It's been such a busy week, this first week of a little adventure to Mexico (ostensibly to do some volunteer marine conservation, but more like avoiding getting a job).

I arrived in Cancun on Saturday and got straight on a bus to Playa del Carmen, which is an hour's bus ride south along the coast.


OK, I've got to admit that I'm really struggling with writing much... we had a beach party last night, and let's just say that doing anything that requires brain input is proving to be very, very challenging. It's taken me 10 minutes just to write this!

Anyway, it's been great so far - I've been diving 3 times: the first two were underwater skills tests, the third a coral spot, where a member of staff, Mads, took John and I to a coral bed to test us on our coral knowledge. Of course, it was a lot harder 'in the flesh' as opposed to photos in the book, and I got roughly 75% right.

And just to freak us all out, on of the expedition members had a fit yesterday. We're still not sure if it was decompression sickness, epilepsy or something else, but they took him to Playa where there's a hyperbaric chamber. I was right there when it happened - one of the girls held his head so that he didn't smash it on the tiles. He must have bit his tongue, as spit and blood came out of his mouth while his face turned purple, effectively scaring the crap out us. But, everyone kept their cool as oxygen was supplied and pillows placed under him (and I've just got to add that I did my little bit by wiping up all the blood and spit). Anyway, the army and police came and they whizzed him off. I have to say that it all went smoothly, and that the response was rapid: a good thing to know.

There have been a lot of ray sightings, lobsters, rare fish, and people have heard dolphins - I've seen, well, a lot of coral. And what fine corals they are.