Travel Story «Snorkelling»

Thailand | 0 Comments 09 March 2006 - Last Update 15 March 2006

Greetings Voyeurs, 

After the write off that was the day after Ailsings birthday (nothing to do with me people despite what may have been implied - I was up for an early morning jog but there were no takers so alas, I returned to my bed....) we decided that Thursday was to be a day of action, a day of adventure, a day of exploration!  
With limited experience in discovering new foreign lands or species, we settled for a boat trip and a tour of the island. 

We arranged to meet the "tour guide" at 11am up town and carted ourselves off early to be on time. (Lorna and I left Gra and Aisling in the Bungalow to get ready while we went in serach of breakfast because they seemed to think breakfast could be skipped - madness I tell you).  We all arrived on time only to be marched back down town to outside our beach hut (were we not allowed to go... had we done something to annoy them?) Turns out, the boat we were taking was the one we had been staring at all morning and was parked outside our beach hut - typical.

We clambered on board (literally clambered as this boat type thing which resemblemed a old age Viking ship longboat with a small propeller on the back was not easy to get into) and set off in the midday sun finally able to feel a breeze as we sped out of the harbour and round the island.  Over the course of the day we sun bathed on board, ate lunch on a far away beach, admired the beautiful scenery and snorkelled under the careful guidance of Lorna, the only experienced snorkeller of the group and the only one on board willing to provide any sort of direction. 

Turns out I am not a big fan of fish sharing the same swimming space as myself. No, I prefer fish on a plate, or behind a glass wall - or thirty feet below me where I can admire them FROM AFAR!  Our guides had different ideas sporadically throwing bread into the water to encourage the fish to swim in our area so that we might have a more fulfilling snorkelling experience - not part of the agreement I might add. 

Needless to say after a brief swim to ensure that I had got my moneys worth from the trip and after I had swallowed enough salt water to ensure I had received my recommended daily intake of 6 - 8 glasses of water a day, I exited the ocean (again a very difficult re-entry to the boat ensued) and awaited the return of the girls. Now I have to say that snorkelling once you got the hang of it is great fun, but I would prefer to be in a wetsuit so they couldnt touch you - the fish that is.... but thats just me (Emily by the way). Apparently (we over heard from some passing and clearly more experience snorekellers), the visibility wasnt great, but sure I had never been before so to me the coral was amazing and the fish, although swimming dangerously close to me (I would say taunting me if I were paranoid....) were plentiful and brightly coloured. Dont think about asking me to name them. Ask Grainne. 

So I awaited the girls. First came Aisling dragging her bleeding foot and complaining about Coral attacking her.  Then followed Grainne, also injured by the viscious coral and then Lorna - yep you guessed it bleeding aswell.  (I myself think the fish may have been acomplices to the coral but I kept that one to myself).  Despite the gushing blood (they really were bleeding a good bit) all three re-entered the water to swim some more.  Clearly I was the only one that watched the RTE re-run of Jaws a few months back - BLOOD ATTRACTS SHARKS GIRLS!  They did not listen and to my surprise left the water with all limbs attached although with more cuts on them (Coral again).
All in all it was quite an exhausting day arriving home at 5pm so we relaxed, unwound and went for dinner. Nothing new there then. 

Keep the messages coming homies - we like to feel loved as well as living like Royalty.