YCGL - Monday, November 28, 2022 - Mañana?

 I think A Tale of Two Cities starts out "It was the best of times, it was the worst of times."  But we'll get to that later.  

I met at the dock at 7:45 as scheduled.  I had gotten up especially early (for me), at 6:30, wrangled up my gear and headed off to breakfast.  You know, a person could get tired of eating that buffet breakfast, and I would love to try to, but it is still fun after two days.  Back when we first started going here in 1984/5, there was one cook who specialized in omelets and another who specialized in waffles.  This was back in the day before a rotating waffle iron was available in every Motel 6 in the country, and it was fun to watch him ladle out the batter, close the lid, flip the iron and wait the near eternity for the waffle to cook.  And then, out it came, crisp, hot, ready for the butter and syrup to slather over it.... Now they just have the waffles cut up and in a covered dish, no longer crisp.  On the other hand, in addition to the syrup, they have pineapple, chocolate and caramel to ladle on the waffle.  Sometimes the old way was better, but it took an extra cook (which they could easily afford).  

The pier for the dive boats is right outside the cabaña.  You can sit and watch the dive boats come in and load up gear and diverse divers to take out for their first dives of the day.  There is always a bit of confusion, everyone yelling at each other in Spanish or Mayan, loading tanks and bags and finally divers, and they're off.  Here are Steve and Arthur getting on and taking off.

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Unfortunately, their boat left after mine.  And herein lies the tale.  

I watched the crew load "my" boat, my bag kind of early because I was going to be diving with my instructor, Alfonso.  The transition from the dock to the boat is considered one of the "dangerous" times because the boat is rocking back and forth and you can easily get your footing wrong.  But, no problemo, one hand on a tank and another with a crew member and I stepped right on.  I was looking for my bag, which I saw in the front of the deck and started walking to it....without noticing the 6-inch step between the fore and aft deck.  I walked right into it, the boat was rocking and I went straight down onto my nose.  I didn't even have time to get my arms in front so I could break my wrists.  Alfonso was right there, to grab my arm and help me up while I was really trying to pinch my nose to stop the blood.  With my blood thinner, it was a quick start and healthy flow.  He got a pad of cotton and some toilet paper to dab with and very quickly explained that that was the only dive I was going to take today.  He helped me off the boat, all the while I was thinking of a policeman trying to get people to not stop and gawk at a gangland shooting, saying "Move along, folks, nothing to see here,"  but I don't think they would have bought it.  Alfonso got my bag, walked me to the front desk and said "We'll try this again tomorrow."  Mañana.

When I got back into the room, I took a selfie.  Just don't look at my nose, everything else is fine, just don't look at my nose.  You've got to promise that you won't look at my nose.    OK?  Got that?  No nose.

No, I had one Mai Tai last night and nothing this morning, so the nose (that you promised that you wouldn't look at) is bulbous not because I've been drinking.  But I bet it's going to look like a street fight tomorrow when I'll meet Alfonso again and go out diving.  (Actually, I'm almost sure it isn't broken, pretty much, and I can breathe through both nostrils, so I think I'm OK, pretty much...Yeah, almost.  Just don't look at my nose, please.)

Actually, there is a bit of a blessing in disguise.  I hurt my feet walking in some cork-soled sandals the first night, and developed a quarter-sized blister on the center of my toe-joint ridge.  It has been pretty painful, and I was planning on sticking around the hotel all day tomorrow when Steve and Art were planning on heading into town.  So, I've shifted the day of foot rest one day earlier.  

Steve took the sunset picture tonight.

Night time now.  I'm sitting on the patio outside the room and it is raining.  That wonderful pittypatter of rain on the canvas over the patio.  Like rain over the trailer or motorhome.  So soothing and calming.  The swelling around my face has gone down, my nose is not quite as rosy as it was and I am sure it isn't broken.  I'm a little sore, but am ready to go out tomorrow and see more of the underworld.  I'm continuing my tradition of eating seafood at night with Shrimp Anjeho in Mescal Flambe.  Only they flamed it in the kitchen and not at the table, so a significant part of the experience was not there.  Oh well.  There are more important things to be concerned about.  Y mañana es en otro dia.  I går er en aldri dag.  Tomorrow is another day.  WITH diving!