Scuba Diving - Trip Day 13

Breakfast today was chocolate cheerios, a lecture on mangroves and seagrass, then theory classes for our dive theory test. Our final hotel pool session which for me started with an incident which was pretty funny and just something I would do. I started to dive into the water without putting the regulator in my mouth which since 2 days ago it being weird to breathe underwater, I am no comfortable to think I can breathe without one! I choked. It was funny but luckily only Steve and Analie knew it happened so I wasn't too embarrassed.

Nachos and salsa with cheese flatbreads for lunch, then onto dive 3 in the open water. This one was at motorcycle reef (I've added a map so you can see where these places I'm talking about are.) and funnily enough, there is an actual motorcycle at the bottom!

We saw a blue parrotfish, another ray, a lobster and a trumpet fish. It was so cool and this time my ears weren't so bad with descending and I managed to get to the bottom easier and faster. Alex is awesome. Every time we see each other (not just when we are diving together but around town) he goes 'Hey Katie, My Buddy!' in his Italian bad man accent.  (That's Alex below)

We did some exercises at the surface then boarded the boat. This driver was different to the one we had before but it was ok because this one was a fast driver and that made it more enjoyable. It was great. We unloaded and disassembled our equipment and marked of our log books.

I had a shower in one of the outer showers today not the one in our room. Mainly because there were 8 of us trying to use the one shower. It was lovely. I had a relaxing time ready up on the Padi information ahead of our test. Dinner was mac 'n' cheese with garlic bread and another lecture on how to survey a coral reef then I went to bed by 8. I was so tired. I never thought I would willingly go to bed that early!

Toodles for now.

Day 2 of the Open water diver course! - Trip Day 12

Day 2 of the dive course started with pancakes, a lecture at the CEA and a theory class and quiz. Then our second trip to the hotel pool to learn some more dive skills which included taking the mask off and on again under the water. It took a little while for our entire group to master. It's harder than you think.

Lunch wasn't until 2pm and consisted of a burger and chips. Once lunch went down we went back to the dive centre for our second open water dive to practise what we just did in the pool but this time out in the open ocean. This time we went to Half Moon Bay and did the skills 16 metres deep. This dive was incredible. After we practised the skills we had time to go around some of the coral reefs and 2 eagle rays glided past us. It was a thing straight out of Finding Nemo! Also a barracuda and some turtle egg shell too.

When we ascended, after a 5m stop to decompress, we did some tired man tows. I pulled Alex along by his tank whilst he laid on his back but I don't think we even went anywhere. He found it funny and turned and pushed me the rest of the way by my feet. So much for him being the 'tired man'. We got back onto the boat and out of our equipment and basically became a speed boat on the way back to shore. It was a lot of fun. Alex and Analie signed our Padi dive books and got them stamped.

Dinner was chicken and rice. Then a lecture and a turtle talk and a turtle walk. We walked along to Playa Tortuga to see some turtles nesting, a couple were beginning to. We had a bucket of baby turtles to release into the ocean but they were sleeping so we couldn't release them otherwise they'll just get eaten. I fell asleep on some random hotels sun lounger as we were told we would be woken if anything happened. Unfortunately nothing really did and the rest of the team had to wake me up so we could go back to our hotel. As we were walking back along the beach some woman said hello to us and then continued to follow us for a while. It was creepy.

 

Toodles for now.

February 12th 2016

Travelling home today from my mini vacay. 2 trains, a boat, another train and a walk up a hill with my suitcase. It took about 3 hours in total to get home, everything worked to the correct time. It was a simple journey.

I got home and first thing I did was have a shower. Not because I smelt but because there is something about being in your own home, showering in your own shower and eating your own food. After my shower I felt so much better. So comfy in my woolly pyjamas. But I dare not to get too cosy because in 2 hours I had work. If I got too comfy I would fall asleep and then never want to go to work. Instead I started watching The Good Dinosaur. I had heard it was good and it looked cute so thought I'd check it out.

Work was boring, not very busy but surprisingly the time went pretty quickly. I had work from 5 until close. I managed to get out by 9.30. 

I got home, put on my pyjamas again which I secretly had placed on one of our radiators so I just new it would be toasty and warm for me. Got in bed and relaxed with a not so relaxing episode of Grey's Anatomy which has just come back off it's midseason break.

January 9th 2016

Today was a get up and go kind of day. Went to Grampy's house with a picnic lunch. Egg sandwiches, Quavers and a KitKat and looked through some old photo albums. Inside one was some pictures of when my Mum must've been about 2. She was on my Grampy's boat with Grampy and Nanny and I believe it was the day the Queen sailed up our river on a boat.

We went to the flower shop down the road to order our bouquet or whatever they're called. the flowers that go on top of a coffin. We chose red and white, since others had chosen, yellow, purple and blue colours for their ones. I also had to pick up a little card to write Grampy a message on.

I got called a cheeky sod in M&Co. Mum found some jeans she liked that were a size 12. I comment was a simple question of 'When was the last time you bought a size 12?' and I got called names. It was funny though. Dad laughed.

I had found online earlier that the grave Nanny bought was under the name Dunford. And through some research I found out approximately where in the cemetery it would be. And even though it was absolutely pouring with rain, I got Mum and Dad to take me to find it. And no we didn't find it. We just got soaked standing out in the rain.

When I got home I had another quick look online about this grave of Nanny's and found an email address for the organisation who look after the church and cemetery. I sent them a message about what I had found and wondered on a long shot if they had any information. Surprisingly I got an email back within an hour with a more detailed map and exactly the point in the cemetery where they are. How great is that?!

I went to bed chuffed that I knew more about it.