The Reef part 2

Well I just had the most amazing meal at this wonderful restaurant Habeneros. I had firecracker prawns and then shrimp and veggie fajitas, but I ate it as if it were stirfry and it was wonderful. The waiter kept giving me trouble and I kept falling for his jokes, it was if I suddenly became the most gullible person on the key. SO back to today, first we went to the Split and saw tons of wonderful fish. I have been snorkeling in the Caribbean before and so I was snapping away photos and almost used up all my film in one place, which was a shame because then we were off to Shark and Ray alley. They threw some fish into the water and the next thing you knew a million huge sting rays were swimming about. At first I didn't want to get into the water but figured that it was really not anything to be scared of. So There I stood with stingrays banging into my legs, standing very still. Soon after that another guy from New York and I were back in the boat... Here come the nurse sharks. Not that they bite but I didn't want to be the freak show that did get bitten, I figured that would put a damper on the next portion of my trip, so instead I sat there in the boat cooking my skin. I had on 30 proof but I think after the first hour in the water it was all but gone. So then it was off to Coral Garden, wow I had no idea what I would soon be seeing, besides beautiful coral formations and huge schools of brightly colored fish, we soon heard out guide yelling Manatee... Not that he had seen one but another guide was telling him there was one about, so we all started swimming in his direction and he was heading to a cove where he had seen many swimming before. On my way over to him, another guide from another boat grabbed my arm and turned me around, and there she was. I say she because it was in fact the manatee that was often confused with the mermaid. Luckily Elisa was right there and she had film left in her camera, we followed the manatee for a while until we realized everyone had abandoned the chase and we were swimming out to sea, the manatee was not stopping to chat although we were in hot pursuit. So we stopped, right in time to rejoin our group when suddenly we heard turtle, face back into the water, and there he was, beautiful big sea turtle, in fact huge sea turtle. He was just crusin, swimming along as if he had no other place to be. So we chased him for a while and the swam a while more, headed back to the boat and had fresh watermelon, pineapple and water. I was very happy I decided to go out to the reef on that day on that trip. We also saw two water spouts off in the distance, the sun was amazing which added to the vibrancy and the sun cast designs on the ocean floor similar to the designs a pool creates. I was mesmerized and remembered how much I had enjoyed snorkeling and scuba diving before. I have realized during my time in Belize that I am not much of a sand person but I do love the water, boats, sailing, etc. So now I am heading off to bed, I have packed my bags and although I have nothing new my bag seems to get heavier and heavier. I might have to start abandoning things along the way although I feel like I have already lost/had stolen so many things. It will be nice to get back to Guatemala where the evenings are cool and the people speak Spanish. I was rather enjoying the different language and different people. Adios Belize.....