The thirty-first week

Day 213- 220

May 6th was our last day on Koh Tao. It was also the hottest. 35°C and 80% humidity is really too much. We had to check out of the accommodation at 12pm. In the evening we want to take the night ferry back to the mainland.

Until then, we had to keep ourselves busy. We drove to a beautiful bay. The beach consisted mainly of fine pebbles. I kind of like that: it's still comfortable and it's easier to wipe the small stones off your skin than sand! We read and swam a bit.

We had to return the scooter at around 3 p.m. We drank shakes in a café by the sea and let time do the rest.

At around 8 p.m. we drove to the pier where the night ferry departs. There were 2 middle decks with large dormitories with single and double bunk beds. We had a double bed together, about 1.20 x 1.90 m. That's fine for one night.

The night was okay. The engine hammered tirelessly. The next morning we arrived at around 5:30 a.m. We were picked up by a bus company and taken to Khao Lak.

We found nice accommodation there. Finally, air conditioning and a comfortable bed! First we had a nap. Then we dropped off the laundry and went out to eat.

On May 8th we had breakfast at the accommodation. There we met an older German couple from near Leipzig. We chatted with them for a long time.

At around 1 p.m. we set off. Packed up, got our laundry and went to lunch.

Our liveaboard trip starts today! That means we will be on a boat for 3 days and 3 nights and go diving.

We had to be at the diving school by 4 p.m. to choose our equipment. After we had wetsuits, fins and buoyancy compensators, we were able to eat something. Departure was at 6 p.m. and there is no dinner on the boat.

In fact, we left late because we had to wait for someone. But finally a bus took us to the pier and there we were able to board the MV Andaman.

In total we are 14 divers, several dive guides, the captain, 4 boat boys, 1 engineer and of course the cook!

There are 3 double rooms and one shared room. We were in the shared room on the lower deck. Everything was very comfortable, even with air conditioning!

The middle deck is where the food table, drinks, etc. are located. This is where the briefings before the dives take place.

On the upper deck you were allowed to smoke, sunbathe or rest in the hammocks under a roof.

After a briefing we went to bed. The captain drove us to the Tachai Islands until around midnight.

The next day we were woken up at 6:20 a.m. Well, we were all already awake anyway. At 6:40 a.m. there was the first briefing for the first dive.

We did a total of 4 dives today at the Tachai Islands. The underwater world was great! Unfortunately, the visibility wasn't that good. Ivar and I were in a group with Vivian and James. He is from England and she is from Italy. Our dive guide was TK, a Thai woman. She did a good job and showed us lots of animals. Especially small ones!

The last dive was a night dive, when it is already dark. Then you can see the fish sleeping, the nocturnal animals come out and you can see the glow in the eyes of crabs and rays (similar to cats). When we surfaced it was raining heavily. It looked beautiful how the raindrops hit the surface of the water, were catapulted up again, a drop briefly formed a small perfect pearl for a fraction of a second and then, because everything is fleeting, melted back into the sea. There was a lot of thunder and lightning. In principle, we didn't have to dry ourselves off once we were on board. The rain was pouring down into the boat from everywhere. Small streams of water came from the upper deck through the openings into the middle deck. We were advised to stay in our rooms. But we preferred to watch the storm.

On May 10th we had 3 dives at the Surin Islands. The first dive was especially great!!! James and I did somersaults in the water and did other shenanigans. The water was super clear, visibility was very good and we dived on a coral wall. It felt like we were in an aquarium!

On the next dive we were shown a sea fan that was at least 2.50 m wide and 3 m high! The thing was just huge!!!! The coral was lucky that it was in deep, cold water. Since corals grow slowly, this sea fan must be really old!

The next day we only had 2 dives. But both were at Richelieu Rock, famous in diving circles. And it was amazing!!!!! So many sea creatures in one place! It was amazing! Schools of small fish circled around us, followed by larger fish, which happily ate the small fish. At one point, I was distracted, and the school of fish swam around me. I screamed in shock, as much as is possible with a breathing apparatus in my mouth!

The walls of Richelieu Rock are full of soft corals. There were small families of clownfish living in anemones and busy fish eating away at the algae around and on the corals. It was fantastic!

In the evening we were brought back to land. The bus took us to the diving school in Khao Lak and from there a taxi took us to our new accommodation.

We have a nice big room. I started doing Pilates straight away. I neglected that on the boat and it's taking its toll because my disc is acting up again.

We spent May 12th looking for food or sleeping in bed or on the beach. We're pretty exhausted from the last few weeks and need to rest.