Koh Tao

Koh Tao, a white pearl in the Gulf of Thailand and Diver's paradise. However, the trip to Koh Tao is more like a ride to hell. It starts with the pick up truck drive from the trainstation to the ferry pier.
Then, when (or if) you have survived the ride, you should hope for good weather. Fortunately, this year the weather was good. This gave me the opportunity to take a picture of my 2007 vacation love: the garbage/puke can. Last year's ferry was the first in a couple of days because of the bad weather. However, the weather had improved only marginally. I ended up holding the railing with one hand and this garbage can with the other, while Anna was preventing my head from slamming to other parts of the boat and two Singaporese guys were drinking beers and throwing empty beer cans in *my* garbage can every 15 minutes. But, this year's ferry ride was like a walk in the park (taking travel sickness pills helps ;-).

On Koh Tao I went back to dive with Seashell divers, the dive school where I got my PADI Open Water last year. Last year's crew was gone, but the school was still good. However, no diving to the Chumpung dive site, so no sharks..... Apparently, I chose the wrong week to dive since most people had left for the full moon parties.I did some good dives at Green Rock and White Rock and even did a night dive (one closer to my Advanced Open Water). But no Chumpung. When the Friday dive turned out to be the same as the Wednesday, I had to choose a different school. Bad plan.... Even though Jeff (from Seashell) advised me the school, JBL (I'm not sure of the name, tried to forget) was not really a success. First, my dive guide dived like he was completely alone, oblivious of me. Second, the trip was not to Chumpung, but Shark Rock (but no sharks) and finally, the longboat from the dive boat to the beach, sunk. Yes, indeed, it did sink. It started with a new guy steering the long boat in the dive boat (it's the guy in the picture on the right), smashing some woodwork to pieces, then hitting it again, almost throwing some air tanks overboard. Then, when we had all boarded this fast attack boat, we sailed off and after 30 seconds, the engine stopped and we started drifting to the reef (which is when I took this picture).... and continued drifting until we hit the reef (I had packed my camera already fortunately).Then, most of the passengers had expected the dive school crew to act professionally or at least to take the lead, but no: they got out and told everyone else to stay in the boat until the boat almost collapsed and people started leaving without instructions. Then, when everyone had abandoned ship (it's the small boat in the middle) we just swam, walked (for those who had brought their shoes) or drifted to the shore. Later that day I paid for the dive and had a well deserved mango-strawberry shake.