Koh Tao finally.
Landed back in Hua Hin and thankfully plane stopped before the runway turned to beach and sea so we do not need to wet our shoes getting of the plane. Since I have visa in the passport I thought that it will be easy to get through the security but there was only one line and I was the last in. Even when get to the immigration officer and handed her passport opened on the page with VISA she looked and looked at it, then handed it over to the colleague who looked at it, they talked and then the chief in charge came and looked at it too, then she said something and eventually I’ve got stamp and admitted. Since I knew about green bus I did not followed the tourist trap of overpriced airport taxis and walked out of the airport to main road to get a green bus and head off to the Marriott Hotel where Frank and Nook were staying now as they honeymoon was here. Stayed with them for three nights until they checked out and went back to Bangkok ready to take flight home to Dublin, we had together some dinners, lunches and few beers and breakfast and time in the pool with kids as normal holiday should be 😊 I have stayed with Frank’s Mom in another hotel as the Marriott is out of my budget and even I always get to room late as we talked with Frank at evenings, when kids were asleep with Nook in the room. Eventually they all left Hua Hin and I could not wait to get to Koh Tao to start my Dive Master course ! as much as I had some cold from the freezer in Kuala Lumpur so my ears and nose were blocked and I knew that I need some rest before I will be able to dive and I have self-medicate myself with my first aid kit medicines what I’ve got from the GP back in Ireland. Morning bus to Chumphon was here and I’ve again asked for bottom seats and lay down on the mattress at emergency exit and have snooze a bit and meditate a bit as I listen to some nice podcast of Russell Brand. Ferry now and as I was listening to podcast Usama came to find me and so I went down to cabin sit with him and Lady and talked a bit, until phone rang and I answered it. We talked afterwards a bit but since they are on holidays now they do not want some close to shop when I went pick up my bag. Got my “little” suitcase and went to the Hostel to get into my room, have shower and rest. Met few people here in the Hostel and we decided to go next day to the beach together. My phone credit run out so no more connectivity to the “grid” as I have to save money and therefore I had quiet day as the connectivity is restored only on Wi-Fi. We went to Haad Sai Nuan beach what is nice beach just half an hour walk from the hostel around the coast, through forest and lay down on the sand under the tree with no more than ten people on the beach, amazing tranquility. Since it was a bit cloudy, guys decided to go back to hostel as the sunset photos will not happen due the clouds and I stayed on the beach as I felt that this is time and place for me be now and meditate, so I did that. At the end even the clouds parted and sky become nice and clear and sunset was spectacular to be seen and people took photos or just sat on the rock and watch this magnificent movie made by mother nature. I felt so calm and grounded and seen clearly that I want to stay here for a while and complete my scuba diving education here until I will become MSDT. Calmness and peace came to my heart, body and mind after meditation and seeing such sunset and as the sun went down I started walk back to hostel. What a blissful day ! Well that was only until I came to Hostel as the hell break loose at what’s up from the Rosa and I thankfully I was so calm that I did not get angry but tried to calm the conversation down and steer it to normal discussion what was impossible and then I realized that I do not want this in my life and ended this right here right now by message. Well this chapter is closed now. When I went to get water in common area the guys were sitting there and asked if I wanted to join them for dinner what was a good idea as it was better than deleting all the messages coming on the what’s up so I left phone behind and went for dinner. We had nice talk, pick up two more guys on the way for dinner and have pleasant evening. Next day is the doctor visit at Koh Samui as part of pre-dive check so early wake up. On the ferry I sat down beside two guys who were going to the same doctor so we kind off tagged along as I had prepaid taxi for this trip since I did not want to spent night there and Lomprayah has port usually in places where the public transport is not available to sell more of their business. Well for 100 baht I got to hospital what was a quite distance from the pier I have to say. Get in the hospital, checked in, and after few moments I was showed to see Dr.M as everyone called him as he is diving doctor and those two guys was already with him as one of the m apparently needed recompression chamber and the other one was guide from diving center. Well doctor came, asked few questions, listened to my chest, looked into my ears and said that lungs are o.k and that I have slight redness in my ears so he prescribed drops and antihistamine to clear it and told me not to dive for a week, DOH !. Well all done in less that 15 min and 4500 baht