People of the world, a major life’s goal has beeen realized by your friend Chiara: I SAW AN OCTOPUS AT THE OCTOPUS RESORT! It has been an incredible week in Fiji.
I’m hopping on the plane to Auckland in about forty minutes and this keyboard is totally freaking me out but I’ve had the most wonderful time, man. I went snorkeling twice a day and met some amazing people and ending up doing a little floor work when I led the conga line on Friday night (How low can I go? Pretty damn low, it turns out) and I spoke French and spent the entire week in my bikini and no one threw up at the sight of me and I think I just lost my expensive prescription sunglasses so cross your fingers for me that I didn’t and it’s taken me half an hour to write this sentence but I have had so much fun. I’m still covered with salt from the boat ride here and when I land in Auckland it will be winter, which does ease the pain of losing my shades a little.
Snorkeling blew my mind. Aside from the absolutely incredible octopus, which changed colors ten times in the five minutes I hung transfixed watching it, nearly crying into my mask: a lionfish (poison! Don’t touch!), three stingrays, a FREAKING LEOPARD SHARK, too many parrotfish to count, a red-spotted crab the size of of my head, and a MANTA RAY. I went on a night snorkel and felt like I was an astronaut, illuminating the coral with my “torch” (“Don’t those have a hard time staying lit?”) and then on the manta ray safari, when we weren’t chasing the rays, I swam in the middle of a big bait ball and it was the most amazing thing. I grew up on an island, my friends, and did I ever snorkel? No I did not, because I am an idiot, because snorkeling is the best.
I am just about out of internet time so I will just say that everyone must run, not walk, to the fabulous Octopus Resort. I’ll write more and post pictures when I’m at a keyboard that doesn’t suck my will to live, but I just had to check in and tell the internet that I met such good people and had such a good time, it was just the best. I’m so glad I went, I can’t even tell you. The whole week would have been a good omen for the trip even if I hadn’t seen the octopus, but now that I have? Nothing can stop me.
Comments
12 responses to “Octopus! Resort!”
Awesome!! It’s great to hear you’re enjoying yourself. Safe travels!
fan-friggin-taculous. Safe landings.
Of course people didn’t spontaniously vomit when you were in your bikini!! Looking forward to the pics (did you take some whilst snorkeling?) and hearing more about the resort when you’ve found a non-sucky keyboard! Keep having fun, and wrap up warm in Aukland!
YES!! I’ve been holding you in the light, my friend. I am so glad to hear that things are going well. Better than well, even! Keep on rockin’…
Fantastic! ALthough I will say, the image of you in the middle of a bait ball, no matter how cool, and the concomitant image of the tiger shark made me retroactively scared for you life, or at least limbs (not that they look like fish!). Anyway, very glad that you had a fantastic time and didn’t become anyone’s lunch (yes, I’m a bit of a tentative snorkeler myself . . .). Can’t wait to hear about your equally successful successes in winter land!
Hooray!! I hope you had an underwater camera with you!
If we run to the Octopus Resort, won’t we, um, drown? Just asking.
I am so happy you’re so happy!
That is so very very cool. However, because I’m too lazy to plumb the depths of your archives (yay sexual innuendo!), I must ask: what started this whole thing you have for octopi? Not that they’re wrong or bad in anyway, but why them in particular?
Excellent! Scott and I have talked about some future vacation in the South Pacific and now we know just where to go.
I told you you’d have an adventure…
(Keeping my fingers crossed that you found your shades, but really, even expensive prescription sunglasses are a small price to pay in tribute to the Gods of Awesome Snorkleing, don’t you think?)
Chiara! I haven’t commented for what feels like 10 million years, but I’m so psyched for you. Fiji sounds wonderful – can’t wait to see the pictures! Safe travels as you head for NZ, and I hope that your trip continues to show you many good omens.
Yay Chiara!
Chiara! Remember me?? Charlie and I are finally in NY, and our Fiji pics are finally up. A couple fun ones from our Manta Ray island safari. Give me your e-addy, and I’ll send to you! -Cheryl