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| Divegirl
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| Countries traveled: | 9 |
| Essential item: | My Diary |
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Place
South East Asia
Thailand
Koh Tao |
Style Party / Social | Budget $$ Champagne Backpacker |
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Amazing, Serene and Out-of-Body
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| Info Source: Lonely Planet Thailand and various free magazines/brochures |
| Trip Costs | | In general, my costs in US$ were: |
| For the Whole Day: |
60 |
For a Night's Accommodation: |
20 |
| For a Meal: |
4 |
For a Beer/Cocktail: |
1 |
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| Activities & Experiences | Scubadiving
Stretching My Gills in Koh Tao, Thailand
Breathe…In. Out. Relax
Toes at the edge, fins flapping awkwardly as they begin to lose grip with the boat, tank at the ready, James Bond entry flip and I’m in. Ok is signaled. Regulator working. Time to submerge. Motor fades as I lose sight of the air, cutting away into silence. As I go under, there is only the most important thing…my breath, and the beauty below.
Descending is a slow-motion trip, the squeaky ears shrieking w/ delight once popped, relief and comfort settling in as I settle, 18 meters below the surface. Quiet surrounds, but my breath rings out strong and definite, a pleasant reminder to myself that I exist down here. The other divers encircling me, float in this languid water ballet, alone inside their own salty dream world. It is with a magician’s flair that hand motions are executed among the coral. As a reminder to keep up the inhale and exhale, arms sweep from lips and extend, a calming gesture. Staring into my instructors placid eyes, establishing the ultimate trust and safety net, this is the only language between us down there.
Sound is scattered. A pound of the fist and we gather, ready to glide and dance our way through this jungle. Look around…and keep breathing. To our right, stingrays of spotted blue fluorescence, long black and white water snakes. To our left, eerily still and camouflaged sits the stone fish. Look at him..smile at him…Do not touch him. Straight ahead, angelfish of all Crayola colors. Feel their brightness inside of yourself as you rub elbows with them. Infectious. Fiesty triggerfish dart around in their haphazardness. Moving through coral archways and floaty plants, every view is magnified and unique. A moray eel is so close it may invite you into its den for lunch. Up ahead…a whale shark? No. Rare but so beautifully described and so anticipated…perhaps on tomorrow’s dive. Into a sandy oasis, divers laugh around their regs, clearing masks, removing fins to sit and pretend “surf” on them, performing somersaults and other acrobatics. This is our playground and we’ll use up every minute of it. Colors swirl around us as we get the signal to ascend. Too soon…but necessary.
Lifting my left arm, I elevate, but we all must wait a spell at five meters. This requires the utmost patience as we are caught between the unquenchable desire to return to the sea’s floor and the longing to embrace the air and feel the wind on our faces. Two minutes more and we are allowed to continue.
There it is. Reassuring…yet disappointing to be back here. A lifetime has passed in forty minutes. Wait it out with cups of tea and biscuits, maybe a cigarette or two for the instructors. The sun beating down on freed skin as my neoprene suit peels and rips away is warm and inviting. My limbs are a bit shaky, like newborn Bambi. Time to rest. In what seems like seconds, our signal comes again…yippee, thank goodness-- to go back down. Back to where the world stands still for moments and the breathing in my ears plays a constant soundtrack to anemones and fish of all sizes and shades. In…Out…In…Out….Look Around.
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Three essentials for India:
GET YOUR VISA ORGANIZED AHEAD OF TIME. The Embassy wait can be brutal!
A-Z of Adventure Travel Insurance from World Nomads as you will probably get "Delhi Belly."
Hostelworld was a great help for finding cheap, but decent accommodation in India!
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