Small Steps: Day 113-115: Cairns: Great Barrier Reef

If you were to ask an American of what comes to mind when they think of Australia, I bet a lot of them would mention Great Barrier Reef. We all learned about it in grade school and how amazing it is.

For those who know, I was suppose to have an internship after my semester in Australia, but the company changed its mind. So instead I took a short trip up to Cairns to check out the Great Barrier Reef.

Shamika (by now you should know who is Shamika) and I visited a Wildlife Park to which we got a free ticket from a stranger. The next day we went scuba diving and snorkeling in the ocean.

The Wildlife:

The deck outside the wildlife park. I remember that day..the sun light was just right, enough but doesn't burn. The breeze so relaxing and moist. Makes you want to take a nap. Feel like being at a balcony of an Italian villa =)

Scuba Diving and Snorkling:

I was fully geared up in my scuba diving wear and was in the water. Before going down, the instructor had to teach us a few skills like equalizing your ears, breathing through the generator, and clearing water out of your googles. I failed the equalizing my ears part. I did it the first time but when my instructor dropped me lower, I couldn't, so she had to ask me to go up. Nonetheless, underwater is totally difference. All sounds are muted and the water was surprising clear. Breathing through a tube is not as scary as you think. But if you don't equalize your ears, it hurts like hell!!!

So the pictures are taken by Shamika: