I broke down today and joined a tour. I hate tours but when on an island it’s hard to get around. Speed boats are the transport and mine was picking me up from my bungalow on water stilts at 1:40pm. I knew better but decided that today could possibly be the day that a local lunch might be prepared in less than 45 minutes. Mai Pen Lai, right? Wrong. Now I must leave after ordering food, waiting for it to come. Still hungry and hot from the midday sun, I trudge back to my bungalow with a furious stomach. The one island road runs next to the water and I could see a speed boat in the distance. As it skimmed over the waves, closer, I could see it was headed right for my pier. Oh no! So I dig into my flip flops (thank god for those brasilian kind) and run with purse, camera and water bottle in hand, racing a speed boat. We tie and I jet onto the pier and hop on. I’m the only passenger. For a while…then we pick up a handful of other tourists on the opposite side of the island, the packed and bustling side. We speed off, hop scotching over waves, to the coral reefs to snorkel and stalk fish.

We all jump off the boat. Dive into the cool blue green water. It took me a minute to adjust to breathing. I really thought I had been snorkeling before but it felt otherworldly to breath under water and I opted for holding my breath instead.

The fish were bored with us and went about their way. Two dives and a visit to a super posh resort for?..(to let us know where we were staying was not up to par?). Followed by a visit to a fish farm and we were zipped back to our waterfront homes. The water is both refreshing and tiring. I feel happy (and spent) to have shared just an hour or two swimming with fish.