Day 26 - Sharks, stingray & a cute little boy

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Today would be another day in paradise and we were also going to see the fabulous wonders hidden under the sea. 

We had 2 dives booked with an American dive master named Sandy who seemed super nice and was affiliated with our guesthouse. We had a little refresher because our last dive was in Thailand back in 2016. Then we left for our first dive.

Unfortunately, I have no pictures because I don't have a waterproof camera but it was awesome!!! We saw a few outstanding nurse sharks that were bigger than us. They are very impressive but they look totally inoffensive. We saw one big shark rolling in the sand on its back like a dog does in the grass. It was really cute! We also saw a big stingray, initially hidden in the sand. It was so exciting!  I downloaded pictures from internet so you can have an idea of what they look like.

We also saw thousands of colorful fishes of all sizes, funky sea plants and magnificent corals. 

Our first dive lasted about 45 minutes and we went back on the boat and to the beach. We relaxed on the beach for about 30 minutes while Sandy was switching the oxygen tanks and we left again for a second dive, a little further, by a bigger reef. Again, we saw a few sharks but what was impressive this time were the corals. It had hundreds of different colors and there was life in every single hole and under every plant. Also, the sea over there was much more agitated and we could see entire shoals of fish moving all together like a perfect choreography. I cannot describe how fabulous this was!

Our second dive lasted about 50 minutes, we went back on the boat and then directly back to our guesthouse.

When I dive, I usually get anxious for the first few minutes in the water and when it happens, all I want to do is swim back to the surface but you can't do that. But Sandy was a 57 year old diver with a lot of experience and she had a few tricks that really helped me and I really entirely enjoyed my 2 dives. So I said a big thank you to Sandy and she hugged me.

This great morning whet our appetite so we walked back to the same restaurant than the previous night and enjoyed a great lunch. I also had the best margarita I ever had!

We hung out by the beach and made a new friend. This kid, and I'm very sorry to say that I forgot his name, was selling orange juice. Steve bought him one and he sat with us and we chatted for a little while. This kid was smart and had a lot to say! He wants to be a pilot and he loves mathematics. After school, he has to work and sell food or drinks that her mom prepares and he then spends the rest of the day playing with his friends. He loves "Tortuga Ninjas" and has 2 younger brothers.

He seemed to really like Steve's sunglasses so Steve gently offered them to him. He was so happy! He saw paper tissue in our backpacks and asked if he could have some to clean the glasses. I never saw them so clean!!!

I asked him if he would accept if I take a picture of him with Youppi and I explained to him who Youppi was for me and why I was carrying him with me everywhere. He was very happy to get to know Youppi and know that each time I would see this picture, it would remind me of this great afternoon we had. And I told him I was truly hoping to come back one day and have him as our pilot. His eyes were really bright!

We said goodbye to him, walked back to our guesthouse and had a couple of Flor de Caña (It sounds less alcoholic than if I say rum!) Steve had rum & coke and I had rum & toasts… no it's not a new drink… I was super hungry and couldn't wait until dinner time so since I really like their coconut bread, I ordered coconut toasts with my rum. It was very yummy!

We played a game of dices but before we started Steve said that if he lost that game, he would never play with me again… so I let him win.

We enjoyed every minute of our last afternoon.

We went to a different restaurant for dinner. We chatted with the owner of the place to realize that she was a Canadian, from Ottawa, who bought this place 10 years ago.

Steve had a pesto and palm heart pizza and I had a wrap with green papaya salad. It was not as tasty as the night before but it was good! And we had some friends who were truly hoping we would have leftovers!

And the view was stunning!

We finished the night at the café right next door and enjoyed an authentic islander drum and dance show. What a fabulous way to conclude our stay on Little Corn Island!