After three more days of coughing and spitting, the conclusion is now that I have bronchitis. Up until now it's been a head cold: sneezing, wheezing and post-nasal drip. I've used up Margaret's arsenal of OTCs, and an now working on the cruise director's supply and what I can beg, borrow or steal from other travellers. I missed several drops over the last three days, but I did get out on the post-breakfast snorkel yesterday and again today. I made it through an hour yesterday before the coughing and my snot-filled mask did me in. Not a pretty picture, to be sure. But I took lots!
| Pearl farm and jetty |
We are anchored for the day. There are islands all around us here, with tiny jetties, villages, and homestays. I'm sitting on the big cushions on the forward deck, sheltered from the scorching sun by a large tarp. People are paddle boarding, kayaking or swimming in the ocean. I'm going swimming later.
| Margaret taking a yoga break |
| My group in Boat 2, without me! |
| Bill and Pat from Hawaii out on the water |
This morning I started on anti-biotics and I feel the best I have in several days. I went out to see the mantas. That was our sole purpose on that particular drop. They are amazing creatures. On our first drop they put us practically in the middle of a school of about 10 or 11 giant batman-like fish. There's a cleaning station there on the ridge of the reef, and they are lined up waiting a turn. The cleaner wrasses are busy at work, picking away, and someone said she saw (and probably photographed) small yellow fishes in the open mouth of a manta. Since mantas don't eat fish, he must have been having his quarterly teeth cleaning.
Mantas like to stay in the current, which this morning was quite strong. The strategy was to spot the mantas as they broke the surface of the water, then jump into the water up-current and float toward them. The mantas would swim toward us, and then quickly past us, against the current. You just hang out, and watch them swim effortlessly by, and try not to drown as your jaw drops to your chin and the current carries you forward. I didn't see any photographs, but you can't hang out with them much, or chase them or keep up to them. But watching the photographers, you could only describe it as a manta paparazzi!
But then the boat is there to pick you up, and take you back where your started, jump in again, float, get back in the the boat, and do it all again. It can be hard work getting in and out of the boat in a current. You have to get your flippers off and onto the boat without drowning, wait your turn at the ladder, climb up, get in, put your flippers back on, then mask and snorkel, and be ready to go again, all in record time. I gave out after five or six repeats of that routine!
The guides are fantastic. "Look down, look down" Sadat, my guide for the day, would yell as another one went by. There were so many, I just needed to stay close to him, and do as I was told. At one point, we were surrounded by mantas on all sides, and the current was so strong he had to hold me in place. And then, as I held him round the waist, he swam with me out of the current. They are all so wonderful, all of the people here, and so helpful!
This afternoon the group went out to snorkel around the jetty. I'm off for a swim in the cool water off the side of the Seven Seas. It will be nice to get in with just a swim suit, instead of all that gear.
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