The new day dawned with bright sunshine and the promise of good things to come.  Donning our swimming attire and hats, stuffing towels and sunblock into a small bag, we left our suite for the buffet for a quick breakfast.  We sat in the section nearest the door and scouted for the items we wanted to eat.  At most every meal, we bow our heads to pray together.  We didn't think twice about this practice.  But this morning our simple acknowledgement of God made an impact.
The server for this section of the buffet came directly to our table to pour coffee or juice.  Before we had barely lifted our heads after saying grace, Jorge Luis said, "Are you guys Christians?"  His English was very good, with a slight latino accent.  Surprised, we both nodded and said, "Yes."
This began a relationship and gave us the rich opportunity to find out what God was doing in Cuba!  We were curious at what the long regime of Fidel Castro had done to the work of the Gospel.  In Jorge's village, there were a couple of Baptist churches, a Pentecostal congregation and the church he and his wife attended, the Seventh Day Adventist.  He also mentioned how much the Kingdom Halls were expanding...we weren't sure if our understanding of evangelical ministries was the same as Jorge's, but he seemed to insist that the Jehoveh's Witnesses were spreading the Good News.
Our new friend invited us to sit in his section as he was working breakfast and lunch shifts for the next four days. We agreed and left him a tip that we hoped would bless him and his family!
We made it to the lobby with a few minutes to spare.  Several tour buses were pulling up to pick up groups of tourists for various excursions.  We had our ticket to present to the bus driver or tour guide (we had to pay 10 Cuban Pesos to change the date due to sickness).  Finally, a double-decker bus drew up and our group was called.  We chose to ride on the top level, which was open to the breeze and sunshine.
After stopping at two more resorts to pick up folks, we drove along the causeway about 10 minutes to the launching place for the catamaran tour.  The winding road off the main highway was narrow and lined by trees on both sides.  It was nice to be up high and be able to see above the tree line and catch glimpses of the ocean.  Arriving at the launch dock, we lined up and soon boarded one of three catamarans.  We found a spot on the boat under the canvas shelter, not wanting to be out in the open on the mesh at the front of the vessel.  Many were shedding layers and lathering on suntan lotion to do some serious tanning.  Not us!
Our boat also was equipped with washrooms-down in the pontoon area.  Nice to have that option but we didn't actually need to use them.  (We were thankful our tummy troubles had settled down!)  The tour guide, Boris, was friendly and outgoing, but also stressed the safety aspects of our trip.  Noel was the captain and I can't remember the name of the bartender, but he of course was the most popular person on the excursion!  After the little speech and welcome, Boris played some party type music and we all settled in for a pleasant ride on the ocean along the Cayo Santa Maria shoreline.
After half an hour or so, we stopped at a spot where another of the catamarans had anchored.  We were given our snorkeling gear and a quick lesson.  Walter had gone before so he helped me put on the gear and gave me some tips of breathing through my mouth!
I wasn't as nervous as I thought, but at one point when the mouthpiece slipped out and salt water leaked in, I felt a little panic.  Walter tried to help me adjust things and as he rested his hand on my shoulder, I felt like he was pushing me down!  I pulled away, and regrouped.  Then I took a few good nose breaths and calmed myself before putting the goggles and mouthpiece back in place. I was able to see a whole new world below the water-so clear!  Several species of colourful fish, and a small boat that had been shipwrecked came into my view.  It was amazing to have some fish swim around and underneath me!  The water was about 10-15 feet deep.
I felt I had a successful run of snorkeling for my first attempt so I swam back to the boat.  Walter stayed out longer-so I took a picture or two of him, one small speck among many other snorkelers in the sea!
Once I stowed my gear for a later opportunity in the afternoon, I took a couple good swigs of water to get rid of the salty aftertaste in my mouth!  I dried my hair with a towel and put my hat back in place.  The warm sun soon dried me off and I felt pretty pleased with my accomplishment!
More about the excursion next time...