Location: Singapore
Today the crew of the Argo woke up and headed straight to the pool for a sunrise swim test. Thankfully everyone passed with flying colors. After a delicious breakfast, the crew split up into two teams, those who are doing their open water and divemaster training and those who are already dive-certified. The divers enjoyed the clean, clear water of the posh One15 Marina pool, an infinity pool with a glass wall making for amazing pictures. Everyone enjoyed their first breaths on a regulator and were excited to take their first breath underwater. Everyone said their first dive was a great experience, and little do they know it only goes down from here (pun intended) as they will soon be heading a little deeper for their next dives in the salty ocean in the Gili Islands. The other group braved the Singapore subway system and visited the Asian Cultures Museum and Chinatown. The museum was a great insight into the history of Singapore and some of the other locations on the voyage. In Chinatown, some students were adventurous enough to try the local street food, including dumplings, fried rice, and steamed rolls. The crew also visited the Chinatown wet market, where all the fresh meats, fish, and produce are on display for purchase. It was a bittersweet feeling seeing all the marine life for sale. It is interesting to see some species we have never seen before. After, the crew all returned to Argo for another filling meal of pork chops, couscous, and stir fry veggies. Everyone headed back to the Singapore subway system to visit the Singapore Zoo for their Night Safari Program. A description of the zoo and pictures will be in tomorrow’s blog.