NEW BLOG ADDRESS

NEW BLOG ADDRESS.  I've been having multiple problems blogging on this site, and have changed it to:

http://kaitlinstraker.wordpress.com 

Hopefully this site will be much much better!

Dunked Under

My morning: 

The alarm goes off at 5:40am and I roll over cursing the fact that I have to be up, maybe dropping a few f-bombs and hitting the sleep. Ten minutes later at 5:50am, the alarm goes off again and this time it's oh shit! And I bound out of bed, slap on my contacts, throw on a bikini and some board shorts, grab my instant oatmeal that I packed from home and head out down to Big Blue, stopping at 7/11 on the way for some yogurt and water for my breakfast.  Then, I organize equiptment and get ready to load the longtail boat that will take us out to the big boat.  It's 6:30 now and all of the customers and students start to arrive, everyone looking very tired and groggy. The weather is not very nice, I'm expecting it to rain any minute.  We head out to the dive site which is a good 30 minutes boat ride away and it starts to pour.  I mean, POUR.  The boat starts to rock.  Instantly, everything is soaking wet.  The plus side of it is, I can now get into my wetsuit a lot easier!  We arrive at the dive site and us DMT's (Dive Master Trainees) decide to play a game of 'chasies' or hide and seek, girls vs guys.  Three vs four.  We jump down still in the rain and drop to 30 metres, where I get narked, chase some fish, guzzle air and proceed to hide away from the boys team. The end up finding us maybe 10 minutes later and then it's their turn to hide.  We come back up 36 minutes later and we're in the thick of the storm.  Rain pouring down, swimming hard to get back to the boat.  We climb aboard, change tanks, and I get out the oatmeal for a little warmup-pickme up.  Delicious.  Slowly other groups come up and the boat actually goes to pick them up it's storming so bad. Loud thunder and lightening.  Crazy rain.  Fifteen minutes later the storm has passed, it's hot and humid and we're on our way to the next site. And we do it all again.  

So I have been thrust into everything pretty quickly around here, hence the no updates on the blog.  It's also a bit of a pain to  lug my computer from my place down to the dive school (where there is wifi) every day to update (Sorry Dad!).  But, all is well and I am no longer sleeping in a dorm with 6 stinky guys.  

I had to settle on a place to stay at a dive resort, because I spent four days walking this island and came up with nothing.  Everyday I would walk down the paths looking for a bungalow, sweating in the heat, climbing hills.  And everyday they would say no, check back tomorrow! So I would and the cycle would repeat...either way, I settled for Asia Divers Resort. It's a bit pricier, and is just a room, alhtough a large one with bathroom and dresesr and tv and such.  It's quite nice. Less than ten minutes walk down to Big Blue (which is nice for those morning dives).  I'm happy there right now, but I will most likely move when my month is up. 

I'm head long into this course now and managed to narrowly avoid my swimming tests yesterday.  Luckily I got to fun dive instead.  The swimming test portion of all the tests is the one that is scaring me the most.  You're graded out of 5 marks, and have to swim 400 metres under 6 minutes for a 5 and so on....then there's the snorkeling test which is 800 metres, then towing another person (a tired diver) for another 100 or 200metres. Eek.  I'll take a few more sunrise hikes before I get those going! I did do the floating test and passed with 5 marks. Thank God. How embarrasing if I'd gotten less than that, and only had to float?!

I'm enjoying the program so far. It's going to be getting a lot more rigorous.  I just registered for a deep diving and a nitrox course and a wreck dive for the upcoming week and am excited about that!  Life is good here on Koh Tao. I've been gone now for a week, but it almost feels like I never left.  

The House Hunt

Okay, so I've been having problems posting here on this site. It doesn't ever seem to be working!

