named the octopus 'octy'. He was still there and slightly more visible. Ian stayed watching him for 2 hours whereas I stayed for an hour hoping he would vacate his position in the coral nest. Every now and then he revealed a piece of tentacle then retracted it at the onset of a orange lined triggerfish or a six bar wrasse. Octy kept hiding and then giving the impression he would leave the nest so I stayed and watched him until I was so cold I was shivering and Ian sent me back to shore with the room key. Maybe he'll be less shy tomorrow...
I have been bitten to pieces by mosquitoes. Having just counted them I was disgusted to reach forty nine bites in total! Still, at least it was a nice, dry, sunny day again today.
Copyright 2002 Helen Fuller. All rights reserved.