Got picked up in Khao Lak at 8am and said goodbye to Justin, who is heading to Krabi. Great guy and we had a real laugh on the trip.
Then it was 24 hours on a bus to get to Malaysia's capital, Kuala Lumpur. The journey wasn't too bad actually although it's difficult to sleep when the insist on having the air-con on full blast when it's not even warm outside. Managed to get across the border alright, despite my newly shaved head and therefore looking nothing like my passport photo. Met a nice couple on the bus - Miri (Germany) and Paul (Holland). We arrived in KL (as the cool kids call it) at about 6am and headed straight for Chinatown, where all the budget accomodation is.
Myself, Miri and Paul then ended up walking around from guesthouse to guesthouse for an hour and a half with no luck - everywhere full. Eventually, we found a place and checked in for a few hours sleep. I've managed to get by this far without booking anywhere in advance but I might think twice from now on. Met a cool Argentinian guy called Hernan at the guesthouse.
Day 1: I got up late morning, went for a walk around the city and to sample some of the local food. I only had 2 days there before my flight over to Borneo so was keen to get exploring. Really hot here, which was fine by me although it did make walking around quite sweaty. I went to check out the local Mosque, which is quite a big, impressive building and I then got a ticket up to the top of the Kuala Lumpur tower to get some great views over the city and the nearby Petronus Towers.
Also included in the tower package was a visit to a small zoo they have just outside. Lots of Snakes, Lizards and Geckos that I'd seen before but also lots of animals I hadn't. This included a couple of Albino Pigtailed Macaques and White Ears Marmosets (both types of Monkey). They also had a small Chipmunk, who was funny to watch as he would not stay still, a couple of cool Parrots that I got my photo taken with (not very chatty though) and an entire cabinet of huge Arachnids, which I very gingerly approached. I'm not a huge fan of big spiders but was ok looking at them in their boxes - not real desire to hold any. Reassuring to read that the vast majority come from South America too - can't wait!
Kuala Lumpur is a really nice city I think. It's nice to walk around because you don't get hassled anywhere near as much as the other big cities I've been to. It's quite cool walking between all the skyscrapers as well.
That evening, I went to one of the big shopping malls near the towers for a walk-around and something to eat.
Day 2: Pretty uneventful day as it was hammering down all day. I still went out in it because I wanted to go up the Petronus Towers, only to get there and find them sold out for the day! Never mind, not as high as the KL Tower anyway. Had a bit more of a look around before getting sick of the rain and heading back to the guesthouse. Just chilled there and read for most of the rest of the day staying inside.
It stopped raining that evening thankfully so myself and Hernan went out for some Malaysian food. I then had a walk around the night markets for a bit and to see all the towers and skyscrapers by night.
Short and sweet visit to KL. Shame about the weather but there's only really enough to fill up a couple of days here anyway. Up at 4.45am to head to Borneo. Time to climb some mountains, see some Orang-utans and hopefully swim with some more sharks.
Monday, 20 February 2012
Khao Lak
Day 1: Another smooth day of travel, which included a 6am pick-up, boat to the mainland and 4 bus changes on my way to Khao Lak. Give me strength! I think they were just doing it for fun in the end.
Khao Lak is located in south-west Thailand and wasn't a place I'd initially planned on visiting. However, after getting my dive licence and speaking to a few people about the quality of the dive sites this side, I decided to give it a go. Means I'll be missing out Krabi and Koh Phi Phi (maybe on another trip) so lets hope it was worth the visit.
On the journey, I met a big group of New Zealanders who were heading to Khao Lak to do some snorkelling. Got chatting to them on the journey, which finished with our arrival at 6.30pm (original ETA - 3pm). I stuck with them and, after checking out a few hostels, we managed to find a nice cheap one with dorm rooms so we all checked in.
Didn't do much that evening as the day's travelling had knackered me out. Got some food at the guesthouse and had a walk along the strip before crashing out. Will compare some diving deals tomorrow.
Day 2: The new-zealanders set off early, having booked themselves a snorkelling trip for the next few days. I then spent a few hours walking down the main road, comparing the deals on offer from the numerous dive operators stationed here. The vast majority offer 3/4/5 day live-aboard packages where you basically live on a boat and do various amounts of dives every day. Kent, my swedish friend, and also Koen had told me about Khao Lak and some of the dive sites here so I was eager to get a good deal that visited the best ones. After a few hours comparison, I signed up to a 3-day / 3 night Live-aboard deal to the Surin Islands with a company called Sea Dragon. Managed to bag the one remaining place as well - one of the perks of being a lone traveller! The boat wasn't departing until the following night so I had a day and a half to kill in Khao Lak.
After booking the package, I had a walk around and was quite staggered by the amount of germans that are holidaying here - Hundreds of them. Not a bad thing of course, on the whole they have probably been the nicest people I've met on my trip so far but still surprising how many there are. It's a straight fight between germans and canadians in terms of the nationality I've come across the most and this puts the germans well in front (I'm not counting the south-east asian countries of course).
I spent that afternoon on the beach before calling home to Mummy Bowyer that evening. Also met a nice couple of guys at my hostel - Barrie (UK) and Christy (US). Then got some food and found a bar to watch the Liverpool / United game. The least said about that, the better.
Day 3: A few more hours of sunbathing before it dawned on me that I'd been in south-east asia for 2 and a half months now and haven't had one massage. I think I've just been in auto-pilot mode when walking through all cities, saying ''NO'' every 5 seconds I get asked, that I actually forgot to try them out. Being as this was my last day in Thailand before the live-aboard trip, I decided to treat myself to one at a place on the beach. Opted for a Thai massage and it was really nice. A few people have told me they have been aching for days afterwards but it was just right for me. Not quite up to Clare's standards though (you can tell her I said that Kate).
After the beach, I headed up to Sea Dragon to get measured up for all my equipment and wet-suit for the Live-aboard. I then booked a guesthouse for my brief return to Khao Lak and we met at Sea Dragon again at 8.30pm. It was absolutely hammering it down as well. In asia, when it rains, IT RAINS!
We met the main instructor that evening - a swiss guy called Roger, who was really funny and had a very amusing accent. There were 20 people doing the trip in total and we all got chatting as we headed towards the boat on the company Jumbos. Some really cool people so I was very optimistic about the trip and really looking forward to it.
Upon arrival on the boat, we met all the other instructors and the thai staff that work on board. Roger then gave us an introduction to the boat, safety procedures and the schedule for the next 3 days. We also got put into our dive groups and met our group instructors, who gave their own introductions and showed us where the equipment, cabins were etc. I was in a group with Justin (US), Cathy & Stephan (Both Germany - what a surprise). Our instructor was called Dudu (Brazil). Justin and I were also rooming together.
After the briefing, we stayed up chatting to everyone for a couple of hours, all excited about the next few days. Some really nice people on the boat - Carina and Alex (Sweden), Raph and Steve (Aus), Dani and Brad (US), Russ and Isabel (UK & Canada), Milo (Czech Rep), Ruth (London). Also some cool instructors - Jay (UK), Mika (Finland) and Dear (Thailand). Had a feeling this was going to be good. Then off to bed - 4 dives tomorrow.
Live-aboard Day 1: I had opted for this trip because it visited the Surin Islands, rather than the Similan Islands, which all the other companies in Khao Lak go to. Sea Dragon is the most established dive company in the town and the consensus seems to be that the Surin Islands are slightly better than Similan, with more to see and better sites. Lets hope so.
The first dive was at 7.30am at a site called Koh Bon. Was a really nice dive but didn't last very long because myself and Stephan were out of air after 25 minutes (meant to last about 45 mins). This was my first dive since my course and I was now determined to improve my air consumption. There's a definate art to the way you breathe under water and I haven't mastered it yet, which makes you feel a bit guilty when the dive is cut short. The nature of scuba diving and the buddy system means that once one person is low on air, everyone has to finish the dive, even if they have twice as much left. It doesn't really seem fair and I felt bad for Justin and Cathy because they had loads left. Determined to try and improve my consumption over the next few days. I wasn't too worried about it doing my course but it's a different matter when people have paid lots of money to dive and you are responsible for ending it.
Anyway, the dive was good and we saw lots. After we finished, I spoke to a few of the instructors to see if they could give me any tips and techniques on ways to breathe to consume air. Was given a different technique by all of them, which was good as I had some to try out on the next dive. Once we were all back on the boat, we were treated to a very impressive and substantial breakfast.
Dive 2 was simply horrible. The dive manuals tell you that you won't enjoy every dive and that was definately the case here. This one took place at a site called Koh Tachai and the current was so strong, that some of the instructors said it was the strongest they had ever experienced in Thailand.
In our group, about 10 minutes into the dive, we lost sight of Cathy and Stephan (or rather, Dudu did - I was buddied with Justin and more than happy to just keep sight of him). The dive had been really tough up to this point because of the current, making it hard to move and very exhausting as we were always against it. It's easier to move the closer to the bottom you get but the rock formations of the site were making it difficult to even get there. It just wasn't a nice dive and I even got into a bit of a panic myself at one point - something I've managed to avoid on my dives so far. You use even more air when that happens.
After looking around for the other 2 for a couple of minutes, myself, Justin and Dudu returned to the surface to see if they were there. Not only were they back on the boat, they had clearly been out of their gear for a good couple of minutes and Dudu wasn't best pleased. Apparently, Stephan had got into a bit of a panic and headed up and Cathy, being his buddy, headed up with him. After a bit of reprimanding, we had to terminate the dive. I didn't mind because I hadn't enjoyed it one bit and was again, pretty low on air but I felt bad for Justin again as he had loads left. Like I say, a bit unfair at times. Not a pleasant dive but I definately learned a lot from it.
Dive 3 was at Koh Tachai again but a bit closer to the island, where the current was milder. Air consumption was better this time and it was an enjoyable dive.
This dive did have a bit of an embarassing moment for me, which I could not tell you all about. However, it's funny so I feel I should share (so consider yourselves lucky). Dudu had arranged with me prior to the dive that if I was low on air again, and the others still had plenty, we would continue the dive with me using his alternate air source. I was more than happy with this arrangement because it meant I wouldn't have to feel guilty about cutting the dive short and would mean a longer dive for everyone, including myself.
When, as expected, this happened, I switched to Dudu's alternate and we carried on swimming. What he didn't tell me however, was that he would be holding my hand as we swam around looking at the fishes! He just grabbed it and, as I'm now breathing from his tank, I couldn't exactly pull away. I had to laugh to myself, knowing that the others were behind laughing their heads off. Something quite romantic about scuba-diving hand-in-hand, pointing out fishes to each other. I got some serious stick for that back on the boat. It was funny to be fair. A while later, Dudu came up to me and said we couldn't do that again. I'm not sure if that's because it's against safety procedures (it definately is) or because he felt uncomfortable about the whole thing. Either way, I didn't disagree and it made me even more determined to improve my own consumption. Had to face the fact that I wouldn't be living it down for the whole trip now though. To be fair, I'd do the same though so can't really complain. All good banter.
The final dive of the day was a night dive. Roger took over as our instructor for this one, which was quite funny because he forgot to tell Dudu, who, as Roger was briefing us, was stood behind him waiting to give his own briefing. Had a laugh about that. Roger had decided that Dudu was due a break and he didn't really put up much opposition. So it was a night dive with the funny swiss guy for us.
This was really cool and I could see a lot more than on my night dive in Koh Tao. Again, I was still using too much air and it was cut a bit short but I seemed to be improving my consumption with every dive.
4 dives in one day was pretty tiring so we were all grateful for a shower, a rest and some nice food afterwards. The Thai staff on-board were really great and the food throughout the trip was superb. After dinner, we settled down to watch the DVD that Marikka (videographer) had compiled from the day's diving. Was a really good watch although not much footage of our group from dive 2! Had a couple of drinks afterwards and got to know some more of the people on the boat.
Live-Aboard Day 2: The day consisted of 3 dives at the Surin Islands and I absolutely loved it. The water was much calmer than the previous day, meaning we could enjoy the dives more and we saw loads. Justin was moved to a different group at the start of the day, which I was quite pleased about because it wasn't fair on him to have to finish the dives early. I was surprised they didn't do the same with Cathy as she was also really good with her air. This meant I would be buddying with Dudu for the rest of the trip. No holding hands though!
The highlight of the day was something that only myself, Dudu and Marikka saw - A White-Tip Reef Shark. We only caught a glimpse of it as it swam straight past but I actually pumped my fist under water when I saw it. Had chosen this trip because I'd been told there was a chance of seeing some Sharks and I had. Was well chuffed. Being the only diver to see it, I was more than happy to gloat to the others when we got back on the boat as well! A few joking insults came my way in return but it was all good fun.
After the day's diving had finished, we then had an additional treat when someone spotted loads of dolphins swimming either side of the boat. We were moving to the next site, ready for the morning and they were all swimming alongside us and springing out of the water. Fantastic to see and we all felt very lucky. The trip just gets better and better.
That evening, we watched Marikk's DVD again, complete with footage of the shark (more gloating from me) and also the dolphins we had seen. She also managed to get footage of loads of other fish that were nowhere to be seen for the rest of us. We all said we wanted to swim with her the next day. Even a few conspiracy theories that she was using old footage - I'll give her the benefit of the doubt.
