World Tour

Maldives: snorkeling

 They had to run, and they were both panting when they came to the harbour. 
¨Fuck, I'm so out of shape!¨ Eddy said. 
¨I know, right? Me too!¨ Brett said, catching his breath. ¨We really should start jogging or something.¨
¨Yeah, we should¨, Eddy replied, fearing this resolution might go about as well as his trying-other-cuisines one. 
¨I think that's the boat there, it's got the same logo as in the brochure¨, Brett pointed. 
They walked over the narrow wooden planks, the water all around them blue and crystal clear even here in the harbour, until they came to a fairly small white yaught with blue letters. 
Eddy was a little hesitant, stepping on the boat. He didn't actually know how long they'd be boating for and he knew his stomach was sensitive. 
Oh well. Nothing he hadn't survived before. 
He stepped on board and then extended his hand to help Brett get on as well. Brett was beaming from ear to ear, and Eddy had to smile. This trip had been the best idea. 

They sat down next to each other on the small plastic seats as the boat started moving. 
Eddy looked around him. There were some seriously impressive ships in this marina. 
¨We're probably on the smallest boat here¨, Eddy grinned. 
¨I know, right?¨ Brett said. ¨I'm guessing most of these boats cost something with at least seven figures...¨

The waves outside of the marina were quite calm, but still it didn't take long for Eddy to feel the familiar churning in his stomach. 
He kept his eyes resolutely forward, looking straight ahead to where the boat was going. He was so not throwing up on this trip!
He felt a slight touch on his shoulder, and when he turned his head he saw Brett looking at him with concern. 
¨You okay? Getting seasick?¨
Eddy rolled his eyes and smiled slightly. ¨Can't hide anything from you, can I?¨
¨I think we're almost there, just keep breathing, okay?¨
And that's what Eddy did, breathing deeply in through his nose, out through his mouth, willing his stomach to stay calm. 
Brett was right, mercifully. It wasn't long before the boat stopped and the captain threw an anchor overboard. 
They got their bags out and found the snorkels, flippers and face masks they'd rented from the boat place. Eddy could not wait to get in the water, because the boat lying still, rocking in the waves, only made him feel sicker. So as soon as they got the sign from the captain he jumped in and started treading water, waiting for Brett to jump in as well.
He had to smile as Brett was too scared to jump straight in, but instead sat on the edge and tried to lower himself gently. It went wrong, of course, he fell in and came up a moment later, spluttering. 
¨Such elegance, such sophistication!¨ Eddy laughed. 
¨Bite me¨, Brett replied, grinning too, and put his face mask on. 

Oh, but was this ever worth it!! It took him a moment to figure out how to breathe through the snorkel, but then he was off. Brett was right next to him, holding his hand, and together they stared at the overwhelming beauty of it all. 
The reef was colourful, different shapes and sizes everywhere. And the fish! The fish were something else. Eddy had never seen so many different kinds, so many colours. 
Brett touched his shoulder and pointed. When he looked he saw what he meant. It was a Nemo-fish! He smiled to himself. Surely it had a different name than that, but he had no idea what it was. 
They snorkeled for ages, holding hands, their flippers calmly propelling them through the blue water, their fingers pointing out the most beautiful things they saw. 
And when they finally came up Eddy saw his own smile reflected in Brett's face. 
¨Bro, this is awesome!¨ Brett said, breathless. 
¨Absolutely, I'm so glad we went!¨

Sooner than Eddy liked the boat sounded its horn, and they knew that was the signal that it was time to get back on. 
They swam back to the boat, making sure to take as much of the beauty of the reef in as they could before climbing on board again. 

The return trip was very unpleasant for Eddy. It seemed to take even longer than before, and he was getting ready to lean overboard when, thank God, the harbour came into sight. 
He breathed deeply through the waves of nausea, grabbing the sides of his seat with his hands, and he just about managed to keep his breakfast in. 
Still, he made sure he was the first to get off the boat when it docked, while Brett thanked the captain for the wonderful trip. 
¨You okay?¨ Brett asked. 
Eddy didn't reply, not trusting his stomach quite yet. 
Of course, Brett understood. 
¨Let's sit down on that bench over there for a bit, okay?¨
Eddy nodded. 
They sat down on the bench for a while, looking out over the priceless yaughts, Eddy's stomach slowly settling. When he felt better he turned to Brett. 
¨I'm okay now, let's go grab some lunch?¨
Brett smiled and gave his hand a little squeeze. ¨Absolutely!¨
Eddy sniggered as they started walking.|
 ¨Well, I really loved the snorkeling, but I'm going to wait a while before getting back on a boat!¨