12/3 - So much for going to bed early, Mr Murphy's judicial proclamations meant I woke up in the middle of the night in a pitch black room with a dodgy stomach, gimpy leg and my mate FSHD. The thought did cross my mind "What am I doing here so far from home", but after a bit of natter with my mate I realised I am doing a lot, just not at the moment, so nodded off again after a while.
Up for the diving. I must confess to being a little anxious, probably a good thing, it has been 10 months since my last dive and the FSHD does gradually progress, but I've paid, so there's no way I'm not going, at least to the boat.
Got to the beach for boarding and we have to plodge about 50 metres to the longtail. I was bound to go over, but the dive master (DM) came along. He thought I was being a wuss going so slow. He said, "You'll have to get a little bit wet". I told him I'm a little unstable, but didn't add mentally, then we plodged along nicely with my hand on his shoulder.
Transfer onto the dive boat and I'm still relativley dry. It's choca-block on the dive deck, a lot of people diving today, but plenty of room on the sundeck, so I settled there for a while. Had a natter with Bernt, the DM, on how I was going to get into the water. We decided with a splash and then it was chill time for an hour on the way to the dive sites at Phi Phi islands. The scenery on the way is beautiful and the islands look great. With hindsight, which is as clever as Mr Google, I should have moved to one for a few days, but see how today goes and I may book somemore diving.
We drifted into the dive site and it is all stations go, now the dive deck is busy. Divers stepping off the back like a wave of Marines, then........................ along comes Gil. But no problem, I'm in and the anxiety reduces, we are down and it is gone. I love this, I'm a bit rusty, but a lot is automatic. The weight belt is a bit light, but that will be sorted. We are drifting along nicely, I really, really, really do love this. There are some firsts too, a couple of banded sea snakes, a mantis shrimp and lying on the sand, a leopard shark, about 1.5 metres long, a real beauty. There are probably other firsts that I don't recognise too. There's all sorts down here and the corals are beautiful. It is a magical world.
I spotted a Titan trigger fish early on and pointed it out to Frodine, a very beautiful Singaporean lady and after this one we saw loads of them. There was a bit of current intermittently, one of the worries I have, but it was nothing too severe. The visability, or viz as us old sweats, OK, just old, like to call it was not the best, but good enough.
Times up, air's low, time to go back up. It's been fantastic. I'm a happy lad.
Back to the boat. The lads hoy a rope out, we grab hold and they pull us into the back of the boat, everyone clambers out with their gear, then................... along comes Gil. I take all the gear off in the water and pass it up, then go up the ladder in a FSHD sort of way. The Thai lads onboard grab my shoulders and try to heave me up, but I clambered out eventually. Everyone is always really helpful.
Time for a bit of dinner, some spicey Thai food, a bit of a chill and we are off again.
No problem getting in again, due to lots of friendly help, as usual. The weight belt is fixed and the viz is better. A bit of struggling against a slight current, but then drifting back on it is a great sensation. This dive is brilliant, I guess the rust must have gone. What can I say? I have been treated like a lord and had a great day. Time for a bit of fresh fruit and a chill on the way back, basking in a great day and the sun, this diving works your tan too, I'm nearly as dark as my white Indian-washed T-shirts.
Alas back to dry land and this time only a short plodge, but there was willing help at hand from all nations. I'm not far from the room here, so I wandered back along the beach as the sun starts to drop. Picked my spot on the steps up from the beach and watched the young lovers, no, not watching that, watching them stare into each others eyes and walk hand in hand along the sea's edge and I had a book in one hand and a can of Tiger in the other. Do you think I am missing out on something here? Na! I thought not. I've got the T-shirt etc etc etc.
Well, the beers gone and the sun too, behind a cloud as usual, so it's shower and snap time. By the way, I've bought myself a pair of Oakleys. How cool am I? For 4 quid too. Acutally they're Oakeys, but you wouldn't have known if I had not told you. The missing L is worth the price difference.
Food tonight was Indian, not like back there, but OK, more like back home, or in between the 2.
I am surprised how expensive Thailand is. I suppose that is the price of tourism and following on from India, most places would seem expensive. Mind you the Oakleys were cheap.
Wandered down to some good music over a beer in "Planet Ao Nang". Now I know where those Holywood lot stole their idea from. Shame on them.
Well, just in case you are fretting away, the holiday is back on course. Watch this space.
Goodnight after a good day.
1 comment:
Glad to see you back into the swing of things. Hopefully your fears about the diving have been sunk too (see what I did there?).
On an earlier tack, I go away for four days and you get run over. We met up with Hugo and family on the Wednesday and they asked me about your accident. I didn't know what they were on about, having left on the Monday and not seen your blog since then, but I didn't worry as I know you can look after yourself. That and the fact that Val would have been on the phone to me if it had been a proper problem.
Any how, off to work now. First day back for 10, so am looking forward to it. As if I ever do!
Got some physio tomorrow for my dodgy shoulder, so hopefully they can sort me out. They did last time but I'm five years older now.
Mick
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