Finding Nemo

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At first getting to a quiet and rather remote place seemed like a good idea. Kind of burned out at work, so the contrast between Amsterdam and the island of Koh Chang seemed like the perfect remedy to recharge my batteries. Sit on the beach, read a book, drink a beer, relax. Worked for about an hour before my restlessness took its tribute. Boring. Fortunately, Thailand is an ideal place for excursions and activities in the nature. So, a snorkel tour was booked. A full day of activities, snorkeling, four islands, beautiful scenery, food and drinks included, for about 10 Euros. Turned out to be a pretty good deal. The boat was not exactly the most modern of ships, operated by a crew of a handful of teenagers. The equipment - standard snorkel and goggles - is not of the highest quality, but adequate for the purpose of viewing some tropical fish underwater. The first stop is a very small island. The crew speak very little English, but it’s rather obvious when the little group of tourists are expected to go into the water and when to get up. Boat stops - get in. Boat starts moving - get up. The tropical fish are quite colorful, but the ones that live around here are not very exciting. They are not very afraid of the tourists, but don’t exactly put on a great show. The experience is enjoyable, like swimming around in a tropical fish tank, but after a little while it gets quite repetitive. Obviously the crew and the organizers of the tours know that the people who go on these tours are no hard-core diving fans, but merely tourists seeking a safe and affordable tropical experience without too much effort involved. So, the crew waits patiently until the group of people is bored and onboard. On the third stop with the boat, one of the Thai guys in the crew apparently feels that the group is getting uninterested, so he goes into the water, searching for something that could excite the tourists. After a little underwater swim he surfaces and shouts “Nemo! Nemo!”. His English vocabulary is limited to possibly only this word, but it’s quite obvious that he wants us to dive at the spot he’s at. The “Nemo” he refers to is of course a fish similar to the one in the famous Disney movie. This sort of fish is called “clown fish”, but “Nemo” is catchier and more recognizable by the international crowd. Indeed, at the spot he pointed at there is a little clown fish swimming around, although it’s not nearly as colorful as the one in the movie. This little guy will never experience the same adventures that Nemo and his father did in the film, but he doesn’t seem to care much. It’s probably quite content in its current environment. The day of fun ends with a volleyball game on the beach, before heading back to the harbor. Heavily burned by the sun (back and neck are very exposed when snorkeling, especially without suntan lotion…), but content with having found “Nemo”.

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