After dinner, we had some cocktails on the sundeck and a really good evening with all the staff and other divers. All really cool people on the trip and we got on like a house on fire. All a bit sad that this was our last night and the diving would be finishing tomorrow.
Live-Aboard Day 3: The final 2 dives of the trip took us to Richelieu Rock, one of the top 10 dive sites in the world. One word - AMAZING. It really was. Both dives were incredible and it was more a case of ''what didn't you see?'' than ''what did you see?''. Some unbelievable corals and more species of fish and eels than I could list here (All in my log-book). Saw so much and each dive ending was a real disappointment. To make it even better, my breathing had improved significantly now and the final dive lasted 45 mins, which I was also well pleased about (still pretty sure that Cathy could dive for another hour though - she just doesn't use any air!). Got a good breathing technique and pattern now and I'm eager to put it into practice again on my next dive. A real shame it was all coming to an end because of how I was improving. Carina has given me the nickname ''Sea-Gypsy'', claiming I've been going around stealing other people's air underwater. Haha - hopefully I can lose that name now.
And that was that - what a trip. We got the boat back to shore and a mini-bus back to Khao lak. This has, without doubt, been the highlight of my trip so far. Had so much fun, some amazing dives, saw sooooo much wildlife, met some great people and the organisation of the whole thing was exceptional. I would definately recommend Sea Dragon to anyone coming out here and I don't think it will be the last time I do one of their trips. I really couldn't fault it and was genuinely gutted when it came to an end - I could live for a month on that boat, no problem.
Once we got back into Khao Lak, we said goodbye to everyone and a few of us agreed to meet up that evening for some beers. Justin checked into the same guesthouse as me and we went to get some food with another lad staying there - Sabad (Canada). We then met up with Russ, Isabel, Jay, Ruth, Stephan and Tom, a guy who works for Sea Dragon and had sold me the trip in the first place. Was very grateful to him. Few beers with everyone before going our seperate ways. Shame to part as we had all become good friends on the trip.
That's it for Thailand - my favourite country so far. Had an amazing time in Laos, Vietnam and Cambodia but the south of Thailand has been my favourite place (with the exception of Koh Samui).
Malaysia next - 24 hour bus journey to Kuala Lumpur in the morning. Oh Joy.
Khao Lak is located in south-west Thailand and wasn't a place I'd initially planned on visiting. However, after getting my dive licence and speaking to a few people about the quality of the dive sites this side, I decided to give it a go. Means I'll be missing out Krabi and Koh Phi Phi (maybe on another trip) so lets hope it was worth the visit.
On the journey, I met a big group of New Zealanders who were heading to Khao Lak to do some snorkelling. Got chatting to them on the journey, which finished with our arrival at 6.30pm (original ETA - 3pm). I stuck with them and, after checking out a few hostels, we managed to find a nice cheap one with dorm rooms so we all checked in.
Didn't do much that evening as the day's travelling had knackered me out. Got some food at the guesthouse and had a walk along the strip before crashing out. Will compare some diving deals tomorrow.
Day 2: The new-zealanders set off early, having booked themselves a snorkelling trip for the next few days. I then spent a few hours walking down the main road, comparing the deals on offer from the numerous dive operators stationed here. The vast majority offer 3/4/5 day live-aboard packages where you basically live on a boat and do various amounts of dives every day. Kent, my swedish friend, and also Koen had told me about Khao Lak and some of the dive sites here so I was eager to get a good deal that visited the best ones. After a few hours comparison, I signed up to a 3-day / 3 night Live-aboard deal to the Surin Islands with a company called Sea Dragon. Managed to bag the one remaining place as well - one of the perks of being a lone traveller! The boat wasn't departing until the following night so I had a day and a half to kill in Khao Lak.
After booking the package, I had a walk around and was quite staggered by the amount of germans that are holidaying here - Hundreds of them. Not a bad thing of course, on the whole they have probably been the nicest people I've met on my trip so far but still surprising how many there are. It's a straight fight between germans and canadians in terms of the nationality I've come across the most and this puts the germans well in front (I'm not counting the south-east asian countries of course).
I spent that afternoon on the beach before calling home to Mummy Bowyer that evening. Also met a nice couple of guys at my hostel - Barrie (UK) and Christy (US). Then got some food and found a bar to watch the Liverpool / United game. The least said about that, the better.
Day 3: A few more hours of sunbathing before it dawned on me that I'd been in south-east asia for 2 and a half months now and haven't had one massage. I think I've just been in auto-pilot mode when walking through all cities, saying ''NO'' every 5 seconds I get asked, that I actually forgot to try them out. Being as this was my last day in Thailand before the live-aboard trip, I decided to treat myself to one at a place on the beach. Opted for a Thai massage and it was really nice. A few people have told me they have been aching for days afterwards but it was just right for me. Not quite up to Clare's standards though (you can tell her I said that Kate).
After the beach, I headed up to Sea Dragon to get measured up for all my equipment and wet-suit for the Live-aboard. I then booked a guesthouse for my brief return to Khao Lak and we met at Sea Dragon again at 8.30pm. It was absolutely hammering it down as well. In asia, when it rains, IT RAINS!
We met the main instructor that evening - a swiss guy called Roger, who was really funny and had a very amusing accent. There were 20 people doing the trip in total and we all got chatting as we headed towards the boat on the company Jumbos. Some really cool people so I was very optimistic about the trip and really looking forward to it.
Upon arrival on the boat, we met all the other instructors and the thai staff that work on board. Roger then gave us an introduction to the boat, safety procedures and the schedule for the next 3 days. We also got put into our dive groups and met our group instructors, who gave their own introductions and showed us where the equipment, cabins were etc. I was in a group with Justin (US), Cathy & Stephan (Both Germany - what a surprise). Our instructor was called Dudu (Brazil). Justin and I were also rooming together.
After the briefing, we stayed up chatting to everyone for a couple of hours, all excited about the next few days. Some really nice people on the boat - Carina and Alex (Sweden), Raph and Steve (Aus), Dani and Brad (US), Russ and Isabel (UK & Canada), Milo (Czech Rep), Ruth (London). Also some cool instructors - Jay (UK), Mika (Finland) and Dear (Thailand). Had a feeling this was going to be good. Then off to bed - 4 dives tomorrow.
Live-aboard Day 1: I had opted for this trip because it visited the Surin Islands, rather than the Similan Islands, which all the other companies in Khao Lak go to. Sea Dragon is the most established dive company in the town and the consensus seems to be that the Surin Islands are slightly better than Similan, with more to see and better sites. Lets hope so.
The first dive was at 7.30am at a site called Koh Bon. Was a really nice dive but didn't last very long because myself and Stephan were out of air after 25 minutes (meant to last about 45 mins). This was my first dive since my course and I was now determined to improve my air consumption. There's a definate art to the way you breathe under water and I haven't mastered it yet, which makes you feel a bit guilty when the dive is cut short. The nature of scuba diving and the buddy system means that once one person is low on air, everyone has to finish the dive, even if they have twice as much left. It doesn't really seem fair and I felt bad for Justin and Cathy because they had loads left. Determined to try and improve my consumption over the next few days. I wasn't too worried about it doing my course but it's a different matter when people have paid lots of money to dive and you are responsible for ending it.
Anyway, the dive was good and we saw lots. After we finished, I spoke to a few of the instructors to see if they could give me any tips and techniques on ways to breathe to consume air. Was given a different technique by all of them, which was good as I had some to try out on the next dive. Once we were all back on the boat, we were treated to a very impressive and substantial breakfast.
Dive 2 was simply horrible. The dive manuals tell you that you won't enjoy every dive and that was definately the case here. This one took place at a site called Koh Tachai and the current was so strong, that some of the instructors said it was the strongest they had ever experienced in Thailand.
In our group, about 10 minutes into the dive, we lost sight of Cathy and Stephan (or rather, Dudu did - I was buddied with Justin and more than happy to just keep sight of him). The dive had been really tough up to this point because of the current, making it hard to move and very exhausting as we were always against it. It's easier to move the closer to the bottom you get but the rock formations of the site were making it difficult to even get there. It just wasn't a nice dive and I even got into a bit of a panic myself at one point - something I've managed to avoid on my dives so far. You use even more air when that happens.
After looking around for the other 2 for a couple of minutes, myself, Justin and Dudu returned to the surface to see if they were there. Not only were they back on the boat, they had clearly been out of their gear for a good couple of minutes and Dudu wasn't best pleased. Apparently, Stephan had got into a bit of a panic and headed up and Cathy, being his buddy, headed up with him. After a bit of reprimanding, we had to terminate the dive. I didn't mind because I hadn't enjoyed it one bit and was again, pretty low on air but I felt bad for Justin again as he had loads left. Like I say, a bit unfair at times. Not a pleasant dive but I definately learned a lot from it.
Dive 3 was at Koh Tachai again but a bit closer to the island, where the current was milder. Air consumption was better this time and it was an enjoyable dive.
This dive did have a bit of an embarassing moment for me, which I could not tell you all about. However, it's funny so I feel I should share (so consider yourselves lucky). Dudu had arranged with me prior to the dive that if I was low on air again, and the others still had plenty, we would continue the dive with me using his alternate air source. I was more than happy with this arrangement because it meant I wouldn't have to feel guilty about cutting the dive short and would mean a longer dive for everyone, including myself.
When, as expected, this happened, I switched to Dudu's alternate and we carried on swimming. What he didn't tell me however, was that he would be holding my hand as we swam around looking at the fishes! He just grabbed it and, as I'm now breathing from his tank, I couldn't exactly pull away. I had to laugh to myself, knowing that the others were behind laughing their heads off. Something quite romantic about scuba-diving hand-in-hand, pointing out fishes to each other. I got some serious stick for that back on the boat. It was funny to be fair. A while later, Dudu came up to me and said we couldn't do that again. I'm not sure if that's because it's against safety procedures (it definately is) or because he felt uncomfortable about the whole thing. Either way, I didn't disagree and it made me even more determined to improve my own consumption. Had to face the fact that I wouldn't be living it down for the whole trip now though. To be fair, I'd do the same though so can't really complain. All good banter.
The final dive of the day was a night dive. Roger took over as our instructor for this one, which was quite funny because he forgot to tell Dudu, who, as Roger was briefing us, was stood behind him waiting to give his own briefing. Had a laugh about that. Roger had decided that Dudu was due a break and he didn't really put up much opposition. So it was a night dive with the funny swiss guy for us.
This was really cool and I could see a lot more than on my night dive in Koh Tao. Again, I was still using too much air and it was cut a bit short but I seemed to be improving my consumption with every dive.
4 dives in one day was pretty tiring so we were all grateful for a shower, a rest and some nice food afterwards. The Thai staff on-board were really great and the food throughout the trip was superb. After dinner, we settled down to watch the DVD that Marikka (videographer) had compiled from the day's diving. Was a really good watch although not much footage of our group from dive 2! Had a couple of drinks afterwards and got to know some more of the people on the boat.
Live-Aboard Day 2: The day consisted of 3 dives at the Surin Islands and I absolutely loved it. The water was much calmer than the previous day, meaning we could enjoy the dives more and we saw loads. Justin was moved to a different group at the start of the day, which I was quite pleased about because it wasn't fair on him to have to finish the dives early. I was surprised they didn't do the same with Cathy as she was also really good with her air. This meant I would be buddying with Dudu for the rest of the trip. No holding hands though!
The highlight of the day was something that only myself, Dudu and Marikka saw - A White-Tip Reef Shark. We only caught a glimpse of it as it swam straight past but I actually pumped my fist under water when I saw it. Had chosen this trip because I'd been told there was a chance of seeing some Sharks and I had. Was well chuffed. Being the only diver to see it, I was more than happy to gloat to the others when we got back on the boat as well! A few joking insults came my way in return but it was all good fun.
After the day's diving had finished, we then had an additional treat when someone spotted loads of dolphins swimming either side of the boat. We were moving to the next site, ready for the morning and they were all swimming alongside us and springing out of the water. Fantastic to see and we all felt very lucky. The trip just gets better and better.
That evening, we watched Marikk's DVD again, complete with footage of the shark (more gloating from me) and also the dolphins we had seen. She also managed to get footage of loads of other fish that were nowhere to be seen for the rest of us. We all said we wanted to swim with her the next day. Even a few conspiracy theories that she was using old footage - I'll give her the benefit of the doubt.
After dinner, we had some cocktails on the sundeck and a really good evening with all the staff and other divers. All really cool people on the trip and we got on like a house on fire. All a bit sad that this was our last night and the diving would be finishing tomorrow.
Live-Aboard Day 3: The final 2 dives of the trip took us to Richelieu Rock, one of the top 10 dive sites in the world. One word - AMAZING. It really was. Both dives were incredible and it was more a case of ''what didn't you see?'' than ''what did you see?''. Some unbelievable corals and more species of fish and eels than I could list here (All in my log-book). Saw so much and each dive ending was a real disappointment. To make it even better, my breathing had improved significantly now and the final dive lasted 45 mins, which I was also well pleased about (still pretty sure that Cathy could dive for another hour though - she just doesn't use any air!). Got a good breathing technique and pattern now and I'm eager to put it into practice again on my next dive. A real shame it was all coming to an end because of how I was improving. Carina has given me the nickname ''Sea-Gypsy'', claiming I've been going around stealing other people's air underwater. Haha - hopefully I can lose that name now.
