They picked me up at 7:30 am and couples from Denver, DC, Chicago, and a solo guy from Wisconsin were on our boat today. Everybody was really friendly and also more importantly, competent - we were all mindful and did not invade each other’s space which is common in group dives with varying levels. The dive shop was also really professional and helpful. Our captain was Ty and our guide was Matt. Here are a few shots on the boat:
Our first dive was at The Big Dipper, which was off the sea wall. We saw turtles right away and beautiful fish. It was also my first time not diving with a wet suit as the water is so warm. I had bought a rash guard for the trip as I knew this could be a possibility.
Our second dive was at Oro Verde, a wreck dive with a really cool history. It was a naval ship, and its sister ship was seized by North Korea! Eventually the boat was used to haul bananas, and therefore got its name as “Gold Green” as the bananas started out as green and would ripen on its voyage to Miami and make money for the boat owners. However, apparently, they may have been hauling marijuana too which led to a mutiny?! Here are more details: https://www.idivecayman.com/oro-verdes-untold-story
We saw sting rays, fish eggs, cleaner shrimp, and many schools of fish! My air management was better on the second dive, but we were also not as deep. It felt so different not being in a wet suit. On the boat, we had Rice Krispie treats and chatted about various diving sites, the cruise ship folk that can crowd diving sites, and life on the island.
I was the last drop off, so I asked Matt to drop me off at Burger Shack which is a few minutes before Mikey’s condo. Mikey had recommended it and told me it was better than Shake Shack which it was! I had fries with their jerk mayo and a cheeseburger back at Mikey’s condo. Here’s a photo of the shack:
After digesting my lunch, I walked up Seven Mile Beach and enjoyed people watching the various hotels and condo developments. It was also very windy - here’s a photo with my not-so-glamorous-post-scuba hair - I didn’t realize it was this glamorous due to the sun glare on my phone:
Here’s a better one - the water is so blue and clear!
After napping on the beach and wading in the water, I returned to the pool at Mikey’s condo and watched the sunset:
There was also a rainbow!
Mikey met me back at the condo and we had dinner at Cracked Conch - his favorite restaurant on the island. We had fried conch, conch ceviche, lobster, and red snapper. I paired my meal with their special pina colada and all was delicious! A collage below:
After dinner, we ran an errand at the local Costco type store and ATM, which happened to be where the Marsh office is located! I always remembered having to work with colleagues here during my 11.5 year tenure at Marsh. It’s nice to know they have easy access to wholesale items.
Then we returned home. What a fun day - clearly leading a life of cyn is living the dream!
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