I've made it to Koh Tao now and am looking for a place to live long term.  I'm staying at Big Blue for a night or hopefully two (if I can convince them to let me stay) and have been out searching for bungalows and rooms.  Yesterday I looked at one in the middle of a coconut grove.  It was very nice, and fairly cheap, but very far away.  I don't want to rent a scooter and in order to make those 6:15am morning boat trips, I'd definitly have to leave the place around 5:40!  And I don't know if I want to do that.  So I'm looking for a place closer to town that I can zip back to if need be and one that won't be a pain in the ass to lug groceries and water too.  It's proving difficult with all of the ex full moon partiers on the island right now, everything is full.  Hopefully a friend will put me up if I become homeless in the next few hours!!  

It is great to be back here.  It's almost like I never left.  On Monday I have my DMT orientation and then will officially start the course.  I'm excited to get going!  The jet lag is slowly passing...although it is 6:40am right now.  There's no way I'd ever be up that early back home!  Soon, hopefully soon.

China Air, Almost There

tuk tuk tuk?

Leaving Koh Tao, I took the night bus and because the bus driver was a crazy maniac, I arrived in Bangkok around 4am, instead of 5.30am. Everytime I woke up it felt like he was swerving around the road, passsing cars, scooters, lights. Crazyness. I did manage to sleep the entire way surprisingly enough! So when I got to Khao San Road, I spent a bit hanging with a guy I met on the bus at a Mcdonalds. Eventually got a room and went back to bed for a few hours.

I spent my 'last' day in Thailand riding around on a Tuk Tuk and at the infamous MBK Mall. It's seven stories and monsterous. Anything and everything you can buy there. It's nice because on the lower levels, there are real stores; the higher you go, the cheaper it becomes, until eventually it's like a real market and you can barter all you want! I bought some more tank tops and stuff, things I'll need for when I return that I can buy 100x cheaper here than at home. The guy from the bus had 2 friends and we spent the day riding around, seeing some of Bangkok. It was fun to take the tuk tuk. Our driver just loved to pull wheelies and screech around, weaving in and out of traffic with what seemed like little regard to our lives...

He took us to a place called The GOlden Mount. It's a temple on top of a hill and you climb stairs to get to the top and when you do you can see all of Bangkok. I wrote a little message on a bell and hung it for on top for good luck. There was another thing where you shake a cup full of sticks with numbers, and whichever happens to fall out is your fortune. Mine was this:

(stick #6)
Do not panic. Do not keep changing your mind. You will eventually succeed, though it seems unfavourable at present. Good fortune is envisaged. Outstanding debts are refundable. All matters are fine in general. Patient recovering. Likely to find a nice mate who could become a good match.

Not too shabby, eh? Thank God I'll succeed. Eventually.

I'm off for dinner with the three tonight, and around 4.30am I will leave for the airport and twenty minutes after my departure, I will arrive (on B.C. time)! Gotta love the time change. See ya soon!

Ciao Thailand!

Change of plans?

...You bet.

After much deliberation, I have decided to take this diving to the next level and do a Dive Master here on Koh Tao. It's a two month course full of theory and tests and diving and planning things. The course is a lot of hard work, not just fun and games! Because it's so long, (and I would hope that after committing that time I would be able to find a job as a dive master here for the next while) I've decided to head back to Vancouver a month early to tie up some loose ends, and then head back over to begin this course and stay for a while. I know, big change!

What can I say? I guess I fell in love with this little island as well as diving and I'm ready for a bit of a change in my life plans. I'm excited to actually say it, and it's exciting to know that I've got at least another two months if not more, in this paradise!

I'll be back in Van on Feb 26th, to move my stuff back to my moms, clean up my apartment, settle some bills, and repack things I'll actually need for living instead of just traveling. I'm planning on bringing my laptop back over so I'll be able to be in touch all teh time as well as a few more shirts....I'm pretty sick of the four I've got. Who knows how long this will go, (well at least 2 months), but it's going to be great!

