Manta Day 7-8 (20-21 May 2011)

So yesterday we were took a day of liberty because the site at Roca Fuerte shut down so there were more than enough translators at Montecristi.  We took a drive southward and for $25 each we got a boat ride to Isla de la Plata.  We left between 9:00 and 10:00 AM so most of the small boat fishermen were coming back to unload their catch. 

We saw some shark fishermen unloading and preparing their catch for sale right there on the beach.

After we left the shore we had about a 45 minute boat ride out to the island.  As we approached I was worried that it would not be as cool as I expected.  The environment was quite arid and as we got closer I thought it the perhaps they should have named it Lots of Creepy Birds Island.

But things got better fast.  As we came ashore the water was crystal clear and I could see some fish, inlcuding some sea turtles.

This bird (blue-footed boobie, above and below) reminded me of Matthias, but there were a lot of them.

We also visited the creepy birds that included two species of vulture.

I swear I'm not fat.  That shirt is billowing in the wind.
We came back to the boat and found a good spot for snorkeling.  I'll spare you the photo of my half-naked body snorkeling amongst them, but we really did get to go right in the middle of these angel fish.

When we came back to shore I saw a bird driving a boat. Weird, huh.

Anyway, that was my day yesterday.

Today I was back at Montecristi for the last day there before they shut that site down.  I was in family medicine again, so a lot of kids and a few adults.  I've gotten very comfortable asking women some very personal questions.  I just hope that doesn't spill over into the rest of my life.  Goodness knows I already have trouble saying whatever pops into my head...

Tommorow we will be in Jaramijo, and the plan is for us to attend church on the Comfort.  I'm pretty excited about getting to go to church for the first time in about a month.  Last week some of us spoke with a few of the ladies from LDS Charities and they told us when sacrament meeting would be held on the ship.  Though I am married, I am the only married cadet of the 9 male LDS cadets and when we mentioned that we might try to make it, the word got around quickly.  We could not attend because of our schedule but the LDS Charities ladies told us the next day that sacrament attendance on the ship was a record high since they put out to sea, the additional members being a large number of very dissappointed female sailors.