I was out of the hospital in search for food and taxi since now the ferry departed from another pier. Walked down the road to some supermarket where was Food Hall, got my lunch and then out and right front of it the scooter taxi. I asked if they can take me to pier and they said yes for 300 baht what I laughed on and told them that I will pay 100 and they can take it or leave it. After some moaning the guy pick up his helmet, motioned me towards his bike, gave me helmet and we were off. The second pier was some distance far away from the one I landed in fairness but still I paid for full tank of petrol for scooter and full tank will last for few days so they got their money. Walked a bit around the streets but not much to see there so eventually I sat down for mango sticky rice in one restaurant what was mediocre but still nice. Then get to the pier where was food market and it was full naval cadets from Royal Marine School in their navy shorts, t-shirts and hats getting food before boarding the ship. Nice little place and I just got some liver to taste and some chicken as the departure time is in two hours. Then sat down on the bench and watched life going by. Getting on the ferry was funny as the waiting area is about one hundred meters from the pier and they use minivan to drive people to there 😊 you literally start van and get into second gear and you are stopping, well all for customer comfort. Ferry was the late one so we were watching sunset from the boat and arrived to Koh Tao around 19:00. Days will be slow since I cannot dive for a week DOH!. No need to type more about the week than that it was filled with beach time catching some well needed vitamin D and rest for my ears, studying the books I’ve got for my dive master course and looking for scooter for sale as I need one to get in to scuba school and around island. Every day spent some time in scuba school office to try look at some bikes and then going to see them, mainly two per day and then after noon / evening on the beach to watch sunset. After long time hesitate to join the FaceBook I did it :-/ as there is great page for sale of anything including scooters and I did not want to bother Usama all the time with looking on this page for bikes. Now I spent days browsing and deliberating what sort of bike I should get, what is the budget etc… every day I went to see two scooters and I was nearly bought one for 7500 baht when I have asked universe for advice and I was told to hold on for a while so I did and here came Honda Wave manual for 5000 baht what was well in my price range / budget so after initial trial of manual gearbox I master it and she is now in my possession and was named Blue Lighting. Now I have wheels and tomorrow I have first dive so happy camper I am.
Friday morning alarm 5:30am and get into routine of five Tibetans and sun salutation to wake up, then shower breakfast and 6:30 my trustworthy Blue Lighting taking me to pier for boat to get my first dive Woo Hoo :-D Cannot wait to get in the water and I know that it will take me few dives to get back in shape and comfort of breathing and swimming. First day and I had double boat, two dives in the morning and two in afternoon …. Living the dream, living the dream, finally 😊 It is tiring I have to say be on the first day doing four dives after nearly two months break. Also the appetite is quite big afterwards so I’ve got papaya salad and some chicken curry with rice for dinner as I was starving. Also sleep is really good afterwards as I had dinner came back to hostel and was ready hit the pillow at 19:00 so tired but happy. Saturday was only morning dives as there was no fun diving in afternoon and I have to admit I was happy as I needed that rest for sure. Got even a little snooze in afternoon for hour or so, before I went back to pack my bag for tomorrow dives, as at every day the gear needs to be washed and put to dry. Sunday four dives planned again yepiii 😊 However I had to abort the afternoon dive as I had pain in my ear and took afternoon off sunbathing on the boat and then also took Monday off just in case since the water is warm what cause the bacteria grow and we Europeans are not used to them so I learned to rinse ears after each dive with saline solution to clear them. But Sunday morning what a dive ! swam in the middle of huge school of stripped barracudas, it was so amazing that I would love to just stay there all the time. It was like being in middle of barracuda tornado, no matter how many articles, photos of shown I saw from National Geographic, live experience is priceless !!! I could go on and on about the diving experience and things I see there but I will leave it for one special article later. Meanwhile I’m happy that my breathing underwater improved as well as my buoyancy and I think that I now getting back into shape and also have energy to exercise every day at evening to get back into shape.
Ahh so happy with the way things are… just get some job online or here to get some cash help with food and accommodation bills and all will be even better as much as money are not important for me, they are needed to get food, accommodation, feed for Blue Lighting and any other necessities for diving. I love it every minute of it.
