Songkran aka wet day.
Dear bro Jiri, All is good, still not diving but enjoyed the wet day and laughed a lot. Now you can go back to work.
Songkran… what a day I have to say that experience Thai new year is something, especially if you have no expectations at all and or as if you never had sugar and then you get a cinnamon bun in Zest restaurant and you were suddenly catapulted to the height of sugar rush like roller coaster on wild ride. The whole thing starting day before when the all free plastic blue barrels are placed oat store / restaurants front, practically everywhere where was any human traffic and kind off I would say strategically as to reload your water guns, buckets, bottles i.e any equipment to use for throwing or splashing water on anyone and everyone who passed such station. Also the shops most presented and sell item were water guns and as I got back to hostel at evening the presentation of various water guns from the Hippo mini gun for the huge nearly water cannons began and since I had not possessed one I went to shop and get one too. Since Thomas “French master pancake chef” was so hyped up for Songkran he started to test his guns and Frida “coughing Swedish blonde” with Lauren Lauren “Canadian Yodi in diving” exchanged few test shots , which leads to realization that this will be serious fun but also lots of water in tiled floor as well as in the breakfast meal, so rule was established to hold the fire until 11am next morning, which strangely was observed and kept to. All guns were laid to rest and strangely for first time since I was in the hostel everyone stayed in and suddenly the common area was overpopulated 😊 as everyone was concern about tomorrow fun and also the obvious consumption of alcoholic beverages since the Master pancake chef had one gun for Rum Thong Hong with Coca Cola and another for water as Aaron “Dutch boxer” who both industrial spray look like container what could be used in garden for plants and also filled it with Rum and Coke so the memory will get some workout, especially after few hours gone from the day when the coordination and memory loss might result in spraying people with alcohol drink and water in the mouth. Well since everyone was ready and so hyped to Songkran as Canadian Yoda Diver mentioned that it feels like Christmas is tomorrow and kids are so hyped for presents that they don’t want to go sleep, so even we were not ready for bed. The dinner was presented as the food is important to have strength for tomorrow so Ivan “ NASA administrator” Suzie “German freediving mermaid” and me went to TukTa for dinner. Little bit of walk and talk and we were there with some more tourists in need of food, which was delicious and washed down by fresh coconut water from the coconut and as dessert the fresh coconut flesh, then rest for a while to digest before we walked back to the hostel. Here at hostel the after some plan making discussion and brainstorming about the plans for tomorrow the consensus was reached definite plan what is “we will see tomorrow” and the bed time was officially announced. Not sure if everyone went to bed same time but few left before me and since I was not last I cannot comment but the idea of everyone was to get sleep and rest for next day. The amount of empty barrels outside of restaurant was clear indication that the day will be surely wet and great.
Morning came at 6:40 as someone set off fire crackers and woke me up, bastards…. Need sleep for long day of hard water party… anyhow I was able to drift back to sleep and woke up around 8am and ready to hit the breakfast in anticipation of water fights but surprisingly enough the fight never occurred and we all had our breakfast in peace and good humor and laughter. Eventually the Pancake Master chef was so hyped that me and him left as he was so eager to gets this wetting started and started to test our guns right in front of the hostel. Daniel “The tall dirt bike guy” came back from dropping the Frida at Sairee beach and said that he is also coming to Saire beach and we agreed that we will wait for him and go together with NASA administrator and himself so meanwhile we started the spraying all people coming front of our hostel. As we were practicing to hit the moving targets on scooters and cars the house engineer came out and got few water shots himself as true Thai he did not mind and took them with laughter. Then he turned on the garden hose attached to wall and start watering plants front of the hostel and also the people moving on the road. Woo hoo that was the thing we missed with Pancake MasterChef and here we were on the hose as it was the last resort of water at Sahara desert. Yeah and what a sneaky bunch we were, standing at side of the road with hand guns in our hands and have hose hidden at our leg to surprise for all poor people who were driving around us and to please the Thai drivers who drove the Chinese tourist from the pier to their resort who slowed down to crawl as they were inside cabin but know what will happen. The squeal and shock from Chinese tourist after hitting them with hose and nice big amount of water was satisfying and make us proud of our achievement. Then as we looked down the street, first pedestrians targets appeared in our field of vision and line of fire 😊 but no mercy as both girls had those huge water cannon like guns on their shoulders. As they came closer we decided to not use heavy artillery and the garden hose was left in peace and we decided to be nice and use only guns as they actually came to reinforce our ranks in hostel in this tough battle field of Koh Tao. They dropped the backpacks and start loading their guns but then they need to get into check in and they were replaced by Regina “Curly Boney-M style Hungarian” who took her job seriously as documented on the platoon photograph in front of the hostel. Three of us took the street for practice range and practiced on perfection of our aiming and throwing skills, until Tall Dirt Bike came back and with him the rest of the troops poor out from the inside of the hostel to see us still there to their surprise as we left the breakfast area about hour ago to get to Sairee beach but have not move further than front door but this resulted in team building activity of shooting and throwing water on anything that moved front of us since the house handyman supplied some plastic pint glasses and they were better than guns as they were like heavy artillery in volume of water used in one shot. Then we all moved towards the top road where the battel zone