Koh Tao and meeting Nemo, Sharky and George.

So Jen and I left each other at the ferry port on Koh Phagnan - she was heading off the Chumpon and finally Bangkok and I was off to Koh Tao. Annoying we were told we couldn't be on the same boat but both our separate boats docked at Koh Tao at the same time so we could have been! It was very sad to say goodbye after travelling together for so long (well..a month isn't exactly that long a time but in this world it feels like forever). I was picked up at the pier by Big Blue Diving with whom I'd booked the PADI course and taken to the resort. It was a nice place with a big restaurant and bar right on the beach. It was also really noisy and crowded which was a bit weird having just come from peaceful Koh Phangan. I had a little bungalow which was lovely actually. Simple but lovely with a double bed, mosquito net and my own bathroom. Slight nag was that it was directly opposite our bar, and next to another...so when one quietened down at about 1 in the morning the other would start up. I had earplugs but they didn't stop the room buzzing with the baselines.

Anyway, I got there on the Monday and wasn't due to start my my PADI course till Tuesday so I just milled around and had a little gander at Koh Tao. On the Tuesday in the afternoon I met my group and the instructor. My group consisted of me, another English guy, two Finish guys and a Swedish man, who looked so much like a porn star it was ridiculous. All in all they reminded me a bit of The Village People. I was a bit gutted to be the only girl and was a bit worried at first but they all turned out to be really really lovely guys and I was glad they were with me. Our instructor Ricky, an Irish guy who sounded Scandinavian, was also really nice. I found him a bit cocky at times but once we were in the water he really looked after you and made you feel safe.

That first day we just did some theory stuff. The next day we had more theory in the morning and then we went out on the boat to some shallow water to practice some skills in. We also got our equipment sorted out - feeling sexy in a wetsuit...! When you had all the equipment on, including your tank and your weight belt (oh! That was a funny moment - we were getting our weights together and Ricky suggested I took more than the others - 'because you already have a couple of rather large buoyancy aids'. As you can imagine I was beetroot.) it was SO heavy. At first i literally could hardly stand up in it but after a while I got used to it. It was really interesting learning how to put all the equipment today and go through your 'buddy checks'. Getting into the water with your tank on was a bit scary at first. You had to stand on the edge of the boat with your feet over the edge, look to the horizon, put your air regulator in your mouth and take a big step off the boat. And then once you were in you had to quickly inflate your BCD (like a vest) and signal that you were ok. Scary but fun! I felt like I was in a Bond movie! The skills we did underwater that day were fun too - we learnt how to clear our masks if they filled with water, take your regulator out and put it back in, take your buddy's alternative air supply and so on.

The next day we had more theory in the morning and a test. Which was hard! Everyone I've spoken to who also did the course there have been like 'oh the test is so easy! it's multiple choice! You cant fail!'. Err...no. It was difficult. I felt like I was back at school struggling with physics and maths again - trying to work out your pressure group and the minimum safety stoppage time....urgh! And by Ricky's grimace when I asked if I had passed, I don't think i scored too highly on it. But, he assured me I had passed so that was all good! That afternoon we went out to a place called Mango Bay for our first two dives, in 29 degree water, which were AMAZING. It was really scary at first going down the rope and I had a little trouble equalizing, but after 10 mins or so it was fine. And it was so beautiful. We saw loads of fish and some eels which were gorgeous but i would have just been happy to look at the coral which I find just stunning. There are so many different types of it (some of it really really looks like brain) and it is breathtaking. Just being underwater feels awesome - you feel like a lucky guest at the most amazing party. I love the peacefulness of it as well - all you can hear is the sound of your own breathing (even if you do sound like Darth Vadar). Anyway, it was just brilliant. The next day we had our final two dives which were actually even better than the first two. We saw Angelfish, Pufferfish, Barracuda's, starfish, butterflyfish, trigerfish and loads more I don't know the names of. Triggerfish were the only fish I was really quite frightened of, and sod's law I had one swim about a foot away from my face. It was exciting though! Sorry if I am boring you all to death I just really loved diving - it was without doubt the best thing I have done since I've been away. I really wanted to stay on and do the advanced course, where you get to go on a night dive and to 30m but I couldn't afford it. Hopefully one day I will do it though. On our last dive we had a videographer with us so we messed around for a while on the sea bed doing cartwheels and handstands. We watched the film later - very entertaining. To my dissappointment,although I felt like one, I didn't actuaky look like much of a Bond girl and seemed to spend a lot of time flapping about. I am consling myself with the fact that things look 33% bigger underwater.

Diving aside, Koh Tao was nice but I wouldnt necessaruly have stayed there if i wasn't doing my PADI. It is a cute little island and has everything you would ever need but it just felt a bit too touristy. It could have been anywhere really and I got a bit fed up of the pretensiousness of the place. But there were definately some excellent things about it - I spent quite a lot of time at beach bars wathing the sunset and then the fire throwing/performace thingy's which were amazing. On my last night I went to the 'Koh Tao festival' which was fantastic! It was like a mini Thai glastonbury! And there were some most peculiar acts on! One one of the stages there appeared to be a game of musical statues going on, with bemused middle aged thai women and ladyboys. Really excellent! It was really sweet actually - the whole focus on the festival was 'Save Koh Tao' focussing on the enviromental side of tourism on the Island.

Anyway, I left Koh Tao yesterday (a fully qualified PADI open water diver no less!) and got a boat then and overnight train (hot, bumpy and boring) to Bangkok where I have been since 5am and where I am trying to waste away another 10 hours before my next overnight train to Chaing Mai. I will be very happy when I get there. Hopefully then this motion sickness will wear off and I will stop feeling like I am swaying and bumping into things.

Hope you are all well.

lots of lots of love

Ella

xxx