*01.07.2002 - 11:55 p.m.*

I apologize to those readers who look at this everyday about not writing ysterday... I felt like complete shit and went to bed early. Today, I shall pick up where I left off.

Grand Caymen: I don't think I've ever seen such a beautiful ocean...it was like G-d had taken water and added blue food coloring. The water was crystal clear, warm, and the life living in it was remarkable.

The tour we went on basically took us to a reef to snorkle, then to a sand bar where we could feed and pet sting rays. Now, about 10 years ago I had a really bad experience snorkling...coupled with the fact that I was still a little fearful of swimming with fish. So, I was a little nervous about jumping in the water to snorkle. But, I did...and the group was almost immediatly surrounded by sting rays. They were circling around us because they thought we might give them food. Sting rays are really big fish...that are related to sharks...and they were circling us. I was scared. Then, one of the tour people caught one, and let it go...and it swam right over my arm. That's when I freaked out and almost got back on the boat. But, I looked around, and my Dad was there and he was fine, and my brother was there and he was fine...and the sting rays had all wandered off somewhere else.

I calmed down, and followed my Dad to a reef...and I was amazed. There was these beautiful little fish swiming all along the coral...just going about their business. At first I was leary of snorkling over the reef, but then I got into it. I was really enjoying myself. Then, a school of these biggish white fish just swam past us...completely ignoring us...they pretty much formed a living wall between me and the reef as they swam by.

Finally, we were about to get back onto the boat, when I saw a baby sting ray swimming near the bottom. A fish that was almost as big as the sting ray was swimming right over it...following it like a pet. The baby sting ray and the fish were so cute, a took a couple pictures. There was a snowball's chance in hell that I was going to pet it, but I thought it was cute.

We went to the sand bar. I did not go in the water. All I saw were these big, dark gray, circular masses swimming around all the people who chose to wade in and feed them squid. Once the rays realized they were being fed, they got friendlier...they started jumping out of the water, onto people...like a dog would jump on it's human when the human comes home...same sort of deal, except these were not dogs. My brother, who was one of the ones who chose to go in, was ambushed by three of them simultaneously, and jetted back to the boat. My Dad was the only onee in our family who went in and stayed in till we had to leave. He had a great time, so it was worth it.

Well, that's what happened at Grand Caymen...I will definitly go snorkling again. Sting rays...we'll have to see about them.