The rest of my day... well, it was a bit less great. Let's just say that I had some... issues.
Important Note: Because of my... issues... I don't have any pictures of Day Three or Day Four. Fortunately, I was able to create some high quality illustrations for you. Enjoy.
There was a catered lunch at the hotel, after which I joined the group who signed up for the afternoon Jet Ski adventure! While waiting to leave I chatted with a new artist named Shane, who recently joined the company from Great Britain.
A small van arrived to take us to the beach, and I'm pretty sure our driver was trying to set some kind of speed record for getting to the bottom of the hill. For a second I thought he was BACKING down the hill but then I realized I was sitting in a seat facing the rear of the vehicle. Great. Fortunately, we made it to the bottom in one piece.
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| Here I am in the back of the van as we flew down the hill. Pretty sure our driver was insane... |
Unfortunately, there were not enough Jet Skis to go around so I partnered up with Shane, and as he had never driven one before I let him go first. They told us to climb on from the rear (not the side, due to potential tipping problems), and after he got up I suddenly realized that I had a dilemma. How was I supposed to hold on to this thing? I didn't really feel comfortable wrapping my arms around my new friend's waist, like a nervous school girl on her first motorcycle date, so I grabbed some handles below the seat and held on for dear life.
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| That's me on the back of the Jet Ski. I nearly fell off half a dozen times. |
I didn't realize how precarious my perch was until Shane hit the gas and we rocketed forward. I completely lost my balance and rolled backward on the seat, my head nearly hitting the water as my feet flew up around Shane's ears. (He said he thought I was just showing off.)
Not sure how I didn't tumble backward into the water, but I eventually got myself righted. For better balance I kept my left hand on the handle, while my right fingers found a groove under the seat in front of my knee. This gave me a bit more stability, but I still felt like I was doing some kind of crazy balancing act and I came close to falling off multiple times.
At one point we hit a small wave and our Jet Ski came out of the water for an instant. This caused the seat to rise up a little bit and the fingertips on my right hand slid a little deeper into the gap. Then we hit the water. CRUNCH! I was more careful where I put my fingers after that.
Finally, our guide motioned for us to switch places. Unfortunately, Shane and I both tried to climb off on the same side and the Jet Ski tipped, flinging us headlong into the water.
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| Shane and I took an unexpected dip in the ocean. |
Before climbing onto the back of the Jet Ski I felt in my pocket to make sure my iPhone and room key were still there. (I had them carefully wrapped up in a zippered plastic bag.)
I'm glad I have been working out in the gym because it took a lot of effort to pull myself onto the Jet Ski. As I struggled, I suddenly pictured myself having to be hauled behind the vehicle, flopping through the water like a dead sea lion. Fortunately, I pulled myself aboard.
When I got back to my room I noticed that there was a little moisture in the plastic bag, and my iPhone wouldn't turn on.
Crap.
I took my phone outside and left it in the sun to dry. Meanwhile, I figured I would hop in the Jacuzzi for a little while. I considered going au natural but it didn't seem prudent so I threw on my swimsuit.
I should point out that my bathing suit is quite old and, despite my recent weight loss, it didn't fit very well. I couldn't even cinch it all the way up at the top. Nope, definitely not gonna wear that sucker out in public for awhile. No sirree. Then I thought, "Oh, I should probably grab a towel."
Turns out a towel wasn't the only thing I didn't have with me. You wanna know what else I was missing? My damn room key.
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| This is me at the moment I realized I was locked out of my room... in my ill-fitting swimsuit. |
What if I had decided to hop into the Jacuzzi without any clothes on? What the hell would I have done then? I shuddered at the thought.
Oh well, it didn't seem like I had a choice so I walked as quickly as I could to the front desk, praying that I wouldn't meet anyone I knew. No such luck. I ran into three people from my French class, two folks on my team at work, and half a dozen other employees that I don't know very well yet.
I got two new keys for my room (bringing my total to FOUR) and then checked my phone again. Nope, dead as a doornail. Shit.
For dinner on Sunday we drove to a beach restaurant that also had a live DJ. The food was very good and after everyone was done eating it was time to dance. Half the company clamored onto the dance floor while the rest of us non-dancers skedaddled to the beach. I have the rhythm of an inebriated donkey, so it was beach time for me.
I laid down on one of the deck chairs and promptly fell asleep under the stars, as small waves gently lapped against the shore. What a life, eh?
By the time I got back to the hotel I was exhausted. So imagine my chagrin when I realized that my key didn't work. As I trudged to the front desk I thought, "Well, at least I have clothes on this time."
Turns out that my OLD keys stopped working when they issued me new ones. I didn't realize this and grabbed the wrong one. They gave me a new one (that makes FIVE).
It was a busy day, so I slept like a log that night.
Thus endeth Day Three. Click HERE for Day Four.
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