In 4 weeks and one day I’ll be on the plane to Bangkok.
In 5 weeks I’ll be starting my DiveMaster training.
I expect to eat things like this.

And see views like this.

So, I got off one boat, the M/V Andaman, yesterday and go back on one today. It’s currently Sunday afternoon, at almost 5pm. I don’t have to be at the dive shop till 8pm, so I thought I’d update y’all, so you didn’t think I drowned.

I did NOT drown.

I loved every dive, saw some fantastic things, and you ALL will be subjected to the video. Yes, believe it. I bought a video and will subject anyone I can to it. It’s lovely. And I look like a true scuba idiot. Yes, it’s fab. I met some fantastic peeps from around the globe, and in true small world fashion, I met someone who went to school with someone I know. Who is in fact married to someone I call my big sister. Yes, I went to a tiny town in Thailand and got onto a boat with someone from Manhattan Beach… check out my networking! Well, this was inadvertent. But, fabulous nonetheless.

Anyway, the life underwater in the Andaman Sea is still wonderful, and makes me want to become a divemaster even more!

The trip was lovely, the water was lovely and I’ve mastered buoyancy even more. Not to the full extent that I want, but it’s been good… I’ve used my own kit, except for a wetsuit, and I love it all. STILL!!! I started the trip with 39 dives under my belt, and I’m now at 52. So, after this coming liveaboard, I’ll be one dive over 60!! YAY! I am seriously addicted, and now need to get my own cold water wetsuit. I’m not sure I’m ready for dry suit diving yet, but… I think it may be more to do with the fact that it’s even MORE expensive. Anyway, it’s great, I love it.

My back is unhappy – I had thought about going tanning to prepare my back for the sun, but a) didn’t have time and b) didn’t think I would need to. Well, I did. Yeah, suckass. The bumps are back… I’ve spent today largely in the shade, hoping they will go away. They haven’t really, but there is still time. I also got some heavy duty ibuprofen… over the counter is 400 or 600 milligrams. How excited am I?!?

I’m having a great time, missing you all, not missing work… that about sums it up!

See you in a week (kind of, if you’re local in LA)! Is anyone having any oscar parties that I can crash?

Many more to go! I am excited and pleased to tell you all that I am now a “Peak Buoyancy” proficient. Or something like that. I did two dives today, and had to do some skills, some of which made me laugh, which caused problems with my mask. Damnit. All because of laughter! But, it was great dun, and I loved it.

Tomorrow evening I get on my first liveaboard, and I cannot wait. I am stoked. Tomorrow will be a day of relaxation at the beach, and then we go meet at the dive shop at 8pm. I was talking with a Divemaster Trainee, and OMG, I want to do it!!! Anyone want to start me on my quest with a donation?
Today I learned my computer, and had some of the guys at the shop teach me more – thank goodness. I was not good with the compass part – I couldn’t figure out how to get there, darnit!! But have no fear everyone, it works now. I saw two cuttlefish, some fabulous nudibranches, and fishes of many colors. It was rather silty, so I am stoked for when there is no silt!!! That’ll be in a few days.
I’ve taken a few photos, but not many, and I sent them via bberry messenger, and I got some lovely responses from people… so maybe you’ll get some before I go on my next liveaboard… Anyway, it’s lovely here. I’m going to go have a cider.

Since I have some time, I figure I’ll write out what I’ve written in my little black book… here goes:

Started the trip at 8pm in the diveshop, drove up to Kuraburi where we got on the boat. I rode in the back of a minibus with Helen who is basically a British Valley Girl. I think that’s possible, but she does not. The other person was a Californian named John – he lives in Redondo, so it just became a small world!

I went diving with a computer from the shop for the first time. I dove with Ben (our Divemaster), Scotty (an Aussie) and Oliver (a Swiss-German). Justin (another Aussie) was the 4th person, but he had air issues, so they changed him to a different group. It was a good group. Saw lots of great stuff, LOTS.

The Divemasters on Board were fantastic – always helped with small tips here and there. It was super helpful. The Thai crew was awesome as well – just really fun and funny people. They were always there to help – no matter what was happening.

My ears got a little stressed, I think that three plus dives/day will do that to you. A couple of the DMs had some of the same problems – it’s the end of the season and the ears have a tendency to get more easily stressed.

Overall, I’d HIGHLY recommend Sea Dragon. All of it is fantastic. All of it. Here’s the link again: Sea Dragon Dive Centre.

BOO! I just did the last dive of the trip. I really was not pleased with having to do that, but I had to do that. You are supposed to have 24 hours between the last dive and flying. At least. And now I’m there. I have to fly on Saturday back to Bangkok, and then on Sunday for hours and hours back to LAX.

So, I can’t dive any longer, but now I’m up to like 35 or 36 dives in my logbook. I have decided that I want to start procuring my kit. Slowly but surely I’ll procure all the stuff I need for diving, so that I don’t have to share regulators with other divers.