And that was that - what a trip. We got the boat back to shore and a mini-bus back to Khao lak. This has, without doubt, been the highlight of my trip so far. Had so much fun, some amazing dives, saw sooooo much wildlife, met some great people and the organisation of the whole thing was exceptional. I would definately recommend Sea Dragon to anyone coming out here and I don't think it will be the last time I do one of their trips. I really couldn't fault it and was genuinely gutted when it came to an end - I could live for a month on that boat, no problem.
Once we got back into Khao Lak, we said goodbye to everyone and a few of us agreed to meet up that evening for some beers. Justin checked into the same guesthouse as me and we went to get some food with another lad staying there - Sabad (Canada). We then met up with Russ, Isabel, Jay, Ruth, Stephan and Tom, a guy who works for Sea Dragon and had sold me the trip in the first place. Was very grateful to him. Few beers with everyone before going our seperate ways. Shame to part as we had all become good friends on the trip.
That's it for Thailand - my favourite country so far. Had an amazing time in Laos, Vietnam and Cambodia but the south of Thailand has been my favourite place (with the exception of Koh Samui).
Malaysia next - 24 hour bus journey to Kuala Lumpur in the morning. Oh Joy.
Koh Pha-Ngan
Day 1: Early boat from Koh Samui to Koh Pha-Ngan. Whilst I got on it on time, for some reason it then didn't leave the port for another 2 hours!!! That was quite enjoyable considering we were all packed in like Sardines. No-one had any idea why we were hanging around that long either, which was nice.
When we did finally depart, the journey to Pha-Ngan was pretty short and we arrived late morning. Having been in communication with Jakob and Miriam, I jumped in a mini-van to their Bungalows to see if I could join them. Getting pretty busy on the island at this time, with the full moon party only a few days away and I had been advised by a few people not to stay near Haad Rin Beach. This is the beach that the party happens on and there have been countless stories of Bungalow break-ins in that area on party night. Thankfully, my german friends had found a nice spot a few miles away so I headed there.
On the way, our crazy mini-bus driver got too close to a couple of motorcyclists and ended up knocking them off their bike and into a shallow ditch by the side of the road. There were about 10 of us on the bus, shocked when it happened and all looked back anxiously to see if they were all right. The driver on the other hand, didn't even notice and there was still no response from him when we shouted that they were alright. Madness.
I arrived at the Bungalows and managed to check in, but it was only available for one night (something I feared they might say). When it gets close to the party, a lot of places force people to book at least 4 nights stay, as was the case here. I checked in but would have to try and find somewhere else for tomorrow.
Once I'd dumped my stuff, I went searching for the guys and within a couple of seconds heard a german accent shout out ''BUTTSY'' (Jakob has developed a fondness for my nickname). As luck would have it, I'd ended up right next door to them. Miriam was there too so we caught up for a while, having not seen each other in a few weeks. Afterwards, Jakob gave me a ride to a scooter rental place he was using so I could hire one for a the next few days. We then stopped at a local bar for coffee with some locals he had befriended.
Afterwards, I took a short walk down the beach and got really lucky in finding a place for the next few nights. Another Bungalow, not as nice as the others but it would do the job for the next few days. I booked in there and then the 3 of us headed out for a curry and some beers to celebrate Jakob's birthday. He was turning 30, meaning it was going to be his last night smoking supposedly. We shall see. We then lit a fire on the beach that night.
Day 2: When I got up the next day, I met the guys for breakfast to find that Jakob had not been to bed just so he could delay quitting. Haha. Apparently, the deal meant that as soon as he slept, he would be able to smoke no more so he was putting it off as long as possible. Not exactly encouraging signs.
The three of us were then joined by another german guy called Sebastian, who was also staying nearby. We all headed off on our scooters on the long journey to the top of Koh Pha-Ngan, to a small, beautiful island called Koh Ma. The guys know Koh Pha-Ngan really well and Jakob seems to see it as his home from home, so I was grateful for him navigating us there (no chance I would have got there by myself). It did take longer than he predicted though, probably to do with the lack of sleep.
Koh Ma is really nice and we spent the afternoon on the beach and snorkelling. The visibility there was unbelievable and there was so much to see, considering we were only snorkelling Lots of Tunafish and Bannerfish and some really nice corals as well. Actually saw more there than on a couple of my dives in Koh Tao. Was really good.
On the way back, the 4 of us stopped for dinner at a quality food market they had been going to. Mussaman Curry was the choice for me once again but there was loads else to choose from. So cheap as well.
Day 3 (Full Moon Party Day) : After speaking to him the previous night, I had to wait around near my Bungalow for Mitja to arrive. He had been up in Bangkok and, after some confusion over the date of the party, he had to head down pretty quick to make it. Nothing available accomodation-wise so I said he could share with me when he arrived at lunchtime.
After chilling on the beach for a bit, myself and Mitja headed into the town for a couple of beers and a few games of pool. Jakob and Miriam had to get some things sorted for their flight home so we agreed to meet them later for some pre-party bevvies.
After getting some supplies in and lining our stomachs for the party, we spent a couple of hours getting merry at the Bungalows and then the local bar. Got chatting to a couple of dutch girls, one of whom, wasn't a fan of the party and warned us off going. Good luck with that! We then had a white-knuckle Jumbo (Big Tuk-Tuk) ride to Haad Rin to get the party started. A few buckets later, we were dancing the night away and Mitja and I stayed until 3.30am. Pretty battered by that point so headed back. The party was pretty good although it was tough to avoid all the electronic and trance music being played (not my thing). The bars aren't very spaced out either so you get some weird musical mixes as you walk along the beach as well. All had a good timebut if I had to choose, Tubing in Vang Vieng wins over the Full Moon Party every time.
Day 4: Woke up feeling surprisingly ok so after breakfast, the 4 of us headed up to Koh Ma again so Mitja could see it. We headed a bit further out to sea this time, around the bay and the snorkelling was even better than the previous visit. Once I returned to the beach, I found Jakob and Mitja using some manufactured long wooden poles trying to knock down some coconuts from trees behind the beach. After initially just laughing at their efforts, I decided to help out and half an hour later, we had one each to devour on the beach. Tiring work though let me tell you. We spent the rest of the afternoon there before heading back towards our Bungalows.
Was cool having scooters to cruise around the island because Koh Pha-Ngan is really beautiful. Some people just head here for the Full Moon Party and then leave straight away and they are missing out because there's some spectacular scenery and views around the island. Granted I didn't see as much of Koh Tao and Koh Samui but Koh Pha-Ngan is definately my favourite of the eastern islands.
We stopped at the food market again that evening and enjoyed a few more beers on the beach. Lovely.
Day 5: My last day with the guys as I'd decided to head to a place called Khao Lak the day after. All determined to make the most of it, we headed down to Haad Rin beach to see how it looked by day. I couldn't believe my eyes when we got there because the beach was absolutely spotless and you would have no idea there had been tens of thousands of people partying on it 2 days previous. A really nice beach and lots of people there soaking up the sun and enjoying the waves.
Mitja and I then borrowed a ball from some other travellers and had a much needed kick-about on the beach. Almost forgotten what it feels like to have a ball at my feet so it felt good to be playing. My touch wasn't too bad either considering. Spent the rest of the afternoon down there.
After yet another visit to the food market (repetitive but the food was too good to ignore) and then spent the evening at the Bungalows again for some more drinking and a few games of poker. We then said our good byes as I had to be up at 5.30am the next morning and it will be the last time we see each other on the trip. Mitja heading home in a few days, Jakob and Miriam planning on chilling there for the rest of their lives I think! Was really sad leaving them all as we had had a brilliant few days and such a good laugh. I did have the option of staying for longer but was itching to do some more diving before heading to Malaysia. Sorry to leave the guys but I've no doubt I'll see them all again at some point. All friends for life I hope and each has been a key part of my memories from south-east asia. Will really miss them all. Off to bed for me...Khao Lak bright and early.
When we did finally depart, the journey to Pha-Ngan was pretty short and we arrived late morning. Having been in communication with Jakob and Miriam, I jumped in a mini-van to their Bungalows to see if I could join them. Getting pretty busy on the island at this time, with the full moon party only a few days away and I had been advised by a few people not to stay near Haad Rin Beach. This is the beach that the party happens on and there have been countless stories of Bungalow break-ins in that area on party night. Thankfully, my german friends had found a nice spot a few miles away so I headed there.
On the way, our crazy mini-bus driver got too close to a couple of motorcyclists and ended up knocking them off their bike and into a shallow ditch by the side of the road. There were about 10 of us on the bus, shocked when it happened and all looked back anxiously to see if they were all right. The driver on the other hand, didn't even notice and there was still no response from him when we shouted that they were alright. Madness.
I arrived at the Bungalows and managed to check in, but it was only available for one night (something I feared they might say). When it gets close to the party, a lot of places force people to book at least 4 nights stay, as was the case here. I checked in but would have to try and find somewhere else for tomorrow.
Once I'd dumped my stuff, I went searching for the guys and within a couple of seconds heard a german accent shout out ''BUTTSY'' (Jakob has developed a fondness for my nickname). As luck would have it, I'd ended up right next door to them. Miriam was there too so we caught up for a while, having not seen each other in a few weeks. Afterwards, Jakob gave me a ride to a scooter rental place he was using so I could hire one for a the next few days. We then stopped at a local bar for coffee with some locals he had befriended.
Afterwards, I took a short walk down the beach and got really lucky in finding a place for the next few nights. Another Bungalow, not as nice as the others but it would do the job for the next few days. I booked in there and then the 3 of us headed out for a curry and some beers to celebrate Jakob's birthday. He was turning 30, meaning it was going to be his last night smoking supposedly. We shall see. We then lit a fire on the beach that night.
Day 2: When I got up the next day, I met the guys for breakfast to find that Jakob had not been to bed just so he could delay quitting. Haha. Apparently, the deal meant that as soon as he slept, he would be able to smoke no more so he was putting it off as long as possible. Not exactly encouraging signs.
The three of us were then joined by another german guy called Sebastian, who was also staying nearby. We all headed off on our scooters on the long journey to the top of Koh Pha-Ngan, to a small, beautiful island called Koh Ma. The guys know Koh Pha-Ngan really well and Jakob seems to see it as his home from home, so I was grateful for him navigating us there (no chance I would have got there by myself). It did take longer than he predicted though, probably to do with the lack of sleep.
Koh Ma is really nice and we spent the afternoon on the beach and snorkelling. The visibility there was unbelievable and there was so much to see, considering we were only snorkelling Lots of Tunafish and Bannerfish and some really nice corals as well. Actually saw more there than on a couple of my dives in Koh Tao. Was really good.
On the way back, the 4 of us stopped for dinner at a quality food market they had been going to. Mussaman Curry was the choice for me once again but there was loads else to choose from. So cheap as well.
Day 3 (Full Moon Party Day) : After speaking to him the previous night, I had to wait around near my Bungalow for Mitja to arrive. He had been up in Bangkok and, after some confusion over the date of the party, he had to head down pretty quick to make it. Nothing available accomodation-wise so I said he could share with me when he arrived at lunchtime.
After chilling on the beach for a bit, myself and Mitja headed into the town for a couple of beers and a few games of pool. Jakob and Miriam had to get some things sorted for their flight home so we agreed to meet them later for some pre-party bevvies.
After getting some supplies in and lining our stomachs for the party, we spent a couple of hours getting merry at the Bungalows and then the local bar. Got chatting to a couple of dutch girls, one of whom, wasn't a fan of the party and warned us off going. Good luck with that! We then had a white-knuckle Jumbo (Big Tuk-Tuk) ride to Haad Rin to get the party started. A few buckets later, we were dancing the night away and Mitja and I stayed until 3.30am. Pretty battered by that point so headed back. The party was pretty good although it was tough to avoid all the electronic and trance music being played (not my thing). The bars aren't very spaced out either so you get some weird musical mixes as you walk along the beach as well. All had a good timebut if I had to choose, Tubing in Vang Vieng wins over the Full Moon Party every time.
Day 4: Woke up feeling surprisingly ok so after breakfast, the 4 of us headed up to Koh Ma again so Mitja could see it. We headed a bit further out to sea this time, around the bay and the snorkelling was even better than the previous visit. Once I returned to the beach, I found Jakob and Mitja using some manufactured long wooden poles trying to knock down some coconuts from trees behind the beach. After initially just laughing at their efforts, I decided to help out and half an hour later, we had one each to devour on the beach. Tiring work though let me tell you. We spent the rest of the afternoon there before heading back towards our Bungalows.
Was cool having scooters to cruise around the island because Koh Pha-Ngan is really beautiful. Some people just head here for the Full Moon Party and then leave straight away and they are missing out because there's some spectacular scenery and views around the island. Granted I didn't see as much of Koh Tao and Koh Samui but Koh Pha-Ngan is definately my favourite of the eastern islands.
We stopped at the food market again that evening and enjoyed a few more beers on the beach. Lovely.
Day 5: My last day with the guys as I'd decided to head to a place called Khao Lak the day after. All determined to make the most of it, we headed down to Haad Rin beach to see how it looked by day. I couldn't believe my eyes when we got there because the beach was absolutely spotless and you would have no idea there had been tens of thousands of people partying on it 2 days previous. A really nice beach and lots of people there soaking up the sun and enjoying the waves.
