Getting in Over My Head

It's sunset here, on the top of Harold's Mansion.  Jack Johnson is playing (loudly) on a rather impressive stereo.  And I have a rather impressive sunburn on much of my body, especially my face and head.  Alas.

I have to say it was worth it.  I got to do 3 dives today and saw wonders of nature, including a vast variety of corals.  A truly mind boggling diversity and most of it very healthy and colorful.  I got to meet a number of sea turtles, including several up close (though no touching allowed).  I saw a lion fish--which was small but so impressive!, a scorpion fish, clown fish galore, a banded sea snake (my dive master told me it's venom is 8 times more deadly than a king cobra, though it has a very small mouth).  There were little schools of angel fish, and iridescent fish, and brain corals and....I saw so many incredible things that I feel full to bursting.

And I met two wonderful gals from NZ and Holland, and a nice couple from Estonia.  The ship was awesome, the trip there and back gorgeous, but the borrowed sunblock didn't help at all.  A little while ago I felt very ill indeed.  Turned out I needed to eat and Harold's produced the best and biggest Filipino pizza yet for a mere 150 pesos.  That and some Buko (fresh coconut) juice has me feeling much much better.

To be honest, I was a little scared for a bit.  I felt terrible and it wasn't just the sunburn.  Harold's provided heaps of free barbeque'd oysters for everyone on the roof and the look and smell of them made me most unhappy.  Also, everything is still pitching and rolling.  I think my inner ears took a bit of a beating from the 3 dives.  It'll be fun falling asleep though.

But I had a lovely time up on the roof tonight, once I recovered, joining in with the peace corp folks, and my ship mates too.  Tomorrow is my last full day in the Philippines but I'll most likely have to lay low and stay out of the sun.