A
day in DePalm-adise on the Atlantis Submarine Adventure (pt. 2)
As I take my seat on the wooden benches outside of
the shop, I am greeted by a fusion of sounds, sites, and smells – the clunking
of flip-flops from little kids running around, the smell of the beach (aka
Hawaiin Tropic coconut-scented sun protection products), the creaking of docked
boats as they sway with the waves from the marina to the left of me, and the
six year old chicklet sitting to the right of me that has a head fully braided with colorful
plastic beads that clink together as they dangle from
the tips of each individual braid. |
| The shuttlecraft aquarium on water |
 |
| The Sub Seeker |
Evelien, the supervisor of the Atlantis shop,
informs everyone that there is a shuttle boat called the Sub Seeker that will
transport us to the 48 passenger, 65 foot long, fully air-conditioned,
bathroom-less, battery operated submarine hauling us 130 feet below the
Caribbean Sea. Alas, the shuttle boat (that looks like a shuttlecraft aquarium
on water) roars over our way. The adults, just as excited as the little kids,
flock to the front end of the dock where Evelien takes their picture as a
memory keepsake.
 |
| The mask |
 |
| Inside the aquarium |
The Elbert the co-captain starts in on safety procedures with a
lifejacket demonstration – “Folks, I have bad news…” Everyone stops what
they’re doing. “There are only two jackets on board – one for me, and one for
captain.” It took a few seconds for everyone to catch on that he was joking. At
first the thought of being locked in a submarine however many feet below the Sea
did not bother me, but when the next demonstration was on how to use a smoke
mask, it all became real. Flying since the age of five, I told myself to “Keep
calm and carry on” as it was pretty much the same concept. Hey, at least the
crew is thorough by implementing safety precautions.
Speaking of airplanes - while ripping through the
waves toward the drop-off spot, the Sub Seeker seems to be experiencing
turbulence itself. Good thing we are on water and not in the air! While passing
through the Bucuti Channel I witness some features that are only spotted from
the mid-section shores of Aruba, like the island’s landing strip that is to the
left of us, (the planes literally fly in feet away from the water), and sets of
mini islands to the right of us that are heavily populated by mangroves and
abandoned wooden shacks that are used by locals for camping.
 |
| Beach-side camping |
 |
| The mangroves |
My nostrils, caked with sea salt that slipped in
from the open windows of the shuttle in the back, pick up a burning leaves
smell that reminds me of the fall in the United States. “Folks, I apologize for
the smell,” (I actually love it), “but here in Aruba we burn our trash, and
that’s what you are smelling.” I enjoyed the smell of trash being burned?
Gross. That’s just as bad as my brother who enjoys the smell at the gas station
pump.
Our twelve-minute shuttle ride has come to an end.
Like sitting ducks wadding in the water, Elbert tells us that we will actually
get to see the submarine emerge from the Sea. He calls for me to come from the
back to the front so I can get pictures of the submarine ascending (and I
didn’t even have to pull the “employee card”). Suddenly, the Sea begins to
churn and bubble up like water in a pot on the stove when it begins to boil.
Reaching closer to the surface, the dark silhouette (not to be mistaken for the
Lochness Monster) soon turns to white as the submarine surfaces.
 |
| About to board the submarine! |
Join me next week for part three when I take you
below the hatches with me.
No comments:
Post a Comment