Mitja and I then borrowed a ball from some other travellers and had a much needed kick-about on the beach. Almost forgotten what it feels like to have a ball at my feet so it felt good to be playing. My touch wasn't too bad either considering. Spent the rest of the afternoon down there.
After yet another visit to the food market (repetitive but the food was too good to ignore) and then spent the evening at the Bungalows again for some more drinking and a few games of poker. We then said our good byes as I had to be up at 5.30am the next morning and it will be the last time we see each other on the trip. Mitja heading home in a few days, Jakob and Miriam planning on chilling there for the rest of their lives I think! Was really sad leaving them all as we had had a brilliant few days and such a good laugh. I did have the option of staying for longer but was itching to do some more diving before heading to Malaysia. Sorry to leave the guys but I've no doubt I'll see them all again at some point. All friends for life I hope and each has been a key part of my memories from south-east asia. Will really miss them all. Off to bed for me...Khao Lak bright and early.
Saturday, 18 February 2012
Koh Samui
A nice short post this one because I was a lazy git in Koh Samui. Richly deserved after my scuba exploits I'm sure you'll agree.
Got the boat early morning and was joined by Koen, who was heading there too. Upon arrival on the island, I headed to the same guesthouse as him because he had found somewhere nice and cheap. When we got there, I saw why! I've been pretty lucky with accommodation so far and have stayed in some quite nice places but this wasn't one of them. Pretty grubby, tiny, squeaky bunk-beds - not the best. They even had a sign up apologising for the state of the place. Only for a few nights though so I wasn't too fussed. The area we were in (Chaweng Beach) didn't have much in the way of cheap accommodation so just decided to stick with it.
I then just spent the next 2 and half days just laying on the beach. This area is unbelievably touristy - probably the most of anywhere I've been and, aside from the weather, it doesn't feel like Thailand at all.
Chewing beach is pretty big and looks like it used to be nice. Unfortunately, it's covered in litter these days and also has quite an unpleasant smell, which you get a waft of every 10 minutes. Not very nice.
Along the strip, there are countless shops and restaurants catering to tourists, mainly selling Western food. Still managed to find a couple of Thai places though as I'm not sick of Asian food just yet. Also loads of cars with fitted ghetto-blasters advertising Thai Kick-boxing. These get annoying very quickly.
Only spent a couple of days in Samui and, while it was nice to relax after the diving, it wasn't my favourite place. Pretty dirty everywhere around Chaweng Beach and the smell is not very nice either. I didn't go to anywhere besides Chaweng though so the rest of the island might be really nice - don't want to slag off the whole thing before I've seen it. I wasn't a fan of the part I was in though.
Never mind, Koh Pha-Ngan next for some full moon partying, more beach time and meeting up with my German friends. Should be good.
Got the boat early morning and was joined by Koen, who was heading there too. Upon arrival on the island, I headed to the same guesthouse as him because he had found somewhere nice and cheap. When we got there, I saw why! I've been pretty lucky with accommodation so far and have stayed in some quite nice places but this wasn't one of them. Pretty grubby, tiny, squeaky bunk-beds - not the best. They even had a sign up apologising for the state of the place. Only for a few nights though so I wasn't too fussed. The area we were in (Chaweng Beach) didn't have much in the way of cheap accommodation so just decided to stick with it.
I then just spent the next 2 and half days just laying on the beach. This area is unbelievably touristy - probably the most of anywhere I've been and, aside from the weather, it doesn't feel like Thailand at all.
Chewing beach is pretty big and looks like it used to be nice. Unfortunately, it's covered in litter these days and also has quite an unpleasant smell, which you get a waft of every 10 minutes. Not very nice.
Along the strip, there are countless shops and restaurants catering to tourists, mainly selling Western food. Still managed to find a couple of Thai places though as I'm not sick of Asian food just yet. Also loads of cars with fitted ghetto-blasters advertising Thai Kick-boxing. These get annoying very quickly.
Only spent a couple of days in Samui and, while it was nice to relax after the diving, it wasn't my favourite place. Pretty dirty everywhere around Chaweng Beach and the smell is not very nice either. I didn't go to anywhere besides Chaweng though so the rest of the island might be really nice - don't want to slag off the whole thing before I've seen it. I wasn't a fan of the part I was in though.
Never mind, Koh Pha-Ngan next for some full moon partying, more beach time and meeting up with my German friends. Should be good.
Monday, 6 February 2012
Koh Tao
I'm just going to talk you through this journey for further emphasis of how exhausting (mentally and physically) travelling is sometimes. It started with a complete palava in Bangkok, which was basically 2 guys trying to sort out who was on what bus. There were people headed to lots of different places in the south but they put us all on the same buses because they are on the same route. It took a good couple of hours to sort out and was both hilarious and frustrating to watch at the same time. I ended up being taken on a half-mile walk to one bus, only to be walked back to the initial meeting point and further in the opposite direction to get to the other bus. They also have a rather annoying trick of asking for your ticket, giving it to their mate, forgetting who gave them tickets and asking for them again later. It's quite painful really, considering they do this every day.
After finally setting off, we got dropped by the side of the road near to the crossing for Koh Tao. About 4 of us got off the bus, including a nice girl called Charlotte who I met, and we then had to wait for whatever happened next. It was about 2am and my prediction was that we were close enough to walk to the crossing but would have to wait until morning to do so.
At 4am, a mini-bus picked us up and took us on the 45 minute trip to get to the crossing point (so much for my prediction). Had a good chat with Charlotte, who has spent a lot of time in South America and gave my some great tips for when I go there. We arrived at the crossing just before 5am (had no sleep) and then had to wait there until 7am for the boat to depart. The lack of sleep of everyone in the room didn't deter the hotel managers from Koh Tao though, who were already hassling us on where to stay and trying to sell us a diving deal. Koh Tao is essentially a Scuba Diving island, which was the main reason I was going there. I wasn't really in the mood for negotiation with them at this point though.
The boat departed at 7am and we were then hassled some more by the managers once we started heading to Koh Tao. Everyone on the boat was completely exhausted so had little time for them. We arrived at the island at about 10am. Knackered.
Day 1: I tagged along with Charlotte and managed to check into the same hostel she had booked at (not before they had tried to sell me a dive package though). Very basic again but also cheap so I was happy enough.
I'd gone through tiredness somehow so after breakfast, I decided to have a walk around and start comparing some dive deals for myself. I wanted to get my PADI Open Water Dive Licence and Koh Tao is littered with places that offer the course. After comparing about 5 different companies and discovering that the deals were pretty much identical, I decided to go with Seashell Divers. I liked the manager who told me about the package, the group sizes were small (no more than 4 people), which was something I was looking for and the package included 4 nights free accomodation in some nice Bungalows on the beach. It sounded good to me so I signed up and paid. My course would be starting in a couple of days.
That afternoon, I hit the beach and met three really cool canadians - Jordan, Lindsay and Yessica. They were just chilling on the beach and playing some frisbee so I joined in and we got on really well. I also managed to prove the accuracy of my nickname ''Buttsy'', which comes from our time playing Ultimate Frisbee when back at school. ''Butterfingers Bowyer'' has gradually been shortened down to ''Buttsy/Butts'' (and other variations). I can assure you lads that my catching skills are just as woeful now as they were back then and the nickname is definately still appropriate. Just as well because I don't think I'll be shaking it any time soon!
And to prove that my football addiction has not really changed either, I got up at 2.30am the following day to find a bar and watch the Liverpool - Man City Semi Final. Bit of a challenge finding somewhere, made more frustrating by the first place turning it off at half time, despite my pleas. But I found somewhere else and was celebrating with this other thai guy come final whistle. Get in! He was also dishing out some good banter to these United fans in the bar trying to rain on our parade. He did well too, I didn't need to add anything. Bring on the final.
Day 2: I met up with the canadians late morning and we hired a longboat to take us on the short trip to Nangyuan Island, off the coast of Koh Tao. This place is absolute paradise - 3 islands you can walk between because the water is so shallow and also crystal clear. It was nice and hot too so we had a really cool day. Sunbathing, more Frisbee and walking around one of the islands, which resulted in Yessica getting quite scared that the path was going to collapse - pretty funny. The longboat picked us up again at 4pm and took us back to Koh Tao, where we spent another couple of hours having a few beers and playing cards.
That evening, the 4 of us headed out for some local food and a few more beers. Nothing too heavy for me though - my dive course was starting the following afternoon. Good laugh though, really cool people and some of the nicest I've met on the trip so far.
Day 3: After switching to my Bungalow first thing, the 4 of us spent the morning on the beach. Jordan and I endulged in several hours sports chat - Football vs Ice Hockey. He said he needed it after spending so much time travelling with 2 girls! Haha - happy to oblige. Lindsay and Yessica fell asleep at one point and were amazed we were STILL talking sports when they woke up. They just don't realise. After the sports chat, I managed to get some preparatory reading of my divers manual done ready for the start of the course.
That afternoon, my Open Water course began. Also on the course were Josh (New Zealand) and Koen (Holland) who had been travelling together for the past couple of weeks. We were introduced to our instructor Julien (France), who seemed really cool and VERY laid back. I didn't know if this was a good thing or not considering I was a bit apprehensive about the course. Never dived before and the thought of breathing underwater that deep was a bit nerve-wracking. I was looking forward to it at the same time though.
The afternoon was filled up with classroom stuff, which basically involved 3 hours DVD watching to give us the basics. Was quite a lot to take in and we were each set homework questions for the following morning - like being back at school. After we had finished, I went to meet my canadian friends for dinner as they were heading to Malaysia that evening. We went to an indian place they highly recommended so we could try a Mussaman Curry, which is popular around here. I can honestly say, it's one of the nicest curry's I've ever had and certainly won't be my last in Koh Tao. Out for a drink afterwards and then we said our goodbyes as they had a boat to catch. Was great to meet them and I had a really fun few days hanging out with them. We think our paths will cross in Australia and I'm hoping so because it will be great to see them again. Back to the Bungalow for me - homework to do.
Day 4: 8am meet in the classroom for some knowledge review with Julien and a quiz to see what we had learnt. Like I say, a lot to take in but I was definately getting to grips with the basics and essential safety aspects. We then had some more DVD watching to do before starting the practical stuff that afternoon.
After the DVD, Julian took the 3 of us to the equipment room to get measured up for wet-suits, fins and BCDs (Buoyancy Control Device - an inflatable jacket you wear to help control your depth underwater). We then had an army-style drill of putting on all the equipment and then repeating it over and over again. Sounds tedious but it was the best way for us to learn to procedure so it becomes second nature.
Then it was into the pool for our first experience breathing underwater. This consisted of numerous different exercises such as: mask removal, BCD removal, switching air supply, mask clearing etc. I have to admit, I didn't like it at first and felt quite uncomfortable breathing underwater. It feels very weird the first time you do it and I wanted to get my head back above water asap. I soon got used to it though and started to enjoy it. Julien went round to us one-by-one so we could do all the exercises until he was satisfied. All-in-all, we spent about 3 hours in the pool doing everything. Feeling a lot more confident now.
We then switched to a deeper (and clearer) pool so we could work on our buoyancy (level in the water) and learn to equalize (make your ears pop as the depth and pressure change). I found all this pretty easy and the breathing becomes quite natural after a while. We had good fun.
We finished in the pool, removed all the gear for Sergeant Julian and then took it all back to the equipment room. He then set us further homework for that night in preparation for knowledge review and our final written exam in the morning. If we all passed, that would be the end of the classroom stuff and it would be straight open dives (in the sea) from then on. Excited rather than nervous at this point. I was really enjoying it. More homework for that evening. I'd made the decision to lay off the booze until the course was done.
Day 5: Knowledge review and Final exam in the morning. Thankfully, we all passed pretty comfortably - 92% for me, 84% for Josh, 100% for Koen (git). The pass rate was 75% though so we were all pretty safe. The exam was harder than I thought it would be but we all clearly knew our stuff. Reassuring ahead of our first 2 open water dives.
Dive 1: First time diving in the sea for us so I think we were all a bit nervous, I certainly was. Like the pool dives, it felt weird being down there at first but we weren't going to be coming back up for a while so it was time to get used to it. The dive took place at a site called Japanese Garden and we went down to 12m for just over half an hour. After the initial trepidation, I absolutely loved it. The site was good with lots of marine life to see and a cool underwater landscape. We saw lots of Clownfish (otherwise known as Nemo). Quite funny because Julien saw them first and was trying to word 'NE...MO' to us underwater. I was close to him so knew what he was saying but Koen and Josh were a bit further away and looked totally confused. We also saw a Stingray - Not bad for a first dive!
Being our first open water dive, we also had to do a number of exercises. These included a lot of surface skills (such as me dragging Julien to the boat as if he was injured), cramp removal etc. We also did a controlled emergency swimming ascent - an exercise required to end the dive in certain situations. Felt better doing all these in the sea as it's obviously far more realistic than the pool.
Dive 2: After a short break on the boat, we were back in the water for our second dive. Again, this went to 12m deep and included more exercises before we could swim around looking at the fish. We did things like: mask removal and replace, use of buddy's alternate air source etc. All feeling quite confident by this point and doing all the drills with relative ease. Obviously, the hope is that they will never be required but it felt good to know that we were comfortable with them all. Julien seemed happy with us (it sometimes seemed easier to understand him underwater than above) so we spent the rest of our 42min dive looking around the site. Lots of Bannerfish and Angelfish and a really funny tiny 'dunnofish' that kept attacking a graze I had on my leg. I could feel the small bite and when I looked, he was going for me every couple of seconds. It was seriously tiny though so I had a laugh into my regulator. The dive finished with an alternate air source ascent, done in our buddy teams.
