Well, yesterday was a gorgeous day at Catalina Island. Bob and I went snorkeling off the boat. It was wonderful, except my mask kept fogging and I swallowed too much salt water. But Bob was ever so patient as he held my hand and pulled me around (even the gentle flipping of the fins aggravates my ankles) But after 45 minutes we were ready to grab two lounge chairs in the shade of a palm tree and relax. After a while we decided to walk out from the beach with our masks on and see what could be discovered right off shore. There was the smallest out cropping of a reef--2 feet high and maybe 8 feet long. It's amazing what was *hidden* there in plain site!
striped fish, bright blue fish, tiny silver fish, etc.
We're not talking one or two, but dozens! We even followed a flounder as it skimmed along the ocean floor. What was nice for me is I could stand in the water when I needed to. I much prefer being able to touch bottom.
After a delicious lunch, we rested and read and talked and rested and read and talked until we went back in the water again.
By the way home I was exhausted and just physically drained again. We came home, took showers before returning to SCORE to eat dinner with the group. Unfortunately, before we left the apartment I was rinsing out our suits, towels, etc from the salt water, when the hose came detached from the washing machine. Would have been better had we discovered it 5 minutes sooner than we did, but I now have a very clean laundry room floor and today I washed all the towels and the two rugs (crocheted with fabric strips) that got soaked.
Got up this morning after 11 hours sleep and felt like I could go right back to sleep. Then the body aches started. We think I picked up a bug, so that would account for much of the exhausted feeling, as that is the way it has hit me before. Body aches pretty much confirm a *bug*. Bob left to go over to the clinic and I went into the bathroom. That's when it hit me! DUH! I forgot that here I canNOT brush my teeth with water right from the tap. Ten months out of the country wiped that intelligent fact from my brain. So for 4 days I've been using Dominican tap water to brush! Praise the LORD for antibiotics.
As I was leaving the ministry center, Joe (landlord) was videoing a nice big tarantula on the otherside of the property wall. Then when I went to open the gate to pull the car out, we noticed a baby tarantula right next to the gate. I HATE tarantulas! YUCK! This is the first that we've seen any near the apartment. I want them to go away. Mama tarantulas only have one baby at a time, right??????
¡ay, pobrecita! no wonder you have no energy! i have heard, though i don't know if it's true, that once you get over the symptoms caused from drinking the water there that your body actually adjusts to it and learns to tolerate the new bacteria. is there any truth to this? some of the missionaries i've spoken to said they "eased" themselves into this tolerance by brushing their teeth with tap water.
ReplyDeleteyou'll have to let me know what you find out :)
eeg! who cares if mama trantulas make only one baby at a time- that's ONE BABY TOO MANY, in my weak opinion! someone, bring on the spider repellent.
ReplyDeleteglad you a fun day at Catalina Island.
i think i got sick from brushing my teeth with tap water once, but i didn't need an AB for it- it just kinda worked its way out (if you know what i mean). i does seem like one would be able to develop a tolerance for it over a long period of time. but papa knows best i guess.