Diving the sequel.

14/3 - Up and wandering along in the early morning sunshine to board the longtail, to board the dive boat. There's a new DM today, she a Brit, Claire and very nice too and as usual very helpful.
There's a lad on the boat, 18 years old, starting his DM's course today. What a good age to start. It may not be very lucrative, but it is hell of a lifestyle. If I was more able bodied, there's a better than evens chance I'd do a DM's course and work my way around SE Asia. This is great, travelling out by dive boat to beautiful islands in glorious sunshine and seeing the islands are just as beautiful underwater. All those years I have wasted as an IT cowboy. Mind you, they are paying for this.
Here we are again, Phi Phi islands, different dive site. This one is a wall dive, where you drift along with the current and the boat picks you up at the other end. I love drift diving, it is a great feeling. It is a bit crowded under the water though, everyone has to take the same route, so it is difficult to avoid one another.
Back on board, with the lads still trying to heave me up the ladder to get out of the water. Some spicey dinner, a break and it is time to get back in. This is the life.
This is the best of the 4 dives I did. Lots of everything to see, all the usual culprits, some fantastic corals and a ghost pipe fish. They are so small I don't know how the DMs spot them. It is like a piece of weed, a small piece, hanging off a big fan coral. They are from the seahorse family and once you know where to look, they are good to watch. It's a great feeling to be able to just hang there in the water and just watch such things. Once your bouyancy is right you only move when you want, or the current takes you. With it correct, you simply glide along controlling your height by breathing in to rise over an oncoming fan coral or breathing out to sink down and peer under a big table coral to see what it is sheltering, head first if you wish. If you like being in the water, there's a good chance you'll love diving. I wish I had taken it up earlier.
Anyway the dives were brilliant. Vincent a French lad was a bit anxious, so used his air up a bit quick, curtailing our dives, but I've been there, so fair's fair. Claire is a great DM too, she is so relaxed it passes onto the divers, but she watches you like a hawk, which is not always the case.
The dives done, alas, it is back on board for the fresh fruit and fill out the dive log. Claire came along to sign it and my logbook is from Dahab. She has dived there too, so we swapped experiences about the same sites we had dived. It is like being a real diver. I AM, well, nearly. All the bits tidied up and time to find a nice breezy spot up the front of the boat to chill on the way home. Who needs work? Me when I get back.
Back to shore for another beer on the steps of the beach. How do I keep this pace up???
It is a bit sweltering today though, so I didn't linger too long. Shower time, rinse the dive gear and out for some cheap snap tonight. All this diving is sapping the budget. I must be getting used to the lady boys, when she brought my beer, I said, "Thanks love." Mind you, there is another lady boy where I put the dhobi in. I saw her for the first time tonight. I didn't have to look for the adam's apple, she is a gripper. Fair do's though, the makeup was spot on.
Finished my food and went and sat on a sitting place outside the Italian ice cream shop, in fact I sat there so long I decided to go in and treat myself, so much for the budget. Anyway I went in and came out with a coffee and a piece of cake. What happened to the ice cream plan??? I enjoyed them though, while I sat on the shop patio, watching the people. Then I decided to go and check out the stars on the beach steps. I love looking at them. They look a bit different down here than up north, but what do I know? I'll have to check with our Mick. There are a lot of the fire lanterns drifting up into the sky tonight. I should go and see how they work. I could start a craze when I get back home. "That would please the fire service in our Nanny State" said the grumpy old man.
I saw a couple of shooting stars and made a wish, the same one twice. No imagination.
I am getting grief from certain people about the lack of blogging, no names, read the comments. I AM ON BLOODY HOLIDAY. But being frightened of them, I am off for an e-fix and then bed.
I am going to be on a derrick in the South China sea for the next four days and then travelling to Hanoi. (18 - 23rd March). So Mrs Brooks's little girls. Give me a break. Hey, I am the oldest.
I love you all, except the lady boys.
Tot ziens.