Day 6 - Wednesday - February 7, 2006

We noticed today that the rates on the board for two person occupancy at Hotel Michel is 350 pesos now instead of 500, which we paid a day for our 10 day stay. I think the hotel clerk was trying to tell us to only pay for 3 days and then pay more later when we first arrived. I didn't understand at the time but I think she was saying that the rates would go down after the "holiday weekend". You miss So much when you don't speak the language fluently! Maybe the rate is for the smaller rooms that don't have balcony's. Jack and I decided we are content with what we've paid for our room. We're not going to even say anything.

We were up early - packed up our dirty clothes to turn in to the laundry and hiked to Casa Cafe for our fruit and toast breakfast before hiking to the NAUI Dive Shop. We had to be there by 8:45 am. Two veteran scuba divers had also signed up. Art and Al have been diving with the dive shop owners since Ricardo and Carlos were teen-ager's working for a different dive shop.

Now "the boys" are grown with wives, children, and a business of their own. This makes Jack and I feel good about Jack going out for his first ocean dive with them! Watching them prepare for the trip made regret for not taking the classes well up for a few minutes but it passes quickly. Risking permanent damage to my ears isn't worth it.

As the dive boat headed out across the bay we passed a small boat with dozens of pelicans perched on it. Ricardo explained the owner had committed a crime and fled the area. The police impounded the boat and since it hasn't moved for a while the pelicans have decide to use it as a perch. Every edge on the boat was lined with pelicans - it looked like they could sink it!

Next we passed an ugly, rusty metal boat that the harbor patrol were boarding. The police had full flack jackets, machine guns, ammunition belts, and helmets. They looked like serious business was going down. "Checking for smugglers." Ricardo said.

Turning left once we left the bay we moved through the Pacific Ocean and it was okay as long as the boat was powering it's way to the dive site. About 10 minutes down the coast Jamie, the boat captain dropped anchor and the guys prepared to dive. IT only took them a couple of minutes to get their gear on and drop in to the ocean. I managed to take two photo's before the rocking of the boat got to me. Ricardo had instructed the divers to follow the anchor line down. Once they'd done that Jamie raised the anchor and moved the dive boat a little further away from the rocks. I asked him if he could take me back to the pier - hand over my stomach I said malle (sick). He looked sympathetic but said "Not possible". After thinking for a minute I realized that we were the "dive marker" a that is why he'd said that.

I nibbled on a cookie that was with the snacks we'd brought for Jack to eat to fuel up between dives. Jamie pointed to the lighthouse and then the mountains further down the coast indicating I should look at them not the ocean. I breathed slowly and stared at the mountains but my stomach continue to threaten to empty. It must have shown because via sign language Jamie suggested I might want to get in the water and said "better" with a nod. I nodded back and he dropped the little platform the divers use to get back in the boat. I made my way to it and dove in. Getting in the water did help!

I enjoyed swimming a little to get the sick feeling worked out and then just enjoyed alternately treading water and looking around and floating in the water, staring up at the beautifully blue sky, and listening to the water sounds. After about 25 minutes the ocean swells increased and the sick feeling started creeping in again. Jamie indicated I needed to board the boat, Jack had surfaced and we needed to go get him. I laid on the bow with closed eyes. Jamie got Jack in the boat.

Jack had used his air quicker than the others and would have to wait with us until the others reached 500 psi in their tanks. I tried to chat with Jack about his dive but only lasted on the boat for a couple of minutes and had to get back in the water. It was another 20 minutes before Ricardo, Al and Art surfaced.

I opted to stay in the water this time while the boat went to pick the divers up. When they returned they had all agreed that it would be ok to take me back to the pier. They had gone to 80 feet deep and had to wait an hour before they could dive again.

I was exhausted and shaky during the 15 minute ride back to the pier but felt better the minute my feet hit solid ground! I thanked them all profusely and happily waved to Jack as they headed back out for their second dive site which was to be north - outside of Ixtapa. The second dive was 40 feet and lasted about 25 minutes also, Jack told me later. Being new and larger than the other men he used his air up almost twice as fast. They all assured him that with more experience he will consume less and get to spend more time underwater.

As for me, I got a cold coke and sat on the pier until my stomach settled down and then spent the rest of the morning shopping for sandals for Jack - his sandals had come apart yesterday on our way to breakfast - leaving him only his tennis shoes to wear. It is way to hot to wear socks and shoes here!

I found a few hand painted fruit bowls, a hair clip and a pair of turquoise earrings as I shopped prices on men's sandals in the Artisan's market. I also picked up postcards. With 1 o'clock approaching I returned to the dive shop and let Carlos know I was going to wait for Jack's return on the pier where there was a cooling breeze off the water. Jack found me waiting at the pier filling out postcards. The dive boat had returned to a different pier!

We took a long siesta, picked up laundry at 6 pm, and then went to La Gaviota Restaurant at the southern-most end of Playa La Ropa - the resort beach in Zihuatanejo. We took a taxi and Jack got to traverse "the hill". Everyone that has stayed in Zihuatanejo knows what you are talking about when you say "the hill" It is steep and long. I walked it each day on my 1st trip here but would not want to now. Jack's ankle, knee and Achilles heel would all be aggravated by trying even a one way walk up or down it. We passed people trudging up or down each side. Some tried to hail our taxi! Half way up one side is where we passed the entrance to Hotel Irma. Jack lost all interest in that hotel.
Dinner was on an open patio covered with the somewhat standard thatched roof. It was early and the restaurant was almost deserted so we had a private dinner with a great view of the bay! Sunset and our dinner arrived at the same time and we got to enjoy a beautiful sunset with our dinner. We took a brief walk along the beach from the restaurant, turning back at a small creek that cut through the beach. We walked back to the main street of the La Ropa area and caught a taxi within a couple of minutes. I think this was another time I'd taken Jack out of his comfort area - it was dark and we were in a different area. From this far end of Zihuatanejo the taxi fare is $3 back to our hotel.

After reading for a short while we were asleep!