What an amazing day!
A loud beeping noise sounded from a device on the table near my bed at five o’clock in the morning. Grumbling, I shut it off and rolled out onto the floor to begin the day. After washing my face and brushing back my hair, I changed into my sweats, gathered my things, and headed up the stairs to eat breakfast and make a sack lunch. By six o’clock, I was standing outside by the front gates of the Jerusalem Center, waiting to board a bus, a bus bound for the coastal city of Eilat for a day of snorkeling!
The bus ride to Eilat was nothing out of the ordinary. Kymberly and I sat next to each other – surprise, surprise – and spent the time listening to music, reading Name of the Wind, and trying to sleep. We took one quick stop on the way, where I purchased a beverage and Mentos. We reached our destination just after ten o’clock in the morning. It was one of the greatest moments ever! We all shuffled to the beach, rubbed on sunscreen, geared up in our masks and goggles, and ran to the dock to jump into the water! It was cold but felt amazing.
The fish were wonderful! We couldn’t swim directly over the coral because it was so close to the surface. (There were ropes blocking off certain areas where we couldn’t go.) But that didn’t deter us from having any fun! Many of us, myself included, ditched our snorkels within minutes of being in the water, diving down twenty feet to the bottom of the water, to gather shells and get a closer look at certain fish. The Trumpet and Parrot Fish were my favorites. There was a Rainbow Parrot Fish that was absolutely beautiful! I also saw an octopus which I thoroughly enjoyed! I spent a good percentage of the day in the water, close to four hours! It was the best. My skin was caked in salt by the end of the day and my ears were having difficulty adjusting due to the constant change in pressure and elevation from diving, but I was beyond happy. The snorkeling wasn’t the best, but it was the people I was with and the site of the activity that mattered most. I mean, how people do you know who can say that they swam and snorkeled in the Red Sea?
It was an amazing day. We left the beach just before four o’clock in the afternoon to head back to Jerusalem. On the way, we stopped at a modern kibbutz – at least that’s what I was told – for dinner; it was delicious. Schnitzel, kebob, French fries, and lemon sorbet: life just doesn’t get any better than that! It was the perfect meal to end the day. The bus ride back to the Jerusalem Center was highly uncomfortable. I kept being jostled around. So, I asked Jarom if I could lay on him; he consented but Ashley got there before I did! It was the worst. I wanted to stick a penny up her nose. I sucked it up and stayed awake talking to Kymberly. I told her all of my awkward first kiss stories; it made for a highly entertaining evening. Lol we made it back to the Jerusalem Center just after ten at night. I hustled to my room, to find it empty, and the shower unoccupied! It was a very sweet moment. I took a shower, washing the salt off of my body and out of my hair; it felt amazing. Afterwards, I caked on the lotion and crawled into bed. It was an amazing day, but four hours fighting against a current and waves takes a lot out of you! I was wiped.
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