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Published: September 17th 2008
Saying goodbye to Koh Tao is harder than we thought... After just 2 months it was getting to be like home (with a few differences of course...)
We are wrapping things up here. Jarod is doing his snorkel test tonight where they pour a bucket of alcohol down his snorkel. I can hardly wait to take care of him after that! It feels like we are back in our college days here... This is his final test to be a DM, don't think its PADI required though 😊
Jarod had his 77th dive yesterday and I got my last two fun dives in too, good way to end things with stingrays, moray eel, porcupine fish, etc... Still not as cool as the aquarium some times. 😊 I even took my mask off (a skill I hated in open water) to celebrate my last dive and in honor of 3 of the Secret Garden volunteers that finished open water themselves today. Wasn't as bad as I remember 😊 Jarod's dive resort Crystal gave Secret Garden a hefty donation and our volunteers a discount for getting certified. Bee is going to use the money for lighting and furniture in our new
office at the school. Things are coming along as he is getting accommodation built for the new volunteers after the rainy season. Hoping Bee will visit us at Koh Ra. I have learned a lot about running a non-profit already.
Hoping I will leave Koh Tao better than I found it. I have probably picked up 50 full bags of garbage here off Sairee Beach, so glad that there will be a bit less pollution on the reef. I imagine with all of the volunteers here over the these last two months, we have probably picked up a good ton of garbage. Not a pretty job, but a good thing to do each morning.
I also got to help with a replant at the reservoir last week followed by a concert with Thailand famous Job To Do. Reggae Thai group - even got a picture of me with the lead singer (with someone else's camera of course)! I completed a major project of making a complete directory of all 775 Koh Tao businesses with map locations, etc... It took me a few weeks of long hours on the computer, but there is probably not anywhere here that I
couldn't direct you too. Maybe I should become an island tour guide. Am a bit bummed that I am going to miss helping out with the Biorock artificial reef that is going in next week though.
Jarod and I have never been ones to resist a stray animal and Koh Tao was no exception! Our two hotdog eating pups Sam and Fluffy Tail will be missed. We have spent a small fortune at 7-11 on these two! Also been feeding a kitten at the school. Am hoping next group will take over this duty. We also finally took a taxi to muay thai kickboxing night from my favorite driver Chit. He had asked me if I wanted a taxi so many times that it became a joke and we became friends! Also will miss the three Burmese guys at Zest who served me breakfast with a smile everyday and gave us lots of free treats. This place has such a small-town atmosphere and walking everywhere helped us meet a lot of people. It doesn't take long to feel like you have been here forever. People keep saying, "You're leaving already?" Two months was not long enough I guess.
Anyway, the weather has been beautiful for the last two days and Koh Tao's waters are a sparkling clear blue. Spent time with our friend Nathan, Jarod's DM mentor at Crystal, and his family. They gave us a nice big avocado from their tree, so I have been planning my guacamole feast since last night. Found corn chips and the other ingredients should be easy to find. Can't wait!
So we are leaving Koh Tao and Sairee's "yellow brick road" to board the Lomprayah Catamaran tomorrow afternoon for the next phase of this big adventure!
"Old friends pass away, new friends appear. It is just like the days. An old day passes, a new day arrives. The important thing is to make it meaningful: a meaningful friend - or a meaningful day." - Dalai Lama
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Mae Haad Pier - coming back from diving
vicki
non-member comment
Looks like you guys are doing great and doing good things over there. I just can't get over how beautiful it is! Thanks for showing us so many different things! You guys take care!!