Koh Tao
Trying to take to ferry for Kohtao but no seat confirmed by the travel agent, and they are asking for a piece of paper which I eventually find slip in my wallet. Very hot on deck blows into the cabin when people open door.
Walked around the town speaking to people about diving and accommodation, left my luggage at a dive shop so I wont have to drag it around with me. I find accommodation and walk along the alleyway running along the beach talking to dive schools. tommorrow is SongKran and most dive schools are shut, but can start with BIG BLUE TODAY saving me one day overall. By now it is 5.30 and I have to collect my luggage from the shop as I find out they are closed for 2 days. when asking around for a taxi a German diver on a scooter takes a pity on me and gives me a ride to the shop which is about to close.
Very tired, desparate for shower. Meal overlooking water but very quiet this area, late TV again!

Woken up an hour too early by staff at the hotel Beachbay View,in the morning, catch a scooter taxi to Bigblue, doing my homework in the yard and chatting to a German couple the woman keeps saying the course was "hard" which I have to make sure does not affect my expectations.

Previous day watched couple of diving videos, Sonia instructor. varied treatment depending on who is at the office, given accommodation half price while diving instead of free (I changed this to free later). 13th videos and going through homework, then SongKran, water fight everywhere, from back of pickup trucks, barrels, buckets, I was initially uncomfortable about wetting people, but got into it. Lots of music too so danced on the street and a had a few beers while involved in ongoing water fight. Some people were using iced water which always came as a shock, weather Hot HOt Hot. In the evening meditation and fell asleep, went to beach party with live music then dinner.

Couple of days of theory and videos, Liam, michelle, Julianne (French) and Just (pronounced yoost, Danish from Aarhus where I have been a few times). Day 2 skills session challenging, taking mask off in the water and breathing out the water from the mask. taking off the BC (Buoyancy ) and replacing it etc. Day 3 first dive a lot of ear pain but eventually managed to equalise the ear pressure and to go down slowly but dive 2 agony, paralysed with pain trying to keep as relaxed as possible while trying to equalise. Sonia helped out a lot and making sure I am not ascending too fast. Had to surface and abandon dive. I snorkle while waiting for the rest of the group. At one point I look at the boat and it is on the move, I think well it is trying to pick up the divers, afterall the thai guy saw me get off the boat earlier. Actually they had almost forgotten me! No mjor worry though as we were quite near the beach and I would have been ok anyway. Sonja got me hooked up with Duncan to go out 1:1 tomorrow, but ear still not quite right so in the morning I rearrange with Duncan for following day. go back to bungalow and fall sleep for hours on the hammock on the veranda, the heat is amazing. Got a massage followed by duck rice meal nice. evening pool game with Just, we are joined by Abdelrahamn who turns out to be a very very good player and inists on calling me "brother". he works at a pancake stall for another Bangladeshi, I bump into him almost every day now and he tries to buy me drink on 17th from 7/11.

ongoing ear problem, went to the clinic and managed to talk the doctor down from his Medicine Consult of 500 to 150 thb, Dive checkup rate. Given 2 kinds of tablets and an ear drop, no dive for 2 more days. This is extended to 5 days, Duncan seems quite nice about it and keeps pushing back the dives.

Been going to a restaurant couple of times and had a pretty good burger and on another day a rice soup for breakfast, Spagethi carbonara however less impressive. While I am eating one day sitting on thebalcony one of the employees is diligently draining the petrol out of a rented bike that has been returned minutes earlier. The owners when the place is not too busy sit in the corner watching the foreigners (most of the customers are) and picking her nose.

One day I hired a not very good scooter and explored the island, some scarily steep hills which at times I decided not to pursue. I snorkelled a few times, first 2 times in a very choppy but clear beack, 3rd time at shark bay, no sharks to be seen, murky water, but managed to look left at one point to see this very elephant like rock/coral formation. Lots of loose and tangled ropes in the water which I had to be careful with. Since the diving started I am also a little more confident in water.

Spent some time chatting to couple of Italian girls and Canadian/ English guys on the balcony of the cafe overlooking the beach.

On the 20th Duncan suggested we attempt the dives, water is actually hgot when I step in on my way to the Longtail which takes us to the dive boat. 3 dives back to back, rather mechanical and boring, felt rather cheated. but the routine of setting up, equipment check and entry/exit and dive routines and skill tests gave me more confidence specially by the last dive.

The next day I was absolutely exhausted and didnt manage to take up Duncans offer of a free fun-dive.

I have had lots of massages, almost addivtive, at one level I am beginning to wonder whether loosening up at the physical level also loosens some of the non-physical aspects too, thought patterns, it is possible I guess.

I have breakfast at a cafe while looking at my book making a decision about next destination. I need to be out of Thailand by 26th, am due on a flight to Australi on 1st of May from Singapore. So I have 8-9 days to do something and I am pretty ready to leave Kohtao. With hindsight I know I have been fairly withdrawn at Kohtao, not too sure why though. Sharon sees me looking at Sumatra and we get chatting as she has been there Jeff, her husband. I spend most of the day with the two of them and we had lots of chats about travelling, life, death and families. I also exchange the Laos money that I had left over for some THB with them as they intend to go there.