All in all, a really enjoyable day's diving. The nerves quickly went away (amazing how that happens when you don't have a choice) and I loved every minute from then on. Lots of wildlife, considering it was our first couple of dives and we were all feeling really confident with the exercises. Myself and Koen were both using quite a lot of air, which was cutting the dives a bit short but I'm not too worried about that at this point. I'm sure better breathing efficiency will come with experience. Feels great being down there though and surprisingly normal after a while - a feeling I didn't think I'd get. Itching for some more tomorrow, when we go down to 18m. Also giving some serious thought to the Advanced Open Water Course, which would allow me to dive anywhere in the world up to 30m deep. Will see how I feel after tomorrow's dives.
Day 6: Really early start - 6.20am.
Dive 3: We went out to a site called Chumphon Pinnacle, a site that had already been recommended to me by Andreas in Hanoi. The Divemasters at Seashell were all raving about it as well so I was looking forward to what we might see and it didn't disappoint.
This dive went down to 18m and was absolutely brilliant. Not so many exercises this time because Julien seemed quite happy with our previous day's efforts and was more keen for us to appreciate the greater depth of the dive. We saw so much - more Angelfish and Bannerfish and also loads of Barracuda and a couple of Moray Eels. The site was class as well with loads of weird rock formations to swim around and in-between. We all got to really appreciate the dive this time and all loved it. It was cut a bit short unfortunately because Koen was low on air and had to switch to Julien's alternate (I wasn't far behind either, Josh, on the other hand, doesn't seem to breathe anything!). So it was a 30min dive instead of the predicted 40min. Again, I'm not bothered about that though. Great dive, want to get back in!
Dive 4: The last dive of our Open Water Course. This one took us to a site called White Rock, which was quite a trek from Chumphon Pinnacle. The water was very choppy getting to the site, leaving myself and Koen feeling quite seasick whilst listening to Julien's briefing. Itching to get back in the water so we could feel better to be honest!
The dive went to 15m this time and, in my opinion, this site was better than Chumphon. Saw absolutely loads that we had seen on previous dives but also some massive Grouper, more Stingrays and a couple of Titan Triggerfish, which are really nice. Julien had warned us that these are prone to getting quite aggressive if you enter their territory but thankfully, these two seemed happy enough with us being there. A really nice underwater landscape and beautiful corals at White Rock too.
Had to do some more exercises to finish the course, including some work with a compass and practicing neutral buoyancy (moving around underwater without rising up or sinking down all the time) and the dive lasted almost 40mins.
Back to base and that was it!- all now qualified Open Water Divers. I'd also firmly made my mind up that I wanted to do the Advanced Course so I signed up, paid for that (2 more free nights in the Bungalow as well) and we got our new manuals so we could start researching for the next day. After the early morning, I spent the rest of the afternoon chilling on the beach. We then met up with Julien in the evening for the official certification process and so he could give us our homework for the advanced course. Back to school again!
Day 7: Koen and Josh had also decided to do the Advanced course and the three of us were joined by a nice German girl called Anna, who would be my dive buddy for the next two days.
After getting our homework checked, it was back in the water for our first 2 dives. These were to work on our underwater navigation and buoyancy. The buoyancy dive had a number of different exercises, designed to help you control your position in the water and help to conserve energy and air. Quite difficult though and takes a lot of practice. The drills included a couple of obstacle courses (going through hoops etc) and also holding Buddha poses underwater (pretty funny). The hardest drill was Julien's speciality though - 4 teaspoons stuck in the sand and we had to knock them over one-by-one using just our regulator and without touching the floor. Julien did a perfect demo, approaching each one vertically. Then it was my turn - not quite as graceful. I basically piled horizontally into all 4 spoons, removing a lot of sand in the process. I did knock all 4 over but it wasn't quite what Julien had in mind and he gave me a funny disapproving French look through his mask. Haha. All had a few attempts at this but it was really hard. Good practice though. My buoyancy still needs some work, although it seems to be ok when I'm just swimming around. All comes with experience I guess.
The navigation dive allowed us to use a compass underwater and we had to do drills such as mapping out a square and counting how many fin kicks to cover a certain distance. A lot easier than the buoyancy dive and my square was near perfect even if I do say so myself. Anna's, on the other hand...not so much (more like a triangle!). Good fun though. The dive was meant to finish with us navigating our way to a specific part of the dive site but we didn't have time because somebody was out of air (no prizes for guessing who). Probably just as well though because I didn't have a clue where he was asking us to go and I'm pretty sure the others didn't either! Had a good laugh about that when we returned to the surface.
That evening, it was time for a night dive and we were all really looking forward to it (as well as being quite sceptical). Got in the water about 6.30pm and it was pretty damn dark - didn't feel quite right to be heading underwater. Slight delay with Julien forgetting his weight belt - highly amusing for us considering some of the jibes we have had to take off him.
The dive itself was incredible, if also, quite scary. We didn't see a lot of wildlife but it was amazing being down there in those conditions. I spent more time constantly looking for Anna than looking for fish as you could easily lose someone down there. I was grateful for her long blonde hair so I could recognise her. We saw a couple of Stingrays and a few other fish but not much. The highlight was us sitting on the bottom with our torches against our chests, revealing hundreds of plankton, which we could move around with our free arm. Hard to describe but it was quite mystical. A really enjoyable dive but I was very glad not to be in Julien's position - hard enough keeping track of Anna, let alone the 4 of us.
Day 8: Final day of diving. Met at 6.20am again and set off to do our deep dive - 30 metres. Anna had real trouble equalising (making her ears pop) on the way down so us lads had quite a long wait for her. Thankfully, I manage to equalise really easily on my dives, which I'm very grateful for. When she did join us, the visibility at that depth was really bad. Julien took a plastic bottle and a bag of maltesers down to show us the pressure change. Both were pretty crushed as we passed them around underwater. The rest of the dive was spent checking out a ship wreck but the visibility was so bad that we couldn't see much.
Short break back on the boat before our final dive. This one was a fun dive thankfully - Koen and Josh using their cameras for underwater photography, myself and Anna were given little plastic pads to try and record what fish we saw. Julien showed us a book but there is a lot to remember.
This was one of my favourite dives in Koh Tao. We were joined by an American guy called Taylor and his instructor. We also had the video guy (Jacob) with us (at my request). We all spent the dive swimming around and messing around for the camera doing various tricks and dances - my moves are pretty good down there. Anna and I didn't bother noting anything down and we just enjoyed the dive instead, Julien didn't care. A really great dive and we saw lots. Also got to jump off the boat for the camera as well. Good fun.
Diving over, back to base as Advanced Open Water Divers. Spent the afternoon chilling on the beach and we met up with Julien that evening for the certification process and to watch the DVD. I bought a copy and will be happy to show you all when I'm back. Jacob has done a fine job and it's a really good watch. We then said our goodbyes to Julien and the rest of the Seashell team. Julien was a fantastic instructor who really helped me overcoming my initial nerves. Has helped us all a lot and will feel pretty confident on my next dive. Grateful to all the team for 2 great courses and a very professional service. Will definately be recommending Seashell to anybody going to Koh Tao to learn to dive.
We all then went out for some food and a few beers (my first in over a week you'll be pleased to know Tessa). Well earned I think you will all agree. We were joined by Anna's mate Sarah (Ireland) who had just started her own course.
After dinner, I went back to the hostel I had switched to. Outside were 8 Aussie lads playing drinking games and they invited me to join. After darting out for some supplies, I was happy to oblige and then spent the next 2 hours basically getting stitched up so I could catch up on their drunken levels. It did the trick! Great laugh at the hostel before we all headed down to the beach for a night that was on. Jaguar Skills in the DJ booth if you know him. Not really my music bit I think I was too drunk to care.
That's it for Koh Tao. I can now dive anywhere up to 30m deep and feel pretty confident about it. Breathing efficiency still needs work to make the dives longer but I'm sure that will come with experience.
Next stop, Koh Samui
After finally setting off, we got dropped by the side of the road near to the crossing for Koh Tao. About 4 of us got off the bus, including a nice girl called Charlotte who I met, and we then had to wait for whatever happened next. It was about 2am and my prediction was that we were close enough to walk to the crossing but would have to wait until morning to do so.
At 4am, a mini-bus picked us up and took us on the 45 minute trip to get to the crossing point (so much for my prediction). Had a good chat with Charlotte, who has spent a lot of time in South America and gave my some great tips for when I go there. We arrived at the crossing just before 5am (had no sleep) and then had to wait there until 7am for the boat to depart. The lack of sleep of everyone in the room didn't deter the hotel managers from Koh Tao though, who were already hassling us on where to stay and trying to sell us a diving deal. Koh Tao is essentially a Scuba Diving island, which was the main reason I was going there. I wasn't really in the mood for negotiation with them at this point though.
The boat departed at 7am and we were then hassled some more by the managers once we started heading to Koh Tao. Everyone on the boat was completely exhausted so had little time for them. We arrived at the island at about 10am. Knackered.
Day 1: I tagged along with Charlotte and managed to check into the same hostel she had booked at (not before they had tried to sell me a dive package though). Very basic again but also cheap so I was happy enough.
I'd gone through tiredness somehow so after breakfast, I decided to have a walk around and start comparing some dive deals for myself. I wanted to get my PADI Open Water Dive Licence and Koh Tao is littered with places that offer the course. After comparing about 5 different companies and discovering that the deals were pretty much identical, I decided to go with Seashell Divers. I liked the manager who told me about the package, the group sizes were small (no more than 4 people), which was something I was looking for and the package included 4 nights free accomodation in some nice Bungalows on the beach. It sounded good to me so I signed up and paid. My course would be starting in a couple of days.
That afternoon, I hit the beach and met three really cool canadians - Jordan, Lindsay and Yessica. They were just chilling on the beach and playing some frisbee so I joined in and we got on really well. I also managed to prove the accuracy of my nickname ''Buttsy'', which comes from our time playing Ultimate Frisbee when back at school. ''Butterfingers Bowyer'' has gradually been shortened down to ''Buttsy/Butts'' (and other variations). I can assure you lads that my catching skills are just as woeful now as they were back then and the nickname is definately still appropriate. Just as well because I don't think I'll be shaking it any time soon!
And to prove that my football addiction has not really changed either, I got up at 2.30am the following day to find a bar and watch the Liverpool - Man City Semi Final. Bit of a challenge finding somewhere, made more frustrating by the first place turning it off at half time, despite my pleas. But I found somewhere else and was celebrating with this other thai guy come final whistle. Get in! He was also dishing out some good banter to these United fans in the bar trying to rain on our parade. He did well too, I didn't need to add anything. Bring on the final.
Day 2: I met up with the canadians late morning and we hired a longboat to take us on the short trip to Nangyuan Island, off the coast of Koh Tao. This place is absolute paradise - 3 islands you can walk between because the water is so shallow and also crystal clear. It was nice and hot too so we had a really cool day. Sunbathing, more Frisbee and walking around one of the islands, which resulted in Yessica getting quite scared that the path was going to collapse - pretty funny. The longboat picked us up again at 4pm and took us back to Koh Tao, where we spent another couple of hours having a few beers and playing cards.
That evening, the 4 of us headed out for some local food and a few more beers. Nothing too heavy for me though - my dive course was starting the following afternoon. Good laugh though, really cool people and some of the nicest I've met on the trip so far.
Day 3: After switching to my Bungalow first thing, the 4 of us spent the morning on the beach. Jordan and I endulged in several hours sports chat - Football vs Ice Hockey. He said he needed it after spending so much time travelling with 2 girls! Haha - happy to oblige. Lindsay and Yessica fell asleep at one point and were amazed we were STILL talking sports when they woke up. They just don't realise. After the sports chat, I managed to get some preparatory reading of my divers manual done ready for the start of the course.
That afternoon, my Open Water course began. Also on the course were Josh (New Zealand) and Koen (Holland) who had been travelling together for the past couple of weeks. We were introduced to our instructor Julien (France), who seemed really cool and VERY laid back. I didn't know if this was a good thing or not considering I was a bit apprehensive about the course. Never dived before and the thought of breathing underwater that deep was a bit nerve-wracking. I was looking forward to it at the same time though.
The afternoon was filled up with classroom stuff, which basically involved 3 hours DVD watching to give us the basics. Was quite a lot to take in and we were each set homework questions for the following morning - like being back at school. After we had finished, I went to meet my canadian friends for dinner as they were heading to Malaysia that evening. We went to an indian place they highly recommended so we could try a Mussaman Curry, which is popular around here. I can honestly say, it's one of the nicest curry's I've ever had and certainly won't be my last in Koh Tao. Out for a drink afterwards and then we said our goodbyes as they had a boat to catch. Was great to meet them and I had a really fun few days hanging out with them. We think our paths will cross in Australia and I'm hoping so because it will be great to see them again. Back to the Bungalow for me - homework to do.
