It rained on and off the following day, which made it a perfect time to hang
around and explore the tiny village of El Nido. Famed for its diving, a dive was
booked for the next morning. The fee included three dives, a boat trip to the
islands, and lunch. The evening was spent enjoying supper and a beer on the
beach, a perfect way to end a good day.
El Nido
Eight o’clock was dive time, and the boat left El Nido at around 8.30/9.00 a.m.
The first dive was along a wall and, albeit beautiful, it wasn’t spectacular. I was,
in fact, quite surprised at the lack of coral and life down below. Nonetheless, the
scenery above water was dramatic, revealing limestone pinnacles and cliff faces.
So spectacular was the view, the area was the location of choice for a few
movies.
Our second dive was far more exciting and sported large fish, octopus, giant
shrimp and many more. Both dives were approximately fifty-five minutes, to a
depth of twenty-five metres with a water temperature of 28°C. After the second
dive, lunch was at a tiny white beach offering crystal-clear, turquoise water,
resembling a painting. Time flew by, and soon it was our last dive - an incredible
dive amongst massive coral and other sea creatures.
The strangest thing happened once on the boat - I became dizzy and
disorientated and suffered from blurred vision and a peculiar distant sensation.
WOW, how weird? I drank plenty of water, laid down, and felt considerably better
by the time we reached the mainland. I surmised it was a balance disorder.
Having a sinus infection, I took medication before leaving, which could’ve been
the cause, or it could’ve been simple dehydration.