On another note, I just finished my rescue diver course, and what fun that was! Four days of jumping in and out of the water, providing 'cpr' and 'mouth to mouth' on my still breathing pateints and dragging them back to the boat. Or dealing with fake scenarios under water, like someone pretending they had passed out! I would have to deal with that situation and bring them to the surface at a good speed, all on my own, then once they're up, start first aid and start taking them out of their scuba gear, and then tow them back to the boat AND THEN after allll that and being so tired, actually getting them back up the boats ladder with just my own manpower. We also learned how to search for missing divers in certain patterns around the boat using compasses. Although, my favourite scenario was sitting and relaxing on the top deck for about two minutes, then having the instructor yell "Help! Someone is drowning by that buoy (a good ways from the boat), Quick kit up jump in and swim to them and back." We'd rush down, get dressed jump in and head over, make it there and back, get out of the gear, and literally as soon as we were just in our wetsuits again, he would yell, "quick! someone needs help at that buoy!" and we'd do it again... I was panting pretty good after that...let me tell you, it's hard work! I've slept pretty darn well those last 4 nights. But I've learned a lot and know how to deal with any major emergency. This dive master course will expand further on it as well.

Anyway, that is what is happening. I'm going to do one more night dive while I'm here, and then I'm most likely heading to Koh Phagnan for 2 or 3 days in the next day or two with my room mates. I'm looking forward to seeing Friends and family while I'm home, and knowing that I'm able to come back, quite soon! Koh Tao ceratinly has me trapped. And I love it.

Back again....

Leaving Koh Tao originally...

Koh Phi Phi at lowtide, a longboat stuck in the sand.

Koh Phi Phi, viewpoint from the top.

Back on Koh Tao! Happy to be back as well. I spent the night on a night boat, which means it's a slow boat (8hrs) that is full of sleeping mats that line the walls and you get a number and lie in your spot . Very tight, very funny. I forgo

t to take a photos. I ran into a guy called Craig who is friends with a friend back home, who origially told me to dive at Big Blue, so I spent some time getting info about the courses out of him!! I also met two British girls and an American guy while at the pier, and have moved into a bungalow with them. Thats it! It's right on the beach. Koh Tao is a nut house right now, very busy and I coldnt' get accom at Big Blue, so we're about 5 minutes walk down the beach on the beach with the sunset and our very own restaurant right out front. Its' tight...a big double and a big single, but the things we will do to save money....it's only $5.25 a night each. Certainly doable. I'm looking at purchasig an airmatress cuz there is tons of room on the floor! We'll see how this night goes...I hope none of them snore. All in all they're cool and we mesh together well. I' had forotten that now traveling alone I will have to pay double for accomidation, unless I find people to share with, so something will work out!

(This is the seafood BBQ selection that is now right outside my door!)

I started the rescue diver course today. I had to do a first aid emergency response to start with, whihc is always good to have regardless o diving or not. Ispent all afternoon "saving" people (other wise known as other divemasters who woul put ketchup all over their legs and act as though they had fallem. It's been fun so far, and tomorrow we go out and do some water rescues and learn how to save other divers who are in distress and whatnot.

Koh Tao's rocks and a dive boat.

Not sure what my plans are yet, i'll take it a day at a time. Doing the divemaster is a big desisin to make, and right now I'm happy just covering ketchup wounds with bandages and eating corn on the cob on the beach! (it's unbelievable delicious) Now, off to do my homework! Euch.

Following....

A night at the Phuket market goes like this:

Round 1: "Hey Lady! You shopper? Canada? Aussie? Come look at store! (I simply flick my eyes towards a stand of watches) You want watch? Yes, very nice for you! I give you good deal. Very nice for your wrist. Colourful. Good price for lady. You buy two, better!"

Round 2: "Hey Miss! I make good price for you! Come look at my store! I give you best deals. You want bikini? Jeans? Lacoste? Dolce and Gabana? Chanel? Pajamas? Bikini? Sarong? Tshirt? Dress? I make you best price Miss!"

Round 3: (I walk through, ignoring the calls carrying a big bottle of water) "Hey girl! You from canada eh? What you want tonight? (I ignore) Only water? You shop only water? (He then makes a joke to his friend across the way) Hey! This girl Canada only buy water, no more, just water. She only water shopper. Hey Canada! Come look in my shop!"

