Well after getting on the bus to Bangkok early from sukathai the journey was allot calmer and Wesley managed not to upset any monks. We landed in Bangkok about 8pm and decided we weren't going to pay an expensive tuk tuk so opted to hop onto a free government bus to the main strip in Bangkok (Kao San rd). Now as we hadn't pre booked any accommodation we had to stroll the streets in the hideous stinky Bangkok heat with our heavy packs. After everywhere was booked up and our only other option was an unkept and unsecured guesthouse looking brothel we had no choice but to grab some food and rock up into one of the more pricy places for a night costing around £20 which pissed us both off but the promise of hot water, a clean bed and secure room were too temping. After a good nights sleep and so fresh and clean we checked out and had the rest of the day to stroll around before departing to the Island of Koh Tao to do our diving. Stroll we did and also sorted out our visa's for India meaning that we had to leave our passports in Bangkok so they were able to be sent to the Indian Embassy which takes around 8 days to process. After filling up on food we caught the bus at 8pm from Bangkok to the dock which took 8 hours and then the 2 hour ferry to Ko Tao which felt like forever with very tiny seats and rocky waves. It also felt like forever because Wesley had got chatting to two very strange people who stuck by him the entire journey and wouldn't shush. I thought they were quite strange having some kind of personalty disorder until it became apparent that they had been taking some kinda cocktail of who knows what the night before. All was very worth it as we got there around 8am only to be greeted with crystal clear waters and beaming sunshine without a cloud in the sky. Our diving school/ hotel picked us up and took us to one of the most beautiful locations on the Island. We were exhausted so went straight to lay having to get up in the afternoon to begin our 4 day course of certified open water diving. As neither of us had ever dived before we didn't really no what to expect but certainly not homework on the first day!! I was miserable lol, even worse the fact it was math which I am completely s*** at but luckily Wesley knows his stuff and wouldn't let me copy his but talked me through it until I understood (which took some time). Day 2 consisted of more theory, even more homework and then a very intense 2 hours diving with full kit in a large swimming pool. The concept of breathing underwater without panicking was quite difficult especially Wesley with his fear of not being able to breathe. Despite this we did pretty well and got to grips with the skills involved and what to do in certain eventualities. We had no choice anyway because the day after we were being thrown into the ocean so if you couldn't master it in a swimming pool then one might say you we're f*#!*d. Day 3 consisted of even more theory quizzes and then a final exam before been allowed to proceed to the ocean to do our first 12metre dive. We all passed our exam and then having lunch we then nervously got on a boat which took us to one of the diving sites in what seemed like the middle of the ocean. Once having a briefing then kitting up and doing safety checks one by one we jumped into the ocean with our instructor. Deflating our packs and breathing deeply we descended to the bottom of the ocean slowly. All nerves and apprehension had fizzled away as we were greeted with the most beautiful scenery I think I have ever seen in my life. It was seriously breathtaking with all kinds of fish just minding there business swimming by, there were different coloured corals covering the sea floor with giant sea urchins and dancing shrimps. Mid swim Wesley decided to have a minor panic attack and went straight to the surface because he had forgot how to deflate his pack (BCD) lool. We all just saw these legs kicking rapidly above our heads wondering what he was doing. After a short break at the top we descended once again to be met by swarms of fish passing by both big and small but despite all it's beauty we were still on a course and had to practice skills on the sea bed. Taking your mask on and off at the bottom of the ocean is not that nice but an eventuality that has to be prepared for. After practicing several skills we ascended to the top and back to the boat both feeling pretty proud but tired as hell. We grabbed some food and chilled out the rest of the evening as we had a 6am start the next morning. Up bright an early at 5.30am to catch the boat we enjoyed another dive nerve free this time and went down to our 18 meter limit which was excellent yet again.
After getting our PADI open water certificates we got a call from the visa company in Bangkok to break the news that the Indian embassy had sent our visas back as they have decided to double the prices for all UK nationals. At first we though it was the company trying to rip us off so we phoned the embassy ourselves to check and they gave us the same news. We were pissed yet again thinking how can they double the prices of the visas for all UK nationals only in the space of 24 hours? After much deliberation we decided it was because England has somehow pissed India off and we have no alternative but to pay the new fee in order to get to Insia. So we went ahead with it but the processing time will be another 8 days. As Koh Tao is quite expensive and the thought of staying in concrete Bangkok for 8 whole days seemed to much We hopped on a 2 hour ferry that nearly tipped overboard due to the waves and reached the neighbouring Hippy Island of Koh Phangan. We're staying here until the visa's are ready and then we're hopefully off to India :-) this islands pretty nice and we're just taking our time around it, have even managed to grab a bargain on a bungalow hut and bike. I'm really missing Yorkshire puddings and curry goat with hot pepper sauce while Wesley seems to be fine scoffing his way through Thai food. Speak soon, sorry for the delay in blogs but the nets been a bit pap :-)