Tuesday, February 10, 2009

Sprained ankle and 2 dives today at ilsa catalina

Greetings! Well last night I twisted my ankle off a curb. No link to the cervasas however. I heard it POP so...iced it last night and this am and...went diving anyway. The diving didnt hurt it since you barely move under water but in and out of the boat, etc´did. Now my ankle is the size of a LIME, yikes. So Im taking tomorrow off and then going to Isla Saona Thursday and doing a wreck dive on Friday so a 6 dive package plus excursions for $368.00US. Terrible visibility with our first dive but did see some cool critters, trumpetfish, a balloon fish or porcupine puffer, green moray eel, spotted scorpion fish, and many little wassies(fish) on a wall at 78 feet UNDER THE WATER for you land critters. Second dive MUCH better visibility only 29 feet but you could see for MILES underwater. We saw an inshore lzard fish, a smooth trunkfish which is only an inch long, lots of parrot fish, and squirrel fish and larger trumpet fish.

Sadly two eastern Europeans with ALL the gear were diving with us and oh my goodness one of them took his knife and cut a LIVE sponge off. Wasn´t I pissed. I said something to him, owner of dive company, and dive master so...hopefully he will not do it again. People can be so disrespectful of that which they love so much in the first place. Another example of ignorance, stupidity and arrogance.

Met a nice couple from Chicago. Jeannie is an interior designer for hotels. Neat job.She is quite a diver. My dive buddy, Stephan was diving for his FIRST time in the ocean after learning in a lake near Montreal. His wife and 3 year old daughter enjoyed the boat and the beach. Great little girl! Lots of people in large catamarans, fancy luxury yachts. We stopped in a marina in Casa de Campo and had a few famous folks homes pointed out to us, Julio Iglesias (sp?) and Saquira (sp?). Also several HUGE absolutely HUGE cruise ships. Yikes. That will kill the coral reefs pretty quickly. Anyone who thinks a cruise ship is a good idea for economy forgets about the ENVIRONMENT! Hello! Sad but on the up and up. Folks like to travel easy, all inclusive packages etc. Lots of resorts around here too. All foreign owned of course paying DR folks minimum wage which is...3000DR pesos or....$90.00. Yikes eh. That is PER MONTH working usually 6 days per week for 8 to 12 hour shifts.

It keeps RAINING in this tropical paradise but somehow Im getting a wee Georgie tan which is the equivelant of everyone elses base color.

Ok Im off to have a cervesa and write in my paper journal from Missy. Thanks Missy!
Georgie

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