rally get hard and the pick-up trucks with barrels and people on them throwing the water left right center which was met with equally fierce opposite fight from the bystanders on the side of the road beside their barrels of water. As we entered this battel field in chaotic formation of everyone for their own we realized that this is not the best strategy and quickly regrouped to the team and start taking the other teams together. Progressing down the top road was slow and wet but determination was huge and with each meter gathered the determination grew together with smiles on our faces and laughter becoming louder and louder. It is meaningless to describe each and every battle we fought on the streets of Koh Tao but each of them were as hard as they could be on such day, with so many opponents facing us from all sorts of age groups children as young as 5 years old and the pensioners who are probably their grandparents but on this day we were become children of age approximately 10 years old. Since we were aimed for Sairee beach we took up road as we wanted to stop at Scuba Club what is our mother base of most of the divers in the hostel and me with Pancake MasterChef know lots of people there. Fight was just celebrational as we were on the same team and it was more to satisfy the need of blessing for new year and rest before the fights resumed on the way to Sairee beach with every shop front as if was battle of Stalingrad. The progress was steady and filled with fun as well as with lots of water. As we approached the Sairee the fights become more fierce and some opponents used the chemical weapons in form of the soap and colored powder to blind us under pretention of blessing… Well some of the colors were nice when seen throwed but burned the eyes when hit the eye but nonetheless we were determined to get to 7 eleven at main road of Sairee so we followed the beach road where some of the bastards have freezing cold water as their ammunition filled form the portable fridge full of ice cubes and water. As you could do used to warm water throwing on you the occasional freezing water is making the girls scream and squeal what makes the laughter even better than it was before. The beach road is narrow street and some of the enemy soldiers were hiding behind fences and shooting like from the turrets so we were unable to return the fire. At some stage we came to street with Choppers sports bar where the fight was nearly non existing except of sudden thud of good amount water on girls at back of the formation wat was throwed from the balcony above us…. Sneaky bastard who were not on the street but used height advantage for their benefits. Eventually we reached the intersection at 7 eleven where the main battlefield was located and people were located at each corner so every one of the four roads were covered and there was no chance to escape the water from the guns or in some case of balloons filled with water. Again there was on e guy who has the portable fridge filled with ice cubes and water and sat on the lid to prevent people to take his water but one soldier from our team German mermaid was able to get some due to her charm and beauty she was able to pass by the security of the portable box. The fights were tough and all sides of the streets were throwing and splashing the water on everyone who passed around and close enough in the range. After a while we decided to retreat for refreshments to some of the water holes at the beach and we start the AC bar where was fine but not so lively but since our group suddenly split and we lost the female part of the platoon the sudden decline in motivation was obvious but to our luck we found them on coming on the beach as we were taking table an the top. So reunited together we now decided to move to Fish Bowl where the party was going on and seems like most of people were there so we joined them as we deserved to get some rest and also hydrate with ice cold beers and cocktails drunk while seating in the sea submerged until neck height and chilling when we were not running up to the bar to use huge slide coming down to the sea. Few drinks, dances and talks with various soldiers from other teams later I met the Course director from Mater Divers who was introduced to me by Canadian Yodi diver and we agreed to meet up on Monday to discuss my IDC course and possibility to take it there. I have not expected to mix the fun and work but as life sometimes does the surprise is something the best and we need to adapt quite fast as well as after three beers I was O.K and in sound mind to have discussion as none of the instructors I saw were drinking either so diving is cool but not ice cold beer sport. Sun was setting to the horizon and was slowly reducing the warmth and fun in the wet clothes was becoming a bit tougher and uncomfortable as well as the empty belly drove me out of the water and to the hostel with the German Mermaid, and two Dutch girls walking back slowly and in my case hopefully that Pancake MasterChef will be there with my dry bag with wallet, phone and key from the room as he left the fish bowl quite earlier. He was not there so I took spare ley from reception and got my shower fresh set of dry clothes and then went to the common area to see if girls are up to dinner when no one was yet but as I was waited for them Pancake MasterChef appeared to my delight with all my items in the bag 😊 so wallet in and girls as well as Pancake MasterChef agreed to get dinner. We walked to Tuk Ta which was unfortunately closed and therefore we turn around and walk to Yang’s me not such good company as I was starving and ready to eat hour ago so my step was brisk and fast in silence all the way to Yangs and only poor mermaid caught up with me as we approached Yangs. Ordered food in full and approximately only restaurant open is easy but waiting for it is long and painful… if you are anything like me. Drank my coconut water, eat the coconut flesh and food still nowhere to seen but eventually arrived and I munched it before everyone else has time to eat theirs. As I was really fast and hungry I was offered finish off the food from the Dutch girl who was not able to finish it herself and without hesitation I did polish the plate clean. Time to hit the bed now as the day was long and great and we were tired and as you do after food sleepy so we hit the hostel and got to beds happy to dream about wet day 😊
This is short version of the account of the wet day as best as I could do at the present and maybe one day I will rewrite it again.
