Today a shark fled from me....

Sorry about not having a pic to post tonight. My camera is back at my room down the beach and my feet are barking! I have huge blisters from all the walking....all....day....walking...when I'm not swimming or reading under a shady coconut tree. I am NOT going back there and THEN back here! I had planned on staying covered and out of the sun today due to my toasted skin. But that proved too hard for me...as I realized that the old man who owns my modest weatherbeaten hotel had coerced me, after a few rum punches (the local staple) up on the stairs outside my room last night, to hop on the back of his golf cart (carts & beach cruisers...that's all there is here) and he wisked me to his nephew's dive shop where I , apparently, signed myself up for a 10:30a.m. snorkle trip. I woke up with the strange feeling I had to do something...so after a breakfast of fruits and scrambled eggs....it hit me! It was 10a.m. and I knew they wanted me to get fitted for fins and a mask....but I had NO idea where the dive shop was...since it was dark and I was sitting facing backwards on the cart! I found the old timer and he showed me again and everything turned out AWESOME!
The boat captain and guide was a pretty local gal named, Vanessa. We walked to her boat which, conveniently was docked to a pier steps from my door. I had to ask....why I was the only person in the boat....but it turned out we stoped at 2 more piers and eventually had a motley crew of 8...people from Maine, Michigan, Canada, and 3 people who I couldn't figure out WHAT they were speaking...some kind of European mixed with Klingon or something. Vanessa took us out to the edge of the Barrier Reef in about 5 minutes...I really didn't think boats could haul THAT much ass! The first stop was the "Sout Channel"...I write "Sout" because that's how her Rasta-Creole said it. I was the first in the water because I wanted to see what was there because this obviously un-waterskilled & flipper challenged group was going to scare anything away when they flopped into the water. I immediately saw 2 fairly large barracuda (4 or 5 feet long) that were a little too close for a guy who JUST peeked underwater. Those fish just look pissed off all the time....very angry fish...very angry. I watched a dreadlocked fellow clean one of those fish yesterday on a pier....and MY GOD...the teeth!! Vanessa guided us along the deep drop-off wall of the reef. She had a long stick that she would point at stuff and we'd all pop up and she'd say what was. When she got into a poking frenzy with a HUGE Green Morey Eel that did not want to come out of his hole to greet us, that I figured I'd straggle to back of the pack and just check things out on my own.
The second stop was insane...utterly insane. It's called "Shark-Ray Alley". Yep. And they don't call it that because of a rock that's shaped like a shark...or because the sun's rays are stronger (although I think they are!). Vanessa threw some cut up fish in the water to get the rays to come say "Hi". Again I was the first in. Most people were pretty hesitant to make the plunge...including one fairly large woman who made it clear she planned to stay in the boat and shriek whenever she saw the large black shapes glide under the boat. But it was amazing...HUGE stingrays (with very large barbs on their tails...which could easily make any of us the next Steve Irwin!) came from every side. They rubbed against our legs...one biggie with a 4 foot wingspan glided right between my legs! There were some that were easily 6 feet across moving through the water so effortlessly, like they were flying. The were so soft and spongy feeling. I dove down and had 2 of them slide right by me on both sides. They were like dogs...you reach out and they come right up to you and let you pet them. So that was cool. After about 45min of that everyone got back in the boat for some pineapple and orange slices. Suddenly someone pointed towards the bow and Vanessa explained it was a shark. It was a big Nurse Shark (no...they don't have teeth! Don't get carried away!). She said it looked like it was 5 or 6 feet long. I grabbed my mask and fins and dove in after it. I wanted to see a shark, dammit! As far as I knew it was just "Ray Alley". So I went after it but couldn't see it so I'd pop up and everyone on the boat would point in a direction and I'd frantically kick towards it and pop up again and they'd all point....but I never caught up. The shark was not interested in being gawked at by me. I'll get over it soon. The rays were plenty exciting. After all THEY were the ones who could kill me...not some dumb old Nurse Shark.
The 3rd stop was "The Coral Garden"...which was exactly like what it would be like to be an extra in "Finding Nemo". I felt like I was in a huge aquarium...tons of colorful fish and big coral heads. We snorkled around for a while but were all pretty beat so it was time for Vanessa to throttle up....again....so fast. Now I see why they advise swimmers against swimming out to the reef edge...which I thought was a "stupid" rule and a "good thing to do tomorrow"....until saw the light. Speaking of lights....guess what the boat skippers DON'T use when their racing across the water at night? Ye-e-e-a-h...
So I went back to my "barrack" and passed out for a couple hours. Then I walked into the heart of the village to my favorite little restaurant "The Sea & Cafe", where I have become quite good friends with the kid who is the waiter. His family runs it. Tonight I had the "Pollo Loco"..which was delicious a-a-a-and spicy! Just how I like it! On the way out he asked how it was....I said "Muy Loco!", gave him a slap on the back and disappeared into the darkness....well...not really darkness....IF by "darkness" you imagine the Internet Cafe across the road....then yes...
Adios! Hasta manana...I'll have a photo for you. Hmmmm....but of what?