I woke up at 5:01 and was miserable. I was sore from trying to lie in a position that didn’t cause my knee to touch the blankets or the bed. My legs hadn’t been covered and I had a couple bad bug bites. One was on the back of my heal and it burned like a mother fucker (I don’t swear often in my blog, but there is no other way to describe it). I was itching it by rubbing it on the bed. It woke up Nick and he was all disgruntled. After that I was all hooty eyed and couldn’t fall asleep. Eventually I did, though, and I woke up again at 7:14, right on schedule for the trip.

I decided not to dive with everyone else. I wanted to have an additional way to unwind. It was the first time in nine days I was completely alone, and it was kind of nice. I hung out in the room awhile before lubing up with sunscreen and heading down to the pool to catch some rays. The temperature was perfect. Hot with a nice breeze to keep me cool. It made the pool feel like ice water, though, so I opted to walk to the bar instead of swim there. I ordered a piña colada and quesadillas, and by the time my food arrived, the others returned from their dives.

In the evening we headed to the dive shop. Rudy was barbecuing for everyone. The meal was delicious—fish, lobster, potatoes, and onions all in a pan together and grilled. Loidy, Martín, and some of the other guys from the dive shop were there, along with two of Rudy’s sons. Some of the others who dove throughout the week were there as well, and it was fun to be able to meet a few new people.

While we were in town, I headed to the pharmacy for some Neosporin and bandages for my knee. The lady working there said it looked infected, which only fed my paranoia that my leg will have to be amputated and fed to the sharks. Nick and Kristen both assured me that it looks fine to them. The skin around the wound is red and puffy, but I think that might just be irritation from the impact. I hope that’s the case, anyway. It’s right on top of my knee, too, so every time I move it gets more irritated.

Kristen, Crispine (one of the divers we met who is from LA), and I went to Manely’s for ice cream, then we stopped and looked at some jewelry. I ended up buying a couple things. We went back to the dive shop, but our husbands and the Hintze’s weren’t there. Rudy told us they went to catch the water taxi, so we said a quick goodbye and joined them.

It rained again today. Fortunately when we spend all our time below the water, we don’t notice. Curtis, Kristen, Cindy, Nick, and I squeezed in the hot tub. We displaced a lot of water. Lunch consisted of leftover pizza from the night before and nachos! And coke. Nick got all protective over his bottle. He fell off the wagon hardcore and now he’s like a crazed sugar addict.

The rain let up in the evening and we stayed dry on our trip to town. We ate at Fido’s. Ted, Curtis, and I ordered the seafood platter. It was delicious. Kristen, Cindy, and I also ordered sushi from the restaurant upstairs. We ate a lot a ridiculous amount of food. Nick had two Cokes.

It was easy to get up after going to bed early and dinnerless. Kristen was kind enough to make us breakfast, like she has every morning, and we were down at the dock at 8:30.

After diving we took a dip in the pool and had drinks and lunch poolside. Computing in the room followed. Nick put some finishing touches on The Spreadsheet, naps and computing were had by others.

We took the water taxi into town again and ate dinner at Elvi’s. I had scallops in garlic butter and a piña colada. Delicious as expected. Afterward we stopped at The Liquor Box (hehehe) again. Ted (& his case of beer), Nick, and I headed to the Coastal Xpress dock to catch the 8:30 taxi back. Kristen, Curtis, Cindy, and Ellie went to the grocery store and made it back just in time to catch the boat.

Back at Grand Caribe, Ellie found this giant hermit crab. Good thing no one stepped on it this time . . .