This was last night when we did a mini shopping spree at the Phuket market. It gets so tiring! Everywhere here people hassel for suits, taxis, food, everything.
At this market I did manage to pick up some fake lacoste tank tops for $3 each as well as a skirt for the same price and a bikini for roughly $12. Everything looks so real, as if I'm wearing a real $50 lacoste tshirt! ha. I needed some new clothes...the same four shirts were getting a tad old.

Phuket is like cancun except cooler. (not heat wise, I swear my clothes I handwashed and hung on our balcony dried in about 20 minutes flat) Big resorts everywhere, rich americans and europeans line the beaches topless and in speedos( both extremely frowned upon by me and the Thai), expensive restaurants and miles of sand. It's nice, don't get me wrong, but unless I'm staying in the 5 star Hilton on the beach and eating Barracuda every night, then I don't want it! The other night while with our Swiss friends (who we ran into again here), Nadja and Benni, we were stopped and managed (all four of us) to convince a thai guy named Rocky who was trying to sell us something that we were from the Czech Republic and that all three of us girls were dating Benni. We taught him some 'czech' words and everything. He was stunned that Benni had all three of us. It was very funny, and we were very convincing! My pseudo Czech name was Gretchen.

I have made the hard decision to head back to Koh Tao and do some more dive courses, perhaps even my dive master there. Something is calling me back strongly, and since my Chinese New Year fortune cookie that I opened at the YVR airport said, "Follow the advice of your heart," I think I should maybe listen to that little voice telling me to do it....so i am! I leave in an hour, with a 5 hour bus ride, then a 5 hour ferry terminal layover, then an 8 hour overnight ferry... Yippie! Back to the fabulous island where I don't have to wear my shoes inside any restaurants and stores and where the stars are so bright and firedancers are on the beaches at night, and cushions and mats line the sand for people to eat dinner under the moon and the green mountains and scooters and cute stores and jumbo prawns on the beach, and and and ah! ....And of course, the 'world class diving' (as advertised on the lonely planet right now!) Yes, I guess I could say that I'm extremely happy with my descision. It's time for a change and I'm about to make it. Stay tuned!

Koh Phi Phi

We're at 'The Beach'! It's wonderful here on this small island. It's called Koh Phi Phi (pronounced Pee Pee) and it is famous for being the setting in the Leonardo movie, 'The Beach'. Also famous for getting devastated during the 2004 tsunami. There are tsunami signs everywhere, pointing to wards higher ground. Also a lot of photos showing what it looked like after it was hit. Very sad. I wish I could upload photos, but I've become paranoid about computeres deleting my photos, and eve just now I put it in and it started doing something weird, and I yanked it out again in fear!

We have been here for two days and it's great. There are no scooters or cars on the island, only bikes and everywhere you turn you hear 'ding ding'! and someone will be right about to run you down. There are shops everywhere, little restaurants, bakeries (with the best donuts I've eaten min my life) and markets. It's also expensive, and at the budget end, it's hurting. We're paying 700 baht a night for a room with one big bed, and thats about the cheapest we could find (in comparison, the night before we came here we paid 250 baht for almost the exact samd thing). It's full of high end resorts charging 2000 a night and restuarants with meals starting around 300 baht. It's been worth it though to see this place.

Yesterday we took a tour around the islands and got to see a bunch of different places, including one called Monkey Bay, where there are monkeys all around and stupid tourists feed them non stop. It was quite sad actually, some of them were really fat. I did some cliff jumping and a bunch of snorkeling and if I could load pictures I would!! We also went to the beach beach, and sadly the tide was out,b ut it was still really beautiful. If this island wasn't so expensive I could stay here for ages. Sun bathe in the morning, walk around the shops, and eat a late dinner...life would be perfect! We checked into diving here, but it was way to expensive and I'm going to save mine for when I go back to Koh Tao and do the other course I think. Today, we are heading to Phuket in search of a cheaper life, but other than our ferry ticket, we have no plans. I've got a pretty bad wetsuit/shorts tan line going on right now, the bottoms of my legs are black and the tops are white ha. I will try to post photos at the next place. We must be off!

Scuba Pics!