Reaching the Reef

We got back in the convertible again and headed off for Palau, where most of the tour companies operated for the reef trips. After signing up we wandered around the exhibits to kill the time before the trip. As our appointed time drew near, we went over to the docks and picked up our snorkeling gear.

The guy handing them out was shirtless and looked like he had just stepped off the set of Baywatch. He seemed to pay a lot more attention to us than the other couples and families, like THAT was a surprise! We waited on some benches for the boat to return from its previous trip, giving me a chance to assess the people who would be going out with us.

Most looked to be in their twenties and one couple were newlyweds - you can spot them a mile away! It was shaping up to be quite a diverse group where a couple of the girls were pretty hot while one couple looked like they were Amish or something from the way they were dressed so conservatively. Oh well, Eva had explained that it didn't really matter who was going with us since once we got out there we would all be on our own anyway.

The five of us hung together for the most part. I noticed the guys glancing our way now and then. Given the way we were dressed and flirting, I would have only been surprised if they had NOT!

Somebody said something and everybody looked over at the water. I turned and there was this huge boat heading back to the dock. I'd never been on a real boat before and for a moment I wondered if I would get seasick. God, THAT would screw up the day I bet. The boat docked and the people streamed of in single file. They appeared to be smiling and happy so they must have had a good time.

When they were off, somebody made an announcement and soon we were on board to replace them. Some of the people sat under the cover of the boat while the rest of us remained out in the sun at the rear end. Hey, I wanted some sun so the last thing I was going to do was sit in the shade. Besides, I'd overheard someone say the odds of getting seasick were less if you stayed in the outside areas and could see the horizon.

The newlyweds were back with us and it was like "get a room" with them. God, they couldn't keep their hands off of each other and considering how skimpy of a bikini she was wearing, about any place he put his hands was bare skin. They didn't seem to care and neither did I. if anything, I was jealous. I wished my boyfriend Duane was with me now. We'd have put on our own show for them!

It was about a half hour to get to the reef. First we had to wind though these channels and I kept hoping to see an alligator until Eva laughed at me and told me they didn't live in the ocean. I felt really dumb! The water was beautiful! I'd never seen anything so clear and pretty in my life. We leaned over the railings, sticking our butts out.

When we reached the place where we would be snorkeling I sat down at the rear of the boat where it was almost level with the water and put on the fins and then adjusted the mask the way he had shown us. Eva jumped in first followed by Lucia. Cathy and Celeste went in next. I was the last of our group to go in and finally I slid in slowly. The water felt perfect - not too warm but not chilly at all.