Day 4: 8am meet in the classroom for some knowledge review with Julien and a quiz to see what we had learnt. Like I say, a lot to take in but I was definately getting to grips with the basics and essential safety aspects. We then had some more DVD watching to do before starting the practical stuff that afternoon.
After the DVD, Julian took the 3 of us to the equipment room to get measured up for wet-suits, fins and BCDs (Buoyancy Control Device - an inflatable jacket you wear to help control your depth underwater). We then had an army-style drill of putting on all the equipment and then repeating it over and over again. Sounds tedious but it was the best way for us to learn to procedure so it becomes second nature.
Then it was into the pool for our first experience breathing underwater. This consisted of numerous different exercises such as: mask removal, BCD removal, switching air supply, mask clearing etc. I have to admit, I didn't like it at first and felt quite uncomfortable breathing underwater. It feels very weird the first time you do it and I wanted to get my head back above water asap. I soon got used to it though and started to enjoy it. Julien went round to us one-by-one so we could do all the exercises until he was satisfied. All-in-all, we spent about 3 hours in the pool doing everything. Feeling a lot more confident now.
We then switched to a deeper (and clearer) pool so we could work on our buoyancy (level in the water) and learn to equalize (make your ears pop as the depth and pressure change). I found all this pretty easy and the breathing becomes quite natural after a while. We had good fun.
We finished in the pool, removed all the gear for Sergeant Julian and then took it all back to the equipment room. He then set us further homework for that night in preparation for knowledge review and our final written exam in the morning. If we all passed, that would be the end of the classroom stuff and it would be straight open dives (in the sea) from then on. Excited rather than nervous at this point. I was really enjoying it. More homework for that evening. I'd made the decision to lay off the booze until the course was done.
Day 5: Knowledge review and Final exam in the morning. Thankfully, we all passed pretty comfortably - 92% for me, 84% for Josh, 100% for Koen (git). The pass rate was 75% though so we were all pretty safe. The exam was harder than I thought it would be but we all clearly knew our stuff. Reassuring ahead of our first 2 open water dives.
Dive 1: First time diving in the sea for us so I think we were all a bit nervous, I certainly was. Like the pool dives, it felt weird being down there at first but we weren't going to be coming back up for a while so it was time to get used to it. The dive took place at a site called Japanese Garden and we went down to 12m for just over half an hour. After the initial trepidation, I absolutely loved it. The site was good with lots of marine life to see and a cool underwater landscape. We saw lots of Clownfish (otherwise known as Nemo). Quite funny because Julien saw them first and was trying to word 'NE...MO' to us underwater. I was close to him so knew what he was saying but Koen and Josh were a bit further away and looked totally confused. We also saw a Stingray - Not bad for a first dive!
Being our first open water dive, we also had to do a number of exercises. These included a lot of surface skills (such as me dragging Julien to the boat as if he was injured), cramp removal etc. We also did a controlled emergency swimming ascent - an exercise required to end the dive in certain situations. Felt better doing all these in the sea as it's obviously far more realistic than the pool.
Dive 2: After a short break on the boat, we were back in the water for our second dive. Again, this went to 12m deep and included more exercises before we could swim around looking at the fish. We did things like: mask removal and replace, use of buddy's alternate air source etc. All feeling quite confident by this point and doing all the drills with relative ease. Obviously, the hope is that they will never be required but it felt good to know that we were comfortable with them all. Julien seemed happy with us (it sometimes seemed easier to understand him underwater than above) so we spent the rest of our 42min dive looking around the site. Lots of Bannerfish and Angelfish and a really funny tiny 'dunnofish' that kept attacking a graze I had on my leg. I could feel the small bite and when I looked, he was going for me every couple of seconds. It was seriously tiny though so I had a laugh into my regulator. The dive finished with an alternate air source ascent, done in our buddy teams.
All in all, a really enjoyable day's diving. The nerves quickly went away (amazing how that happens when you don't have a choice) and I loved every minute from then on. Lots of wildlife, considering it was our first couple of dives and we were all feeling really confident with the exercises. Myself and Koen were both using quite a lot of air, which was cutting the dives a bit short but I'm not too worried about that at this point. I'm sure better breathing efficiency will come with experience. Feels great being down there though and surprisingly normal after a while - a feeling I didn't think I'd get. Itching for some more tomorrow, when we go down to 18m. Also giving some serious thought to the Advanced Open Water Course, which would allow me to dive anywhere in the world up to 30m deep. Will see how I feel after tomorrow's dives.
Day 6: Really early start - 6.20am.
Dive 3: We went out to a site called Chumphon Pinnacle, a site that had already been recommended to me by Andreas in Hanoi. The Divemasters at Seashell were all raving about it as well so I was looking forward to what we might see and it didn't disappoint.
This dive went down to 18m and was absolutely brilliant. Not so many exercises this time because Julien seemed quite happy with our previous day's efforts and was more keen for us to appreciate the greater depth of the dive. We saw so much - more Angelfish and Bannerfish and also loads of Barracuda and a couple of Moray Eels. The site was class as well with loads of weird rock formations to swim around and in-between. We all got to really appreciate the dive this time and all loved it. It was cut a bit short unfortunately because Koen was low on air and had to switch to Julien's alternate (I wasn't far behind either, Josh, on the other hand, doesn't seem to breathe anything!). So it was a 30min dive instead of the predicted 40min. Again, I'm not bothered about that though. Great dive, want to get back in!
Dive 4: The last dive of our Open Water Course. This one took us to a site called White Rock, which was quite a trek from Chumphon Pinnacle. The water was very choppy getting to the site, leaving myself and Koen feeling quite seasick whilst listening to Julien's briefing. Itching to get back in the water so we could feel better to be honest!
The dive went to 15m this time and, in my opinion, this site was better than Chumphon. Saw absolutely loads that we had seen on previous dives but also some massive Grouper, more Stingrays and a couple of Titan Triggerfish, which are really nice. Julien had warned us that these are prone to getting quite aggressive if you enter their territory but thankfully, these two seemed happy enough with us being there. A really nice underwater landscape and beautiful corals at White Rock too.
Had to do some more exercises to finish the course, including some work with a compass and practicing neutral buoyancy (moving around underwater without rising up or sinking down all the time) and the dive lasted almost 40mins.
Back to base and that was it!- all now qualified Open Water Divers. I'd also firmly made my mind up that I wanted to do the Advanced Course so I signed up, paid for that (2 more free nights in the Bungalow as well) and we got our new manuals so we could start researching for the next day. After the early morning, I spent the rest of the afternoon chilling on the beach. We then met up with Julien in the evening for the official certification process and so he could give us our homework for the advanced course. Back to school again!
Day 7: Koen and Josh had also decided to do the Advanced course and the three of us were joined by a nice German girl called Anna, who would be my dive buddy for the next two days.
After getting our homework checked, it was back in the water for our first 2 dives. These were to work on our underwater navigation and buoyancy. The buoyancy dive had a number of different exercises, designed to help you control your position in the water and help to conserve energy and air. Quite difficult though and takes a lot of practice. The drills included a couple of obstacle courses (going through hoops etc) and also holding Buddha poses underwater (pretty funny). The hardest drill was Julien's speciality though - 4 teaspoons stuck in the sand and we had to knock them over one-by-one using just our regulator and without touching the floor. Julien did a perfect demo, approaching each one vertically. Then it was my turn - not quite as graceful. I basically piled horizontally into all 4 spoons, removing a lot of sand in the process. I did knock all 4 over but it wasn't quite what Julien had in mind and he gave me a funny disapproving French look through his mask. Haha. All had a few attempts at this but it was really hard. Good practice though. My buoyancy still needs some work, although it seems to be ok when I'm just swimming around. All comes with experience I guess.
The navigation dive allowed us to use a compass underwater and we had to do drills such as mapping out a square and counting how many fin kicks to cover a certain distance. A lot easier than the buoyancy dive and my square was near perfect even if I do say so myself. Anna's, on the other hand...not so much (more like a triangle!). Good fun though. The dive was meant to finish with us navigating our way to a specific part of the dive site but we didn't have time because somebody was out of air (no prizes for guessing who). Probably just as well though because I didn't have a clue where he was asking us to go and I'm pretty sure the others didn't either! Had a good laugh about that when we returned to the surface.
That evening, it was time for a night dive and we were all really looking forward to it (as well as being quite sceptical). Got in the water about 6.30pm and it was pretty damn dark - didn't feel quite right to be heading underwater. Slight delay with Julien forgetting his weight belt - highly amusing for us considering some of the jibes we have had to take off him.
The dive itself was incredible, if also, quite scary. We didn't see a lot of wildlife but it was amazing being down there in those conditions. I spent more time constantly looking for Anna than looking for fish as you could easily lose someone down there. I was grateful for her long blonde hair so I could recognise her. We saw a couple of Stingrays and a few other fish but not much. The highlight was us sitting on the bottom with our torches against our chests, revealing hundreds of plankton, which we could move around with our free arm. Hard to describe but it was quite mystical. A really enjoyable dive but I was very glad not to be in Julien's position - hard enough keeping track of Anna, let alone the 4 of us.
Day 8: Final day of diving. Met at 6.20am again and set off to do our deep dive - 30 metres. Anna had real trouble equalising (making her ears pop) on the way down so us lads had quite a long wait for her. Thankfully, I manage to equalise really easily on my dives, which I'm very grateful for. When she did join us, the visibility at that depth was really bad. Julien took a plastic bottle and a bag of maltesers down to show us the pressure change. Both were pretty crushed as we passed them around underwater. The rest of the dive was spent checking out a ship wreck but the visibility was so bad that we couldn't see much.
Short break back on the boat before our final dive. This one was a fun dive thankfully - Koen and Josh using their cameras for underwater photography, myself and Anna were given little plastic pads to try and record what fish we saw. Julien showed us a book but there is a lot to remember.
This was one of my favourite dives in Koh Tao. We were joined by an American guy called Taylor and his instructor. We also had the video guy (Jacob) with us (at my request). We all spent the dive swimming around and messing around for the camera doing various tricks and dances - my moves are pretty good down there. Anna and I didn't bother noting anything down and we just enjoyed the dive instead, Julien didn't care. A really great dive and we saw lots. Also got to jump off the boat for the camera as well. Good fun.
Diving over, back to base as Advanced Open Water Divers. Spent the afternoon chilling on the beach and we met up with Julien that evening for the certification process and to watch the DVD. I bought a copy and will be happy to show you all when I'm back. Jacob has done a fine job and it's a really good watch. We then said our goodbyes to Julien and the rest of the Seashell team. Julien was a fantastic instructor who really helped me overcoming my initial nerves. Has helped us all a lot and will feel pretty confident on my next dive. Grateful to all the team for 2 great courses and a very professional service. Will definately be recommending Seashell to anybody going to Koh Tao to learn to dive.
We all then went out for some food and a few beers (my first in over a week you'll be pleased to know Tessa). Well earned I think you will all agree. We were joined by Anna's mate Sarah (Ireland) who had just started her own course.
After dinner, I went back to the hostel I had switched to. Outside were 8 Aussie lads playing drinking games and they invited me to join. After darting out for some supplies, I was happy to oblige and then spent the next 2 hours basically getting stitched up so I could catch up on their drunken levels. It did the trick! Great laugh at the hostel before we all headed down to the beach for a night that was on. Jaguar Skills in the DJ booth if you know him. Not really my music bit I think I was too drunk to care.
That's it for Koh Tao. I can now dive anywhere up to 30m deep and feel pretty confident about it. Breathing efficiency still needs work to make the dives longer but I'm sure that will come with experience.
Next stop, Koh Samui
Saturday, 4 February 2012
Bangkok (Part 2)
Another exhausting overnight journey but thankfully, another smooth border crossing. Met some nice Canadian lads on the bus and got chatting to them for a bit.
Day 1: We arrived in Bangkok early afternoon and it felt really weird to be back. I didn't enjoy it much last time but I think that was more to do with it being my first place and me being new to the whole thing. I felt more prepared this time with the travelling I now have under my belt and the other busy cities I've visited.
After getting off the bus and walking to a guesthouse I wanted to check out, I wondered if I'd come back to the same place. Walking down the street with my backpack on, I assumed I would be a prime target for more hassle. None of it. Everyone just let me walk through without saying a word. Perhaps they were all hungover or something.
I checked into a guesthouse, which was about a 5 minute walk from Khao San Road. The room was cheap but there was a very good reason - it resembled a prison cell (didn't even have a socket). Probably the most basic room I've stayed in but it was cheap and clean, which is all I really care about.
After checking in, I went out to familiarise myself with the area - strangely felt like coming home except it seemed so mild in comparison to the last time. Maybe I'm fully acclimatised to asia now. After walking around Khao San and getting some lunch, I got a Tuk-Tuk down to Chinatown to check that out as I didn't get the chance last time. Being so close to the Chinese new year, you can imagine how quiet and deserted it was (not!). Very manic down there but was good fun checking it out and mixing with the crowds. Could only stomach it for so long though.
That evening, I met up with Mitja and Jay, who had arrived later in the afternoon. They had guesthouses close to mine. The 3 of us went out for some local food and a few beers on Khao San Rd. It came alive more than in the daytime but nothing in comparison to Hanoi or Saigon in my opinion.
