How Did I End Up Snorkeling?

You see, snorkeling is never in my bucket list. I was actually planning for a cruise-to-nowhere. The man selling the tickets asked me a few questions while deciding whether to sell me the tickets or not. God is always good... He always makes sure that I don't waste my money away.

LTH Gambling Ship

The man asked whether I gamble, to which I answered no. Then he said I can forget about going. I thought there was a swimming pool on a cruise ship but he said I could swim 'outside' all around the ship. I couldn't catch the joke at all. I was thinking a swimming pool all around the ship was something really cool. I stupidly asked that guy how big was the swimming pool actually. He said very big. Extremely big... but once I go swimming nobody will rescue me. Huh? I asked him what kinda swimming pool was that. He said it's the sea. @.@ Ok lor... got played early in the morning when I was so happy to get the tickets. So, no swimming pool at all and he said I would be dead bored after an hour. Ahhh... someone who doesn't know me at all knows that I'll be dead bored with nothing to do. 

We walked away and I saw snorkeling in Pulau Payar. Was curious about snorkeling so bought the tickets. It was meant to be for the two of us on a romantic getaway. Romantic??? Hey, it's not romantic at all. No rooms, no nothing. There was just a pontoon to support all the humans and a few steps for those who were afraid to venture out of their comfort zone. I ended up asking my eldest, my precious and my youngest to join me. 

The two-hour boat ride to Pulau Payar on a choppy sea was not pleasant for my hubby and my girls. I'm okay with it... I am blessed enough never to get seasick in any circumstance. I can even read and write while on a choppy sea. But I guess I've not experienced a real choppiness of the ocean.

Let me share with you the first snorkeling experience. I was excited to see such crystal clear sea water. Then one of the working crew called me all of a sudden to see a huge garoupa fish near the surface on the other side of the pontoon. That was really amazing. I have seen all sorts of fish from the aquarium but to see them in their own habitat, was something else.

Hey fishy~! Did you just peck me??

Then, we were getting ready, wearing the life jacket and for the first time putting on the snorkeling mask. I did not know what to expect because I have never see through a snorkeling mask before. The moment I stepped on the edge of the pontoon, one of the fishes pecked my foot *ouch* So, I started swimming away from the comfort of holding on to the edge then the face went into the water... and 'what the heck'. The feet can reach the ground and I panicked and quickly swam back to the comfort of hanging on to the railing.

I almost drowned in a wave pool when I was 13. I'm a self-learn swimmer after that drowning episode. I can swim and keep myself afloat but this is way too deep. My girls started turning back as well. We were kinda shocked but then I told myself I wasn't gonna freak out with the depth of the sea. It was 10 metres deep down under. After a 2-minute pep talk to self, I'm out in the open. It was really fascinating what was down under. I was excited to even see the brownish corals not knowing that most of them are already dead. I spent at least 5 to 6 hours in the sea.

Baby sharkie on the move~!

Then we had lunch, buffet style. I wasn't that hungry. Whenever I'm busy playing or holiday-ing, I wasn't bothered about food. I could survive on plain bread alone. But I did eat then after that we went off to see the sharks. I wasn't keen on shark-feeding but I went swimming with the baby sharks. It was really really a great experience. 

Next was moving around in the glass-bottom boat that threatened to capsize anytime as the whole boat was lopsided on one side. 

We went back to the floating platform but instead of changing up, I went back to the sea to have a good look at the corals and to swim about. While waiting for our ride back to the island, we spent some time feeding the fishes in our own creative way. 

I find that one doesn't have to look gorgeous in a swimming suit to go snorkeling. One needs to be fully covered, not fully exposed. I came back with charred ass and limbs. It was so difficult to sleep and it's not my first time getting charred skin. So, next time round  I will need to be covered from head to toe. I need to cover my neck, fingers and toes and face as well.