I got to see plenty of lionfish, scorpionfish and schooling fish today, along with a good variety of nudibranchs – you’ll have to ask me for the diving sign for those – it’s comedy. I had a Divemaster I knew with me, from the liveaboard, and it was truly great. Just the two of us, and really only saw a few people who were starting their dives as we were coming up. The wreck was an old tin mining platform. The weather is still hot and I still like it. But, I have to start preparing myself to come home… that kind of stinks. Miss you all, but really…

Anyway, just wanted to let you all know I came up from the bottom…

Apparently on the boat, we were one of the groups that was the easiest to get up each time. The DMs were not pleased with this. They wanted at least 10 minutes of “wakey-wakey” time without customers. We did not oblige. I was up 10 minutes before the wakeup shout came, as I needed to make sure my contacts were all sorted before a zillion (yes, that’s an exaggeration) people started wandering about… Anyway, I’ve not yet been able to sleep in past like 8am any of the days I’ve been on holiday so far. But, I’ve gotten good sleep – apparently going to bed early works for me. That did NOT used to be the case. But now, whatever… I have to go back to the land of less sleep next week – sucks – and hopefully this store of sleep I currently have will tide me over for a while…

Anyway, I’m headed to a market today, in one of the next beach towns North, and also to that beach, to sit. That is part of vacation too, I think.

I just received an email from my dad that stated that 30 degrees C is 86 degrees F. Um, wow. That’s hot in the water. The monsoon is starting now too – the weather is turning very humid with crazy rain storms in the afternoon (as I told you before). We arrived back to port in one of those storms… It is also, in Phuket, supposedly currently 84 degrees, feeling like 94 degrees. It’s HOT. And then I just depressed myself by looking at the temperature in LA… not cool. But, I’ve still got time here… YAY!

I was trying to put some pictures up from the liveaboard of the lovely islands, but my camera (my borrowed camera) and this computer are not getting along. You may have to wait till I return home to upload them. If so, I apologize… I don’t have that many pictures this time, nothing like last time… I do think I have enough, though.

I didn’t see any whale sharks (they are the world’s largest fish…), but I saw some really, really great other things. I was out there underwater for three times a day, starting at 7am on Saturday morning… only two times today – and the last dive was a bit of a letdown… boo.

Overall, it was a total of 12 dives as I did only one of the night dives. It was a bit intense on the ears, but I’m going back down for another dive on Thursday… there’s a wreck in the area that I want to go down into. The divemasters were all fantastic, and the Thai crew was really, really awesome. The group we were with also was great as well. I’ve now become facebook friends with some of them (Mrs. Gray, get on it!!).

The diving was AWESOME, RAD, WICKED, WONDERFUL, SPECTACULAR… um, what else? I saw little fish, big fish, corals of all sorts, black-tipped reef sharks, leopard sharks, two kinds of turles (FOUR turtles in total on ONE dive!!)… it was really, really great. I know some of you don’t want to hear about this, but it was really good. Mom, we’ll just have to come back – Sea Dragon rocks.

As I said, met some great people, so I’m going to go hang out with them today and tomorrow. And then dive again on Thursday, make my way to Krabi on Friday for a Saturday flight to BKK… The hotel I wanted on Saturday is booked, so I’ll be doing the typical wander about town trying to find a place… Unless a friend can work magic and find a place to stay. It IS the beginning of the Thai New Year weekend, so I’ll just hope for it. I need to do some shopping for pashminas – and, anyone need anything?

I’ll try to write a more detailed update of the trip. Suffice it to say that it was really, really great.

Today is Wednesday. The end of Wednesday for me. I’ve been diving, so far, 4 times. The coldest of the times was 29 degrees C. Insane!! The fish are GORGEOUS and I love it each and every time… I’ve had my own divemaster both times – for the refresh and the other.

Koh Lanta is utterly fantastic. The island is fairly small, and the dive shop has picked me up both days I’ve been here so far. I will not dive on Thursday, but will go around on a motorbike tomorrow instead. I just want to see the island! There is a mix of Muslim and non here, very interesting to see girls in headscarves driving around on motorbikes. Today I saw two girls in full burkas driving on a motorbike.

I arrived here on Monday after a full day of traveling (taxi to the old BKK airport, a flight to Krabi, a bus to Krabi-town and then a mini-van to Lanta). I booked my dives straight away and then got a ride down the island with the dive shop – Lanta Diver. I met my mom’s friend Bonnie (if you don’t know the story of why I’m here without mom, ask me later… or ask her.) Anyway, it’s a nice little place – Lanta River Sand – little bungalows a little away from the beach – it’s great. The food here is okay, not fantastic, but fine. Tonight I’m going into the little village across the little water from here, with two German girls who are also here in this “resort.”

I’m loving the weather – duh – it gets cool in the afternoon, but is great – and then thunder and lightning in the evening. Awesome.

I won’t post pictures, just yet… after the liveaboard, just for you, Mrs Gray.

It’s HOT here… but, I like it, duh. It’s also very salty in the air – but that’s fine… I arrived here on Monday and went on two dives today – the water was 29 degrees C. You tell me what that is. But, it’s very nice. I did a refresher course for today, and it was great. Just me and an instructor. It was great.
Okay, this keyboard is tiring. Going to go now… It’s lovely here, wish you were here. And Mrs Parsnip – eat this weather up – it’s awesome… oh, that’s not nice – sorry… come visit!!!