15 May

This morning I had to complete the last 2 theory chapters before writing exams for the remainder of the morning. The boat went out again to Chumpon Pinnacle where they spotted a whale shark that everyone on the boat saw, our luck! At lunch I went and bought some lunch before heading back home. Leanne had been passed out for the duration of the morning due to the pills, I have never seen her sleep so much. Then again I could do with some extra sleep, the past few days had been characterized with nights after 12 reading up on the theory, being briefed in the early mornings, writing tests then going on the practical dives.

I spent some time with her chatting before heading back to the dive shop for my last two rescue dives. At least she had a TV with 3 English channels and a book, she finished in 3 days, to keep her company although that wasn't much consolation. The first of the two dives was a surface dive, no scuba required, just surface rescue. I had to practice the rescue techniques for panicked divers and non responsive/unconscious divers bringing them back to the boat, doing CPR and administering oxygen to them. Doesn't sound like much, but try swimming while giving rescue breaths every 5 seconds with a 2m body and getting him on a boat, quite tiring! This procedure I had to perform 3 times until they were satisfied every part of the technique was correctly performed. The rest of the time was characterized by continually having to swim from the boat to some instructor who was drowning, at least 6 other times!

The second dive was very similar to the second dive the day before, basically you have to respond to anything that could go wrong. This included, stings/cuts/bites where you have to calm the person and take them to the surface. Non responsive divers underwater, sharing air and broken gear of a fellow diver. My mask being ripped off 15 m under water and having to put it on and clear the water, emergency ascents, out of air ascents and so on.

The most challenging was at the beginning of the dive, I had to wait on the boat while the two instructors disappeared under water. The objective was that one would swim off while the other returned to me. He would then tell me he had lost his buddy. The exercise was aimed at learning which questions to ask to find out where they were last seen, air left & so on. You were then required to devise a plan based on the information to enable a successful rescue. You had to go down with the information swimming with your buddy and depending on which search pattern was suitable, locate the diver. In my case they were unconscious and I had to bring them back to the surface performing the required steps as well as administering oxygen on the boat and informing emergency medical services.

Finished at last, I don't think I have ever done such a thorough course in my life, and when it came to personal attention they couldn't have given me more. I was the only one doing the First & second aid course and also the only one doing the rescue course. Instead of having to wait for 3 or 4 others to get a chance to do the practical while wasting my air looking on. I was the only one and had to repeat every thing numerous times.

Back at the dive shop I hear about a restaurant, cloud nine, serving a free barbeque as an opening special, you only need to purchase a drink. Back home Leanne is happy just to get out of the room where she had been confined to tfor the last couple of days, but at least feeling a little better. I hired a motor cycle and we drove to Mae Haad and found the restaurant. It was on the second floor, with panoramic views of the sea, low tables with Thai mats and "poefs". The barbeque consisted of a mielie, chicken burger, chicken drumstick and a potato, the closest we've come to a South African braai. We bought two Singha beers and watched the sun set with the purple and pink residue that remained. All in all the dinner, or should I say drinks cost us less than a dinner at another place.

After the dinner we returned to our side of the island where we went to see the Queen's Cabaret. The show was free just like the dinner, all you had to do was buy a drink, which compared to the restaurant was 3 times the price. There had been "women" advertising the show some evenings before, it had taken a few very good evaluations before I was certain they were "lady boys" but Leanne was no so convinced.

It took some time during the show before she admitted that they all were men or at least had been men. The show was actually very comical requiring the audience to participate to some degree. The dresses were very elaborate but often didn't fit or had holes in not so discrete places. The singing, if you can call it that, was more like mouthing the words while the speakers produced the lyrics, sometimes they would continue there mouthing even though the music or words had stopped. The last scene incorporated 4 Pommies from the audience, the two girls dressed as men, while the men dressed as women. One of the cabaret stars found the evening to humid and decided there and then to dispose of her top, exposing her or should I say his breasts to the world. Then the shocker, the top wasn't enough, she dropped everything and I mean everything, even mimicking some sex moves. That was enough for us - we left for home, I wasn't sure who was more shocked, Leanne or I.