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Published: December 7th 2006
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This is going to be a short blog - I'm typing this up on a free internet computer at Changi Airport in Singapore. Just flown here from Bangkok and now awaiting my connecting flight to Perth. I thought the best way to waste a few hours at this delightful airport would be to bring my blog completely up-to-date!
Can't wait to get to Australia now, despite the abject collapse of the English cricket team in the second test match. I got a text from my dad in Adelaide telling me that he still thinks we can pull it back - I'm looking forward to having a few pints of what he's been drinking! It will be great to see him again - we're meeting up in Perth on 12th December, then travelling to Melbourne (for Xmas) and Sydney (for New Year's Eve) whilst watching the last three Ashes Tests. It's going to be a brilliant month or so. Lots of other friends to meet up with too.
It's been a madly busy time since I came back from Cambodia. I flew back from Phnom Pehn on an early morning flight on 30th November, and had an overnight coach booked
My diving instructor Emmy and I pose on the boat
I've never seen anyone look so fit. I thought she looked okay too!!! the same evening to take me back to Koh Tao to do my PADI open-water scuba diving course that I had always wanted to do.
The coach was the usual Thai "artic special" with the air-con turned up far too high. I could see the condensation of my breath at one stage in the evening I swear! There were people shivering in their seats and the odd polar bear and penguin shuffling down the aisle - other than that it was fine!
We got to Chumporn port at 3.30am but had to wait until 6.30am for our first boat to Koh Tao. There were a lot of sleepy people on that boat! There was a pick-up to take us to the Crystal dive resort (where I was doing my PADI)when we got to Koh Tao. It was a nice place and the people there were very friendly.
There were six of us in the dive class - a good number - you hear of some dive courses with 20 plus people, and it's difficult for the instructor to keep an eye on everyone with that many. Emmy was a really cool instructor though and Daren, Kim, Joern,
Michael, Sarah and myself had a great time learning how to dive. First day and a half were quite arduous though, sitting in an air-conditioned class-room watching 4 seperate videos on the do's and dont's of scuba-diving! We then had to do lots of mini-tests and a final exam to make sure everything had sunk in. We finally got into the pool for our closed-water training after lunch on the second day. You feel really awkward and the gear is heavy and cumbersome when you first put it all on - but once you're in the water it's fine. It's a strange feeling breathing under-water for the first time. It's very different from snorkelling I thought! Once you get the hang of it though it's brilliant fun.
We had lots of safety excercises to do in the water, such as taking our masks off and clearing out the water by blowing though your nose, and how to share a respirator with your "buddy" if you run out of air. After a few practices though everyone got the hang of it!
The next day we went out in the boat for our first proper dive - we went to
this amazing reef full of coral and fish everywhere in about 12 metres depth. I t was awesome! You have to be careful with your ears with all the water pressure, but as long as you pinch your nose and blow (bit similar to what you do on an plane) you're okay. You have to be very careful with your hand signals underwater too - you signal I'm okay by forming a circle with your thumb and forefinger - if you give the instructor the thumbs up they think you want to go back to the surface!!!
We did four open-water dives in total - the third one (down to 18 metres)was perhaps the best as we saw moray eels (ugly buggers!), trigger fish, a stingray and a huge schoal of baby barracuda! It was a weird sensation swimming on your back underwater staring up at all these fish, and gazing at this amazing multi-coloured coral. I felt very lucky to be there!!
On our last dive, Emmy had us doing a few tricks like underwater roly-polys, headstands and blowing "air-rings" our of our mouths at 12 metres! All great fun!
All the people on the course
Chris and Sue share a pizza and a beer with me in Bangkok
We shared a taxi from Bangkok airport, and ended up spending 3 hours chatting in a nearby restaurant once we unloaded the bags! (about 16 in total from different classes) all went out to celebrate passing on the last day. There were some fun Irish girls we met up with who were all up for a few bevvies! There was around 8 of them and they all played for the same women's cricket team based just behind Landesdown Road in Dublin! Two of the girls (Cecilia and Isobel) were twin sisters of Ed Joyce (in the England Ashes squad), and they both play international cricket for Ireland!! We had a great night, drinking far too much and ending up playing pool in The Yellow Submarine bar until the early hours! The Irish girls have got tickets for the fourth test in Melbourne so we'll meet again there for another heavy one no doubt!!
So there you go - you're bang up to date now! Can't wait for Perth. First weekend there I'm staying with my friend Marnie's mum who will be showing me the delights of Perth and the surrounding area - which will be great fun. I'm also hooking up with Andrew Carr (old mate from Grosvenor) for a few beers and a barbie after the first days play at the
WACA, and I'm meeting up with some more old friends, Camille and Tim, with their kids, Hugo, Flavia and Libby at some stage in Perth too! All these people to catch up with - and my dad there too! Bloody brilliant!!
So it's goodbye to South East Asia. I've had a great time here and wish I could have spent longer - but you can't see everywhere! Laos and Cambodia were lovely countries to visit, and I've grown to like Thailand and Thai people too. The people on Koh Tao were especially friendly! I think you need to spend less time in touristy Koh San in Bangkok and get out and sample some real Thai culture in places like Chiang Mai to really appreciate the country.
Bye for now then - sorry to hit you with two blogs in quick succession - this will be the last for a few weeks though I'd imagine!
Doogs x
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kim
non-member comment
well done
well done in passing your diving stuff. tried that in Australia, but freaked and decided to stick to snorkling! lol. i am noticing a pattern here, young ladies being hugged by you! keep it down boy!!! well maybe not! carry on experiencing. thinking of you big time for one dollar