Today was a Big Activity Day. We took a boat ride to experience other parts of the marine environment and to swim with fishes in a coral garden. The next stop included sting rays, and the final stop, sharks (black tipped and lemon sharks). It was a stunningly beautiful day and even if "snorkeling with sharks" is somehow politically incorrect, it was interesting and fun and quite relaxing.
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| Our musical hosts actually harmonized this time. |
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| There's a bird! |
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| Our guides fed them first...fish scraps since bread is very bad for marine life which tends to be diabetic. |
Speaking of coconuts, our guide showed us how braid coconut fronds into plates and how to remove the husk and properly crack the coconut. The clear liquid inside is coconut water...rather bland, but it would certainly keep you hydrated on a desert island. Then, he grated the coconut 🥥 meat with a homemade tool. Fresh coconut is really different than the bagged stuff from the grocery store! Then he had us squeeze the freshly grated coconut to get the rich, white coconut milk. OMG! It tasted like melted ice cream! To make coconut oil, they refrigerate the milk until the “cream” (oil) rises to the top. They pour out the water, and repeat that separation process several time to get pure coconut oil.
We returned to the bungalow and I discovered I had not been very diligent with the sunblock. Lobster thighs! An excuse to take it easy inside. I’m getting better at doing nothing.