Day 2: I went to check out the Grand Palace finally. Mitja had been there before and Jay didn't fancy it so I took a walk over there alone. Walking around the perimeter, I was stopped by a couple of locals giving me conflicting information about the palace being closed for Chinese New Year and how I would have to come back tomorrow or later that day before I could get in. I called their bluff and unsurprisingly, they were lying and it was fully open to the public. Annoying that they feel the need to lie, the same as I was lied to the first time in Bangkok. Does your head in and I don't really see the point. Oh well.
Upon entering the palace, the dress rules stated that knees must be covered, meaning I had to rent these daft, hippy trousers so I could get in. Thankfully, there were loads of people wearing similar clobber inside, all looking just as stupid as me. Got some funny looks and laughs from some of the locals though - one group asking if they could take my photo (I politely declined). You will see what I mean when I put the photos up.
The Palace itself is pretty amazing and definately worth seeing. Despite being templed out, the ones that surround the palace are really impressive and all different in size and design. Spent a while walking around them before heading into the immaculate garden that houses the palace. Absolutely spotless in there and the garden is so well kept it's untrue. All seems quite out of place in amongst the dirty, stinking streets of Bangkok but it was definately welcome. Glad I made the effort to come back to Bangkok and check it out.
Went out with the lads again that evening for more beers on Khao San and I booked my bus to Koh Tao for the following evening. Also met an English lad called Ben, who was heading home the next day because his girlfriend is pregnant and not coping too well on her own, while he is travelling (not really surprising). He also had a fully burnt arm, sustained while getting tangled on a skipping rope of fire, whilst he had been in Koh Samui. Looked really nasty - I thought it was from falling off a motorbike as I've seen so many travellers with wounds from that. Anyway, something for me to bear in mind for when I head south, although I don't think I needed to see the burn to make my decision! We met another guy from Preston as well, who was off to Laos the following morning to do this thing called ''The Gibbon Experience''. Basically zip-lining through the forest for 3 days. Looks pretty ace.
Day 3: After a lazy morning, I took a long walk through town and across the Chao Phraya River to get to Wat Arun. Spent an hour or so there walking around and climbing to the top to get some great views over Bangkok. Another impressive, detailed building that is covered in tiles from top to bottom. Looks pretty nice. After visiting the temple, I got a Tuk-Tuk back into town because I wanted to delay my trip to Koh Tao by 24 hours and book ''The Flight of the Gibbon'' for the next day. I had wanted to do this upon my return to Bangkok but completely forgot about it, only to be reminded by the guy from Preston the night before (good job I met him!). After successfully postponing my bus (without charge), I ventured through Khao San comparing prices for the Gibbon trip. Eventually settled on an Isreali travel agency, the same one I had used for my journey to Chiang Mai at the start of the trip. As was the case then, they were by far the cheapest (and they knew it when I tried to haggle the price down even more - not happening). Good price though so I booked it for the following day.
That evening, I just chilled out at Mitja's guesthouse and watched a film that was on in the reception area. Nice to relax for the evening.
Jay is heading to the Phillippines next and we don't think our paths cross again so it's probably the last I'll see of him - although he does have a tendency to change his mind. A great lad and the 3 of us had some really cool days hanging out. I'm meeting up with Mitja again at the full moon party in Koh Phan-Ngan. Looking forward to that.
Day 4: The Flight of the Gibbon - As I mentioned, this was something I had seen earlier on the trip and was keen to do it upon my return to Bangkok. It's basically travelling through the forest on a series on zip-lines that vary in height and length - looks really cool.
The bus picked me up early doors and I was joined by 7 Isrealis and that was it (hardly surprising considering where I booked it I suppose). Furthermore, hardly any of them spoke English and the couple that did, it wasn't the best. This was going to be fun!
We arrived at the site (Pattaya) late morning and, after each signing a disclaimer, got kitted up and given our safety briefing. The two Thai guides we had were really cool and quite chilled out but also heavily emphasised the safety aspect of it all (re-assuring considering we would be 200m high at some points). The main instruction being, we weren't allowed to disconnect the clips ourselves at any point and had to wait for them to do it. Fine by me but some of the Isrealis needed reminding as the day progressed.
The activity itself was pretty awesome. There are 24 tree-top platforms, connected by 16 different zip-lines. The highest platform is 200m (pretty high) and the longest line was 300m, which meant thrills all round. There was also a couple of occasions when we had to abseil down to a lower platform, which was quite cool. I didn't quite manage to pluck up the courage to copy the guides and hang up-side-down on any of the lines though - facing forward was good enough for me! Managed to get some communication out of a couple of the Isrealis and we had a pretty good laugh - probably because we just couldn't understand each other properly. All in all, we were up in the trees for a good few hours and it was really enjoyable. Afterwards, we had some lunch and then headed back to Bangkok.
Coach to Koh Tao that evening. Enjoyed Bangkok a lot more the second time around and I'm glad I went back. Turns out its pretty mild in comparison to the big cities in Vietnam. It's still not my favourite place if I'm honest though but I can also see why other people love it. It is what it is I suppose. Getting pretty burnt out on cities for now and looking forward to some beach, scuba and party time in the south of Thailand. Bring it on.
Day 1: We arrived in Bangkok early afternoon and it felt really weird to be back. I didn't enjoy it much last time but I think that was more to do with it being my first place and me being new to the whole thing. I felt more prepared this time with the travelling I now have under my belt and the other busy cities I've visited.
After getting off the bus and walking to a guesthouse I wanted to check out, I wondered if I'd come back to the same place. Walking down the street with my backpack on, I assumed I would be a prime target for more hassle. None of it. Everyone just let me walk through without saying a word. Perhaps they were all hungover or something.
I checked into a guesthouse, which was about a 5 minute walk from Khao San Road. The room was cheap but there was a very good reason - it resembled a prison cell (didn't even have a socket). Probably the most basic room I've stayed in but it was cheap and clean, which is all I really care about.
After checking in, I went out to familiarise myself with the area - strangely felt like coming home except it seemed so mild in comparison to the last time. Maybe I'm fully acclimatised to asia now. After walking around Khao San and getting some lunch, I got a Tuk-Tuk down to Chinatown to check that out as I didn't get the chance last time. Being so close to the Chinese new year, you can imagine how quiet and deserted it was (not!). Very manic down there but was good fun checking it out and mixing with the crowds. Could only stomach it for so long though.
That evening, I met up with Mitja and Jay, who had arrived later in the afternoon. They had guesthouses close to mine. The 3 of us went out for some local food and a few beers on Khao San Rd. It came alive more than in the daytime but nothing in comparison to Hanoi or Saigon in my opinion.
Day 2: I went to check out the Grand Palace finally. Mitja had been there before and Jay didn't fancy it so I took a walk over there alone. Walking around the perimeter, I was stopped by a couple of locals giving me conflicting information about the palace being closed for Chinese New Year and how I would have to come back tomorrow or later that day before I could get in. I called their bluff and unsurprisingly, they were lying and it was fully open to the public. Annoying that they feel the need to lie, the same as I was lied to the first time in Bangkok. Does your head in and I don't really see the point. Oh well.
Upon entering the palace, the dress rules stated that knees must be covered, meaning I had to rent these daft, hippy trousers so I could get in. Thankfully, there were loads of people wearing similar clobber inside, all looking just as stupid as me. Got some funny looks and laughs from some of the locals though - one group asking if they could take my photo (I politely declined). You will see what I mean when I put the photos up.
The Palace itself is pretty amazing and definately worth seeing. Despite being templed out, the ones that surround the palace are really impressive and all different in size and design. Spent a while walking around them before heading into the immaculate garden that houses the palace. Absolutely spotless in there and the garden is so well kept it's untrue. All seems quite out of place in amongst the dirty, stinking streets of Bangkok but it was definately welcome. Glad I made the effort to come back to Bangkok and check it out.
Went out with the lads again that evening for more beers on Khao San and I booked my bus to Koh Tao for the following evening. Also met an English lad called Ben, who was heading home the next day because his girlfriend is pregnant and not coping too well on her own, while he is travelling (not really surprising). He also had a fully burnt arm, sustained while getting tangled on a skipping rope of fire, whilst he had been in Koh Samui. Looked really nasty - I thought it was from falling off a motorbike as I've seen so many travellers with wounds from that. Anyway, something for me to bear in mind for when I head south, although I don't think I needed to see the burn to make my decision! We met another guy from Preston as well, who was off to Laos the following morning to do this thing called ''The Gibbon Experience''. Basically zip-lining through the forest for 3 days. Looks pretty ace.
Day 3: After a lazy morning, I took a long walk through town and across the Chao Phraya River to get to Wat Arun. Spent an hour or so there walking around and climbing to the top to get some great views over Bangkok. Another impressive, detailed building that is covered in tiles from top to bottom. Looks pretty nice. After visiting the temple, I got a Tuk-Tuk back into town because I wanted to delay my trip to Koh Tao by 24 hours and book ''The Flight of the Gibbon'' for the next day. I had wanted to do this upon my return to Bangkok but completely forgot about it, only to be reminded by the guy from Preston the night before (good job I met him!). After successfully postponing my bus (without charge), I ventured through Khao San comparing prices for the Gibbon trip. Eventually settled on an Isreali travel agency, the same one I had used for my journey to Chiang Mai at the start of the trip. As was the case then, they were by far the cheapest (and they knew it when I tried to haggle the price down even more - not happening). Good price though so I booked it for the following day.
That evening, I just chilled out at Mitja's guesthouse and watched a film that was on in the reception area. Nice to relax for the evening.
Jay is heading to the Phillippines next and we don't think our paths cross again so it's probably the last I'll see of him - although he does have a tendency to change his mind. A great lad and the 3 of us had some really cool days hanging out. I'm meeting up with Mitja again at the full moon party in Koh Phan-Ngan. Looking forward to that.
Day 4: The Flight of the Gibbon - As I mentioned, this was something I had seen earlier on the trip and was keen to do it upon my return to Bangkok. It's basically travelling through the forest on a series on zip-lines that vary in height and length - looks really cool.
The bus picked me up early doors and I was joined by 7 Isrealis and that was it (hardly surprising considering where I booked it I suppose). Furthermore, hardly any of them spoke English and the couple that did, it wasn't the best. This was going to be fun!
We arrived at the site (Pattaya) late morning and, after each signing a disclaimer, got kitted up and given our safety briefing. The two Thai guides we had were really cool and quite chilled out but also heavily emphasised the safety aspect of it all (re-assuring considering we would be 200m high at some points). The main instruction being, we weren't allowed to disconnect the clips ourselves at any point and had to wait for them to do it. Fine by me but some of the Isrealis needed reminding as the day progressed.
The activity itself was pretty awesome. There are 24 tree-top platforms, connected by 16 different zip-lines. The highest platform is 200m (pretty high) and the longest line was 300m, which meant thrills all round. There was also a couple of occasions when we had to abseil down to a lower platform, which was quite cool. I didn't quite manage to pluck up the courage to copy the guides and hang up-side-down on any of the lines though - facing forward was good enough for me! Managed to get some communication out of a couple of the Isrealis and we had a pretty good laugh - probably because we just couldn't understand each other properly. All in all, we were up in the trees for a good few hours and it was really enjoyable. Afterwards, we had some lunch and then headed back to Bangkok.
Coach to Koh Tao that evening. Enjoyed Bangkok a lot more the second time around and I'm glad I went back. Turns out its pretty mild in comparison to the big cities in Vietnam. It's still not my favourite place if I'm honest though but I can also see why other people love it. It is what it is I suppose. Getting pretty burnt out on cities for now and looking forward to some beach, scuba and party time in the south of Thailand. Bring it on.
Thursday, 2 February 2012
Siem Reap
Interesting day of travel - 2 buses and they both broke down. The first one (bringing me and Gaz back to Phnom Penh) was just a short delay thankfully but we did pick up a couple of Aussie lads whose bus had also broke down and they had had a longer wait. Noticing a pattern?
We got back into the capital early evening and Gaz had to dash off to work. I also had a quick turnaround to quickly book a bus to Siem Reap for that same evening. Thought I might as well just block out a whole day with travelling and then be raring to go again the following morning. Met a really nice Aussie couple (Kenny & Chloe), who were both VERY enthusiastic in giving me some advice for my time in Oz. Then we broke down after going over a pot-hole, meaning we had to wait an hour on the side of the road for another bus to come (joy). Ours was seriously broken. Think that's 4 bus break-downs for me now so it doesn't really come as a surprise. Kenny suggested I might be a jinx - he might be right.
We finally arrived in Siem Reap at about 2am (about 3 hours later than we were supposed to arrive - again, something I'm used to now) and I was shattered, didn't have a room reserved anywhere and everywhere looked pretty shut - Great. There were a line of Tuk-Tuks waiting to pick us up so I got one to take me round the guesthouses to see if they had any spaces. After a couple of unsuccessful attempts, I managed to find somewhere and checked in at about 2.30am. The owner was actually asleep by the front door but thankfully, my driver didn't mind waking him up. I felt a bit bad, but only for a second. Straight to bed for me.
Day 1: I switched to a different guesthouse in the morning because I wanted somewhere a bit livelier, with more backpackers around. After a bit of a search, I found a pretty good hostel and checked in.
That afternoon, I went for my customary walk around town and also paid a visit to the Angkor National Museum so I could get more of an idea of Ancient Cambodian history before I start visiting the temples. The museum was pretty interesting and had a decent audio guide to take me round and explain things. Lots of information about the ancient Angkor empire, the temples and how they differ in design and influence from generation to generation. Some useful preparation for my days of temple touring.
