18 Meters Below the Sea
I believe only in Thailand can you go to your hotel and no one asks if you've kayaked before, gives you a life jacket or even asks if you can swim! Nope just $5 and off you go!
I spent most of the time convincing the boat to go back to the dock.
But he longed for a freer life out at open ocean. I'd seen Life of Pi, I know how that story ends, but we didn't have a tiger did we. Or any cracker for that matter!
When I got it back to the dock, the waves from a passing boat splashed in and...yup we sunk.
It took a tourist, 3 hotel workers and me to finally pull it out again. So maybe my solo kayaking carer is over.
Clive, the little old Englishmen who ran the hotel drove me into town.
He told me about how he'd had a heart attack and the doctors gave his 5 years to live. Then he moved to Koh Tao and fell in love with a construction workers 19 year old daughter.
They've been married for 10 years and have 3 little children, a typical farang story.
The next day I signed up for a 4 day diving class. There was only one other student and me.
Our teacher, James, was a tall redhead bloke from England with bad pinup girl tats over his legs.
He was always saying things like, Shake your buddy from behind, yeah not your first time doing that! Or blow into the hole, pressing with your tongue, you know how she likes it.
Good guy.
Nicky was my buddy student from Sweden, he was always eating and asking worst case scenario questions.
We had our first day in the ocean, taking out a colorful boat to a shallow reef. The deckhand was a young Thai kid who's smile scrunched up his whole face, showing huge white teeth. It must have been the most sincere thing to ever cross my path.
The boat had fresh cut pineapple and instant coffee with sweetened condensed milk to wash away the saltwater.
The dive was mostly to practice the skills we learned in the pool. Emergency stuff. So you don't die stuff.
When we got back onboard the captain had jumped off the boat with a machete...
I have no idea why...
That night Albert, an Italian from my dorm and I went out for a pizza...He said he would alway remember PIZZA IN THAILAND!
We talked about Punk bands from the 90s and our love for PBR and San Francisco (which he said San FranSEESco).
The next day we were on the boat by 7:30 am. We saw amazing corals, schools of fish that seemed to move as one consciousness, moray eels and fish that could have swallowed a cat.
While I was on the bottom, watching my air bubbles run for the surface and a school of sardines swim so far above me...
I couldn't help but think of drowning and how still final moments must be.
Lots of playing in the surf, soaking up the sun and drinking coconut shakes with new friends. The good simple life.
I talked to Ali, a Santa Rosa bad ass who made it to Bangkok a few days ago.
She's on her way to Koh Tao, I can't wait to have a travel buddy and one as chill as she is.
Even though I like to think I have perfected being alone, without looking lonely! It's going to be really nice.
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