Supposedly this is the diving capitol of Asia (where the majority of divers in the continent get training), so that explains all of the dive shops.
Last night Nemo and I took the midnight boat along with Alaska and his German techno compatriots, sleeping in Thai cargo boat holds until being woken up before the sun rose and walking a plank off the ship. I slept next to boxes holding hundreds of cans of Coca-Cola and the Thai energy drink “M-150”. Too bad I wasn’t thirsty. I did sleep well though, clutching my shoulder bag with my laptop inside it as I drifted to sleep along with the waves rocking the boat back and forth.
The island is about 20 kilometers end to end, and we’re staying in a bungalow at the far south. I was able to coach & coerce Nemo into renting a small motorcycle so we could easily traverse the island (which took longer than it should have because some Brit overhead me telling him not to worry and interjected that Nemo should listen to his inner fear and not rent a 100cc scooter). This is the same model bike that 12 year old Thai girls ride to middle school. So, everything worked out okay. :woop:
As the sun starts to fall from directly above I’ll head out to the north edge of the island, seeking out some of the more secluded beaches which shouldn’t be occupied by anyone but scuba divers drifting around diving boats.
Nemo has taken a liking to the soda milk drink that I always get when I’m here, but he calls it Cambodian breast milk.
I mailed a postcard today which I’ve been carrying with me for over a month, across several thousand miles. I miss her a lot and won’t be able to see her at WMC this year, sadly.