At 27 meters underwater, blood runs green.
Found this out first hand yesterday. I was on a fun dive with a few others and we were swimming through a small underwater tunnel, or at least that was the plan. Everyone one I was is far more experienced than I am and they had little trouble swimming through a pitch black tunnel infested with sea urchins. I was ok with the sea urchins and the enclosed space, even if it was 90 feet below the surface, however what really freaked me out were the "things" on the rocks. I'm not sure what they are, and I couldn't get a clear answer from anyone here, but imagine a clam embedded in the coral that, when you get close to them, close up. Now, it's cool to see while you're swimming, but it's not cool when you put your hand in on upon entering the aforementioned tunnel. Suffice it to say, I was a bit unnerved by the experience, and by the shooting pain in my finger. As I backed out of the tunnel, it was a sight to see my finger oozing greenish-brown. It's really a small cut, but I'm milking it for all its worth since it's my first diving injury.
I decided to take the day off from diving today, largely motivated by a massive hangover. It's like spring break here, every day. On an island in the Gulf of Thailand, when you're not diving, you're very likely in a bar getting pissed (yes, I'm still hanging out with Brits). For the people that live and work here, the steady flow of travelers ensures there are always people looking for a party. I can see how people enjoy this for a few weeks, even a month or more, but some people I've met have been here for almost a decade...that's dedication.
Interesting statistics: The leading cause of death on Koh Tao is motorcycle accidents, the second is falling coconuts. Why is that interesting? Well, as I understand it, we're in coconut falling season right now and I've recently rented a motorbike. I like to live on the edge, what can I say? It's funny, on an island where I estimate there are at least 2000 motorbikes, there are maybe 5 helmets that I've seen. Luckily the bike I have is barely faster than a bicycle, so it should keep me out of trouble. What really amazes me though, are the Thais who can balance a family of five (including an infant and a dog) on a motorbike as I cautiously wobble by, barely able to keep myself up. It's taking some time to get used to driving on the left-hand side of the road too, and every so often I find myself instinctively on the right...luckily oncoming traffic hasn't found me there.
When I first arrived in Thailand, I had no clue what I was going to do for seven months. I'm looking at my seasickness as a fateful event. Since deciding to sign up for the Divemaster Training Programwith Ban's, my schedule is somewhat more concrete. This is also somewhat directed by my budget, which has been grossly modified since paying for diving classes and some diving gear (this whole "traveling light" thing went out the window yesterday when I bought a mask, fins,and a wetsuit). I'm leaving Koh Tao on Saturday and heading to Burma to renew my Thailand visa. From there, I'm going to head back to Bangkok, and pick up my stuff that I left in the guesthouse and also pick up a cell phone. I thought I'd enjoy being out of touch for awhile when I left my phone in the states...not so much, and not havinga cell phone here is about as rare as it is in the states. I'm also going to rent a house on Koh Tao when I get back (1 bedroom houses here go for about $125 a month), so there's little point in storing stuff in Bangkok. After a brief stop in Bangkok, I'm probably going to head south again, but to the Andaman Coast and Koh Phi Phi for some more diving. They're in high season right now, so the water should be clear and the weather near perfect. We're in monsoon season on this side, so the visibility under water hasn't been that great (maybe 10 meters at best) and it does storm for about an hour every day. I'll probably spend a week or so on Koh Phi Phi, and maybe headout to the Similan Islands too, budget permitting. After that, I need to be back in KohTao and will have to really start the Divemaster program. I'm hoping to finish the program sometime in late January or early February and then spend another month traveling around Laos, Cambodia, and Vietnam. After that, I'm sure my money will be long spent and I'll be ready to return home. I'm hoping to be back sometime in March.
So, while it won't be the seven-month trip I had initially planned, thus far few things have gone according to plan and I'm having a great time.
I decided to take the day off from diving today, largely motivated by a massive hangover. It's like spring break here, every day. On an island in the Gulf of Thailand, when you're not diving, you're very likely in a bar getting pissed (yes, I'm still hanging out with Brits). For the people that live and work here, the steady flow of travelers ensures there are always people looking for a party. I can see how people enjoy this for a few weeks, even a month or more, but some people I've met have been here for almost a decade...that's dedication.
Interesting statistics: The leading cause of death on Koh Tao is motorcycle accidents, the second is falling coconuts. Why is that interesting? Well, as I understand it, we're in coconut falling season right now and I've recently rented a motorbike. I like to live on the edge, what can I say? It's funny, on an island where I estimate there are at least 2000 motorbikes, there are maybe 5 helmets that I've seen. Luckily the bike I have is barely faster than a bicycle, so it should keep me out of trouble. What really amazes me though, are the Thais who can balance a family of five (including an infant and a dog) on a motorbike as I cautiously wobble by, barely able to keep myself up. It's taking some time to get used to driving on the left-hand side of the road too, and every so often I find myself instinctively on the right...luckily oncoming traffic hasn't found me there.
When I first arrived in Thailand, I had no clue what I was going to do for seven months. I'm looking at my seasickness as a fateful event. Since deciding to sign up for the Divemaster Training Programwith Ban's, my schedule is somewhat more concrete. This is also somewhat directed by my budget, which has been grossly modified since paying for diving classes and some diving gear (this whole "traveling light" thing went out the window yesterday when I bought a mask, fins,and a wetsuit). I'm leaving Koh Tao on Saturday and heading to Burma to renew my Thailand visa. From there, I'm going to head back to Bangkok, and pick up my stuff that I left in the guesthouse and also pick up a cell phone. I thought I'd enjoy being out of touch for awhile when I left my phone in the states...not so much, and not havinga cell phone here is about as rare as it is in the states. I'm also going to rent a house on Koh Tao when I get back (1 bedroom houses here go for about $125 a month), so there's little point in storing stuff in Bangkok. After a brief stop in Bangkok, I'm probably going to head south again, but to the Andaman Coast and Koh Phi Phi for some more diving. They're in high season right now, so the water should be clear and the weather near perfect. We're in monsoon season on this side, so the visibility under water hasn't been that great (maybe 10 meters at best) and it does storm for about an hour every day. I'll probably spend a week or so on Koh Phi Phi, and maybe headout to the Similan Islands too, budget permitting. After that, I need to be back in KohTao and will have to really start the Divemaster program. I'm hoping to finish the program sometime in late January or early February and then spend another month traveling around Laos, Cambodia, and Vietnam. After that, I'm sure my money will be long spent and I'll be ready to return home. I'm hoping to be back sometime in March.
So, while it won't be the seven-month trip I had initially planned, thus far few things have gone according to plan and I'm having a great time.
posted by MPW at 11:28 PM
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