Flooded out - time to dive

---

The floods were arriving, the governments best efforts couldn't stop Bangkok flooding. Although promises made to limit the flooding in the tourist and government areas, shops were constructing sand bag walls - 7 11 were constructing concrete walls outside all their shops.

It was time to head south, avoiding the floods and seeking sunshine.

The last few days in Bangkok had been brilliant, I had taken motorbike taxis through rush hour traffic, seen more temples than was humanly possible and spent the evenings around the Khao San Road area, where I had met plenty of like minded travellers who equally enjoyed having a drink, people watching and eating fried chicken claws.

I left the city on an overnight bus bound for Chumphon in the south east, where I took a boat to Koh Tao - an island off the south east coast. The bus provided better accommodation than the cell like room I had had for the last few nights in Bangkok. Unlike my room, the bus had windows, air conditioning and a comfortable place to sleep!

Although 11 hours, the journey was fantastic, I stretched out on the vacant back seats and awoke only when the bus made its many emergency stops, picking myself up off the floor I would continue the slumber.

I had booked a diving course in Koh Tao whilst in Bangkok and was surprised that at every transfer came to fruition...I had bartered a good deal from a pretty dodgy travel agent and it all seemed too good to be true!

Arriving in Koh Tao at 11 am it was time to start the diving and meet the instructor - an irritating, monkey like American with a fuse as short as his stature. Having said that, the course was great fun and after getting the theory out of the way we took 4 dives over a couple of days. Down at 18m we luckily didn't meet any sea snakes but we did have to stay clear of moray eels, poking their beady eyes out of their caves awaiting a passing victim. I was hoping it would be the instructor.

Sat on the sea bed I came under attack from little blue striped fish, similar to those found in the 'fish-feet' shops in Britain. After a good meal from my scabbed elbow they proceeded on my ears, my hearing is great now but its not an experience I would like to repeat.

During the time of writing this blog I was joined by two Israllis, father and son, and so the beers began to flow. We head to Sai Ree, a shoreside village with a party like atmosphere and as usual one beer turned into many.

We found ourselves at a beach bar watching fire entertainers involuntarily burning themselves as they performed their tricks with kerosene dripping ropes and canes. Luckily, the sea was close and once a neck or torso had been singed they would make a quick run for the sea, a hiss of steam and a smell similar to rice and pork was common.

The next casualty was a German girl who attempted to jump a burning skipping rope, only to lose a large proportion of her enourmous monobrow. The crowd roared with laughter - the show must go on.

Kerosene ended it was time to head back to my shack like bungalow near to the beach, which I would check out of the following day. Diving done it was time to party - heading by boat to Koh Pha Ngan for the 'Black Moon Party'... whatever that was.

---

Photos

Chumphon Pier
6 am - mainland to Koh Tao

Comments

[james youatt]

glad to hear you avoided the floods, but only to disappear under water else where! very envious your photo's look great.....

[Emma]

So beautiful, I think I would cry! X