annanotbob's Diaryland Diary
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Who knows what tomorrow may bring
Today has turned into a day of bravery, in double portions.
First off, I drove a left-hand drive car, on the wrong side of the road and managed to achieve a state of calm capability for most of the time. I did keep whacking my left hand against the door each time we approached a roundabout and I needed to change gear, but that was OK and even starting off on the wrong side of the road (ie the wrong side here), wasn't disastrous as Sara noticed each time before we hit anything. I felt very proud and almost wished I had hired a car in America, until I remembered that I didn't have a Sara to direct me and all the road signs were incomprehensible to me there, which they're not here.
The first place we went to is apparently the historic part of the island, but we wanted snorkelling and there were no beaches, just more rocky inlets with fierce scary currents:
We had a go, but it was too taxing so we drove right across the island to Son Bou, which we'd seen on postcards looking like very heaven. As we came round the little mountain and caught sight of the turquoise sea we both spontaneously went, 'Oooh!' Gorgeous, like a dream.
I was feeling all smug and powerful, so let Sara talk me into having a go on this:
an inflatable yellow penis-shaped affair, pulled through the water by a speed boat. One guy drove the boat while the other shouted instructions to us passengers in Spanish. There were about eight of us on there, all adults. When I'd watched the previous outing, to assess its suitability, I hadn't realised the significance of the fact that half the passengers that time had been small children. They decided to have some fun with us and swerved round the bay at a hideous speed, yelling at us to lean into the curve, like on a motorbike. I hated it. I really fucking hated it. And then, I FELL OFF! Right out at sea. I could feel my weight sliding further and further to the left until my arms just couldn't hold onto the straps anymore and I slid off, into the water. Wearing a life-jacket, but still. I went under the boat and felt it banging on my head, but could tell it was moving forward, so assumed it would just pass and then have to come back and get me. When I came back to the surface I discovered that actually, everyone had fallen off and there we all were, bobbing in the water. Dear Sara was very anxious on my behalf, I could hear her straight away, saying 'Mum, Mum, are you all right?' and I was, I bloody was. And the most amazing thing of all was that my glasses hadn't fallen off! I'd have been absolutely fucked if they had, wouldn't I?
I wanted to be taken ashore at once - 'No me gusta, nada!' I said vehemently, but the guy just laughed and heaved me back up and off we went again, swerving round and round till I wanted to scream and scream and scream. But I managed not to, in fact I didn't even cry, but I was very glad to get back on the beach and even gladder to be in Spain where they have bars right there, selling brandy in big shots at rock bottom prices.
xxx
|9:28 p.m. - 06/09/2009
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