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Published: March 2nd 2007
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Elated After our First Dive
Can you tell that our hair and make-up crew had taken the day off? After we broke the silence at the monastery meditation retreat, we headed to Thailand's SE Islands via a bus and a ferry. We couldn't wait to experience the crystal blue waters and the swathes of gorgeous white sand beaches that travelers rave about. Here are the highlights and lowlights of each of the three islands.
Koh Sumi Island February 3-4
Highlights *Paying only $8 for an hour Thai massage. It quickly turned into a low-light when the massage therapist cracked my back without asking permission. She then tried to contort my inflexible body into various positions to stretch my muscles. Needless to say, it wasn't the most relaxing massage but still worth the $8.
*Being declared hero of the day for finding April's bank card in the ATM after she walked away and went into the 7-11.
*Staying at a rustic family-run guesthouse by a beach. We spent the evening sitting on the beach and watching the waves splash against the shore in the moonlight.
Lowlights *Sharing 3 to a double bed (hopefully for the last time). The beach guest house didn't have any rooms available with 2 or 3 beds. Thus,
A Koh Toa Sunset
It was beautiful to watch the sunset while eating dinner. we sacrificed bed for beach.
*Losing our room key. When we asked for another one, the owner handed us 2 huge rings each filled with about 100 keys! Thinking it may be next to impossible, we braced ourselves for a night of searching for the right key. Luckily, I had selected the correct key with my first pick! (By the way, finding April's ATM card and the right room key still wasn't enough to qualify me for getting the bed all to myself!!)
Koh Toa Island February 4-9
Highlights *Taking a four-day open water scuba diving course. I am certified to dive to 18 meters below the sea. Ko Toa is the world's cheapest place to learn to dive. It was a phenomenal experience and opened up a whole new world to me. We had four dives between 12-18 meters under the sea. It was fascinating to explore the ocean floor and to see all sorts of colorful fish including a school of barracudas, angel fish, groper fish, sea cucumbers and a moray eel. We were even a few meters above a grey reef shark! However, we weren't certified to go below 18 meters to check him
A Sand Bar!
Celebrating after completing our Scuba course. out. Unfortunately there weren't any Nemo sightings.
*Meeting a nice couple from Australia during our diving course. We couldn't believe that they had never seen snow. They marveled as we gave them an impromptu teaching session on snow and snow sports.
*Suri Beach- a beautiful beach that comes alive at night. Its beaches become "sand bars" or popular drinking spots. Bar stools were cushions or mats placed on the sand. The beach was lit up with numerous candles placed in coconut shells or in holes dug in the sand. It was a spectacular view. Flame throwers or jugglers provided entertainment.
*Going to Shark Beach with the intention of snorkeling. Apparently this is the best place to see reef sharks. We weren't able to snorkel because the water was too murky from the winds. Not being able to snorkel was a highlight for me because I didn't want to be fish food. Although reef sharks don't eat humans, one can never be too trusting.
Lowlights *Difficulties equalizing my right ear when descending for my third dive. I was in agony and thought my head was going to burst. Fortunately, with the help of the competent and calming
dive instructor, I was able to clear my right ear. The trick was exhaling while plugging my nose with my left hand in addition to simultaneously plugging my left ear with my right finger. (It wasn't as complicated as it sounds).
*Experiencing queasiness after my third dive secondary to choppy waters. Thankfully, it subsided during the required 45-minute rest period between the third and fourth dive.
*Ordering no-name vegetables at a Thai restaurant. I thought that I would be getting a plate of fresh vegetables. To my dismay, I got some sort of deep-fried corn and bean fritters! Ï learned afterwards, that "no-name" mean deep-fried at Thai restaurants.
Koh Pha Nga February 9-11
Highlights *Splurging on a room at a resort by the beach. Since we had done low-budget rooms for many weeks, we decided to treat ourselves to a $20 room with air conditioning, a hot shower, and a TV. This was triple to what we usually paid but it was well-worth it.
*Enjoying the stunning white sand beach, turquoise waters and all-day sun a few steps from our hotel room.
*Being able to watch an episode of Friends or an entire new-release
Suri Beach, Ko Tao
April and Heather walking to a beachside restaurant. DVD movie while eating a meal at select restaurants.
A Different Sort of "High"light *Taking a boat tour around the island. It was a chance to see the island's hot-spots including a quaint beach, a waterfall, and a beach popular for snorkeling. Our boat tour was called the "Munchies Tour". It advertised free fruit and lunch. Shortly after boarding the boat, we saw one of the crew members walking to the front of the boat, carrying a big clever and a cutting board. I speculated that he was going to cut up some pineapple. My hopes were dashed when I saw him take out a plastic container along with a bag of "tobacco" from a cubby hole. I thought to myself, "He can't be", but to my shock he was. Yes indeed, he was gearing up to make some joints. The whole boat watched as he cut up tobacco and rolled three 3 joints. It quickly dawned on us why the boat trip was called the ""Munchies" Tour. Needless to say, we didn't engage in any smoking, although it was free in addition to the free fruit and lunch. I now know to avoid any sort of Munchies Tour
Heather eating a rambutan fruit
Amusing ourselves while for waiting for our taxi driver. in the future.
Lowlights *Having the Munchie's boat's engine break down hundreds of meters from the shore. We worried for nothing because the 3-man boat crew was able to fix the boat in less than 15 minutes.
*Carrying our backpacks (aka Grumpy Packs) for seemingly miles along a beach in the scorching heat. We were trying to find a hotel that Heather's friend had recommended. We gave up after an hour and opted to take a taxi. It was a good thing that we did because it was a 30-minute taxi ride to the hotel. Our Grumpy Packs would have definitely turned into Melt-Down Packs if we would have continued to walk.
*Showing my age when I didn't have the energy to go to a Half-Moon party with my twenty-something travel mates. Instead, I closed down an internet cafe at 10:30pm. Ko Pha Nga is famous for its monthly full-moon parties. These parties are out-of-control. A half-moon party is a tamer version.
We enjoyed our week of island hopping. We definitely maxed out on sun and sand. We were looking forward to the next part of our journey, Bangkok to experience some Thai culture.
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Eric Moore
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Snow
Way to go Celia. I am glad you are having a good time. It has snowed about a foot since Wednesday Feb. 28. The schools were closed Thursday and today. Bye Eric