After the museum, I headed back to my hostel and bumped into Jay, the American guy I had met in Hanoi. He was staying at the same guesthouse and so was Mitja, as they had been travelling together for the past couple of weeks. Really good to see Jay and catch up.
I then got a Tuk-Tuk up to Angkor Wat and bought my entry ticket for the next 3 days. There's LOTS of temples to see and I've been told it's not to be rushed so thought it best to go for the 3-day pass. Buying the ticket in the evening allowed me to watch the sunset over the temples for free so I hung around for an hour or so. Not the best sunset I've ever seen but it gave me a little taster of the site and the temples to come.
That evening, I had another wander into town and tried out some of the street food. Pretty nice. Didn't fancy the frogs though!
Day 2 (Angkor Wat - Day 1). The Tuk-Tuk drivers have a different approach here. Instead of just hassling you for any ride, anywhere, these guys want to have a full blown conversation with you regarding how you plan to visit the temples and whether they can be your driver for the tour. I soon figured out this was the procedure and managed to negotiate myself a good deal with a cool driver called Bean (don't laugh). $45 for all 3 days. This meant I would have use of Bean any time from sunrise to sunset for those days and it included travel to every temple worth seeing (and some that weren't).
Decided to do the ''small circuit'' today, which includes the main temples. Angkor Wat was first on the circuit and it's brilliant. A massive building (the largest religious structure in the world) and the attention to detail inside and outside is quite staggering. Unfortunately, there were quite a few pieces of repair work being carried out, meaning some rather ugly scaffolding and green netting around the main temple. This spoiled the view a bit but only slightly because its such an impressive building. One of the wonders of the world now I'm told and I can see why. Spent a couple of hours exploring that and climbing up to the top.
Then it was onto Angkor Thom, which is an area that contains a number of different temples. Bayon is the best by far and was one of my favourites across the whole site. It was built with 54 towers, covered with 216 enormous smiling faces, which are supposed to represent the King who built it. A few of the towers have fallen down now but most are still up. This is a really cool, unique temple. Also inside Angkor Thom are Baphuon, Phimeanakes, The terrace of the Elephants and The terrace of the Leper King - all impressive and unique. Another couple of hours wandering around these.
Then it was onto one called Ta Prohm, which is also brilliant. This was the main temple used in the filming of ''Lara Croft: Tomb Raider", chosen because it's in the middle of the jungle and the temple is wrapped in huge tree roots. This temple is really cool. Whilst there, I bumped into Jay & Mitja and arranged to meet them for a beer that evening. Bean then took me around the last few temples on the small circuit.
That night, I met up with the guys and also Jay's friend, Janine (who he described as being ''not the sharpest knife in the drawer'' - bit harsh I thought). We went out and got some Mexican food and had some beers. Siem Reap is pretty nice at night with quite a lot going on. Still getting hassled by moto drivers but nothing compared to Vietnam.
Day 3 (Angkor Wat - Day 2): Got up at 4.30am so we could go and see the sunrise over Angkor Wat. Mitja came too but Jay didn't make it. The sunrise was amazing and well worth getting up for. Unfortunately, Mitja was feeling ill (said he had been since Christmas Day!) so he got a lift back to town after the sunrise. For me, today was the ''big circuit''.
I thought I was going to be getting templed out after Day 1 but they are all so different to each other that I didn't. The big circuit is also pretty cool and included Preah Khan, Ta Som and Pre Rup. The buildings are so old (9th century some of them) that big parts of them have fallen down. Quite a shame because they look as though they would have been pretty incredible in their entirety. These are less visited than the main ones on the small circuit and so haven't had the same level of maintenance. More rubble than scaffolding. All cool though. That afternoon, Bean took me to visit some smaller temples 13km away - The Rolous Temples. These aren't as big as those on the main site but are worth seeing as they are the oldest ones there.
Spent the evening with Mitja, Jay and a guy called Anton (Russia), who was also staying at our hostel. We chilled out at the rooftop bar playing pool and having a few beers.
Day 4 (Angkor Wat - Day 3). Final day viewing the temples. Just me and Jay today and we went to view a temple called Banteay Srei, which is about 32km away from Siem Reap (a long trip on a Tuk-Tuk). This one is pretty small but the level of detail on it eclipses all the others. Must have taken absolutely ages to complete. Lots of tourists at this one because its so nice. A long way to go but it was definitely worth a look.
Then it was onto Kbal Spean, which is a carved riverbed set deep in the jungle 50km from Angkor Wat. An unexpected but welcome 45 minute hike to get there. Lots of different carvings and a couple of waterfalls, which we also checked out. This was the site from where the stones for Angkor Wat and the surrounding temples were taken. A LOT of stone to transport 50km! After the hike, we had a good chat with Bean - a really nice guy who has restored my faith in Tuk-Tuk drivers. He was very helpful across the 3 days and made the tour even more enjoyable for me. I tipped him a few dollars extra to show my gratitude and said I would recommend him to anyone else starting a tour of the temples.
We got back to the hostel early afternoon and I got to play some football for the first time in 2 months. Some local teens had a pitch made up out the back of our hostel and they let a few of us travellers form a european team and play against them. On my team was a guy called Pepe (Holland), Pete (North England) and Miguel (Denmark), who was an awesome player. Had a really fun couple of hours playing and it made me realise how unfit I now am. We had a bit of a shaky start but exerted our european dominance in the end - mostly due to Miguel it has to be said! Were all sweating buckets at the end. Definitely going to need pre-season training when I'm back in the UK.
Spent that evening at the rooftop bar playing pool again. Myself, Mitja, Jay and Anton were joined by an older guy called Nick (Chichester), Andy (Luton) and Eddie (Romania). Quite a mix but we had a good laugh playing and hanging out for a few hours. More beers consumed as well of course.
After pool, overnight bus back to Bangkok. Let's see if I like it better this time....
We got back into the capital early evening and Gaz had to dash off to work. I also had a quick turnaround to quickly book a bus to Siem Reap for that same evening. Thought I might as well just block out a whole day with travelling and then be raring to go again the following morning. Met a really nice Aussie couple (Kenny & Chloe), who were both VERY enthusiastic in giving me some advice for my time in Oz. Then we broke down after going over a pot-hole, meaning we had to wait an hour on the side of the road for another bus to come (joy). Ours was seriously broken. Think that's 4 bus break-downs for me now so it doesn't really come as a surprise. Kenny suggested I might be a jinx - he might be right.
We finally arrived in Siem Reap at about 2am (about 3 hours later than we were supposed to arrive - again, something I'm used to now) and I was shattered, didn't have a room reserved anywhere and everywhere looked pretty shut - Great. There were a line of Tuk-Tuks waiting to pick us up so I got one to take me round the guesthouses to see if they had any spaces. After a couple of unsuccessful attempts, I managed to find somewhere and checked in at about 2.30am. The owner was actually asleep by the front door but thankfully, my driver didn't mind waking him up. I felt a bit bad, but only for a second. Straight to bed for me.
Day 1: I switched to a different guesthouse in the morning because I wanted somewhere a bit livelier, with more backpackers around. After a bit of a search, I found a pretty good hostel and checked in.
That afternoon, I went for my customary walk around town and also paid a visit to the Angkor National Museum so I could get more of an idea of Ancient Cambodian history before I start visiting the temples. The museum was pretty interesting and had a decent audio guide to take me round and explain things. Lots of information about the ancient Angkor empire, the temples and how they differ in design and influence from generation to generation. Some useful preparation for my days of temple touring.
After the museum, I headed back to my hostel and bumped into Jay, the American guy I had met in Hanoi. He was staying at the same guesthouse and so was Mitja, as they had been travelling together for the past couple of weeks. Really good to see Jay and catch up.
I then got a Tuk-Tuk up to Angkor Wat and bought my entry ticket for the next 3 days. There's LOTS of temples to see and I've been told it's not to be rushed so thought it best to go for the 3-day pass. Buying the ticket in the evening allowed me to watch the sunset over the temples for free so I hung around for an hour or so. Not the best sunset I've ever seen but it gave me a little taster of the site and the temples to come.
That evening, I had another wander into town and tried out some of the street food. Pretty nice. Didn't fancy the frogs though!
Day 2 (Angkor Wat - Day 1). The Tuk-Tuk drivers have a different approach here. Instead of just hassling you for any ride, anywhere, these guys want to have a full blown conversation with you regarding how you plan to visit the temples and whether they can be your driver for the tour. I soon figured out this was the procedure and managed to negotiate myself a good deal with a cool driver called Bean (don't laugh). $45 for all 3 days. This meant I would have use of Bean any time from sunrise to sunset for those days and it included travel to every temple worth seeing (and some that weren't).
Decided to do the ''small circuit'' today, which includes the main temples. Angkor Wat was first on the circuit and it's brilliant. A massive building (the largest religious structure in the world) and the attention to detail inside and outside is quite staggering. Unfortunately, there were quite a few pieces of repair work being carried out, meaning some rather ugly scaffolding and green netting around the main temple. This spoiled the view a bit but only slightly because its such an impressive building. One of the wonders of the world now I'm told and I can see why. Spent a couple of hours exploring that and climbing up to the top.
Then it was onto Angkor Thom, which is an area that contains a number of different temples. Bayon is the best by far and was one of my favourites across the whole site. It was built with 54 towers, covered with 216 enormous smiling faces, which are supposed to represent the King who built it. A few of the towers have fallen down now but most are still up. This is a really cool, unique temple. Also inside Angkor Thom are Baphuon, Phimeanakes, The terrace of the Elephants and The terrace of the Leper King - all impressive and unique. Another couple of hours wandering around these.
Then it was onto one called Ta Prohm, which is also brilliant. This was the main temple used in the filming of ''Lara Croft: Tomb Raider", chosen because it's in the middle of the jungle and the temple is wrapped in huge tree roots. This temple is really cool. Whilst there, I bumped into Jay & Mitja and arranged to meet them for a beer that evening. Bean then took me around the last few temples on the small circuit.
That night, I met up with the guys and also Jay's friend, Janine (who he described as being ''not the sharpest knife in the drawer'' - bit harsh I thought). We went out and got some Mexican food and had some beers. Siem Reap is pretty nice at night with quite a lot going on. Still getting hassled by moto drivers but nothing compared to Vietnam.
Day 3 (Angkor Wat - Day 2): Got up at 4.30am so we could go and see the sunrise over Angkor Wat. Mitja came too but Jay didn't make it. The sunrise was amazing and well worth getting up for. Unfortunately, Mitja was feeling ill (said he had been since Christmas Day!) so he got a lift back to town after the sunrise. For me, today was the ''big circuit''.
I thought I was going to be getting templed out after Day 1 but they are all so different to each other that I didn't. The big circuit is also pretty cool and included Preah Khan, Ta Som and Pre Rup. The buildings are so old (9th century some of them) that big parts of them have fallen down. Quite a shame because they look as though they would have been pretty incredible in their entirety. These are less visited than the main ones on the small circuit and so haven't had the same level of maintenance. More rubble than scaffolding. All cool though. That afternoon, Bean took me to visit some smaller temples 13km away - The Rolous Temples. These aren't as big as those on the main site but are worth seeing as they are the oldest ones there.
Spent the evening with Mitja, Jay and a guy called Anton (Russia), who was also staying at our hostel. We chilled out at the rooftop bar playing pool and having a few beers.
Day 4 (Angkor Wat - Day 3). Final day viewing the temples. Just me and Jay today and we went to view a temple called Banteay Srei, which is about 32km away from Siem Reap (a long trip on a Tuk-Tuk). This one is pretty small but the level of detail on it eclipses all the others. Must have taken absolutely ages to complete. Lots of tourists at this one because its so nice. A long way to go but it was definitely worth a look.
Then it was onto Kbal Spean, which is a carved riverbed set deep in the jungle 50km from Angkor Wat. An unexpected but welcome 45 minute hike to get there. Lots of different carvings and a couple of waterfalls, which we also checked out. This was the site from where the stones for Angkor Wat and the surrounding temples were taken. A LOT of stone to transport 50km! After the hike, we had a good chat with Bean - a really nice guy who has restored my faith in Tuk-Tuk drivers. He was very helpful across the 3 days and made the tour even more enjoyable for me. I tipped him a few dollars extra to show my gratitude and said I would recommend him to anyone else starting a tour of the temples.
We got back to the hostel early afternoon and I got to play some football for the first time in 2 months. Some local teens had a pitch made up out the back of our hostel and they let a few of us travellers form a european team and play against them. On my team was a guy called Pepe (Holland), Pete (North England) and Miguel (Denmark), who was an awesome player. Had a really fun couple of hours playing and it made me realise how unfit I now am. We had a bit of a shaky start but exerted our european dominance in the end - mostly due to Miguel it has to be said! Were all sweating buckets at the end. Definitely going to need pre-season training when I'm back in the UK.
Spent that evening at the rooftop bar playing pool again. Myself, Mitja, Jay and Anton were joined by an older guy called Nick (Chichester), Andy (Luton) and Eddie (Romania). Quite a mix but we had a good laugh playing and hanging out for a few hours. More beers consumed as well of course.
After pool, overnight bus back to Bangkok. Let's see if I like it better this time....
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