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New experiences has been the theme of the day today! These being: speeding through the Pacific on a high speed fishing boat with a motor; braving it through an underwater tunnel to get into a cave; snorkelling and seeing coral for the first time; and finally, trying a freshly cracked open coconut (I tried a bit for mum too!). My morning trip was a cocktail of adventure. The hour boat trip to the caves was fun. It was very choppy and so the boat kept bouncing over the waves - and it did this at some speed. We frequently got covered in seaspray as much as our bums lifted off the seat of the boat. It was like a rollercoaster on water - G forces included. The caves we visited are set on the limestone island of Sawa-i-lau, set amongst a string of volcanic islands. We entered a freshwater pool within a large dome shaped cave, and the water was suprisingly warmer than I had imagined. The cave was filled with natural daylight from one side. Within this cave was another series of caves only accessible by courage. With 2 guides (1 each end), I took a big breath and swam through an underwater passage into an adjoining chamber. When you swam underwater in the 'tunnel', a tap on the head from the guide at the other end let you know it was safe to come up. The underwater bit was only about 3 strokes long, but as I didn't know to begin with, my heart was pumping as my adrenalin levels shot up! It was so amazing inside. I felt like one of the kids in the Goonies! My afternoon trip took me out on a boat again to the Blue Lagoon, famous for the Brooke Shields movie of the same name. We moored on the island of Nanuya Lailai and merrily went off with our snorkels. It took me a while to get used to my snorkel and slow my breathing down but once I discovered the amazing underwater world that a coral reef boasts, I found it hard to take my head out of the water. It was amazingly beautiful and inhabited with lots of fish and strange things. I saw zebra coloured fish, electric blue coloured fish, a bluey/purple starfish, orange fish and lots more. It really felt like swimming in an aquarium. The blue colour of the lagoon was like nothing I've ever seen before. Contrary to my usual experience with photos/brochures, this water looked better than the pictures - and they already look so inviting. In the evening I ate some fresh coconut and tried some locally caught fish at dinner, which was surprisingly nice. Now I'm pretty exhausted and ready for sleep! xx
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