SCUBA DIVING – 3rd liveaboard in the Similan Islands: Jan. 23-27

I enjoyed my second liveabord in the Similan Islands on the Manta Queen so much that I decided to GO AGAIN – so I’ll be going on my THIRD LIVEABORD (Jan. 23-27) in the Similan Islands with Khao Lak Scuba Adventures on the Manta Queen this season – leaving tonight :)

On the last liveaboard (Jan. 18-22) everything was wonderful: the scuba diving, the crew, the people, the food, the boat, the weather. Even though we didn’t see any “big fish”, i.e. sharks, manta rays, and whalesharks, I had a truly wonderful time! I could get used to this lifestyle

PS: Due to this change of plan I’m trying to change my flight to New Zealand from Jan. 29 to Feb. 4; hope it works out.

PPS: I’m sorry I haven’t replied to many of your e-mails in a while – I’m totally backlogged! Sorry! I’ll try to catch up and respond before I leave Southeast Asia and head to New Zealand!

SCUBA-DIVING – PART II: liveaboard Jan.18-22

I’m so excited - I’m going scuba diving again with Khao Lak Scuba Adventures here on Thailand’s West coast

I’ll be on the boat Manta Queen from Jan. 18 – 22, 2009. I’ll be doing 4 dives a day the first 3 days and then 2 dives on the fourth day – at the Similan Islands, Koh Bon, Koh Tachai, and hopefully Richelieu Rock (my favorite) if the weather is good and the sea calm enough to go there – which wasn’t the case the last two trips from what I heard. I’m really looking forward to this second liveaboard and hope it’ll be as good as the one back at the beginning of November If you want to know more about the company, boat, dive sites, etc. check out their website:

www.khaolakscubaadventures.com

By the way, I uploaded some more pictures this week, but they’re still from back in November when I was traveling in Laos. My favorite pics are the ones from the Gibbon Experience – staying in a treehouse and zipping through the jungle for 3 days :)

Take care!

LIVEABOARD – DAY 2: Similan Islands + SWIMMING with TURTLES!

Another great day, pretty much the same as yesterday:

Dive # 1: Shark Fin Reef

Dive # 2: Elephant Head Rock

Dive # 3: Three Trees: lots of stressed-out triggerfish  and later 2 leopard sharks

Then we leave the Similan Islands and head North.

Dive # 4: NIGHTDIVE – Koh Tachai

But the coolest thing about today was the break after lunch: The cook threw the leftovers from lunch into the water which normally only attracts fish, but this time also TWO TURTLES swam to our boat and then we all jumped into the water with our masks and snorkels and we were SIMMING WITH THE TURTLES! The smaller one was a little shy, but the bigger one kept coming back, swimming towards us repeatedly. I must admit I was a little scared at first because the turtle was quite big (you’ll see the pictures soon!) and it kept swimming towards me (I thought it was going to bump into me or bite me or something like that) and the other people snorkeling. But once I realized that it was a very friendly turtle I became more relaxed and started to touch it as it swam by. Later I became so fascinated by the turtle that I started feeding it a banana. It was one of the most amazing moments in my life, to watch this turtle so closely. It was almost unreal! I spent one hour in the water – until we had to get back on the boat for the next dive briefing. PICTURES WILL FOLLOW

By the way: Alles Gute zum Geburtstag, Mama!

LIVEABOARD – DAY 1: Similan Islands

WHAT A GREAT DAY!  I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE SCUBA-DIVING ON LIVEABOARDS

7:00: wake-up call and small breakfast for those who want; I don’t I sleep until the 2nd wake-up call = briefing

7:30: briefing

8:17-9:02: DIVE # 1 – East of Eden

9:30: breakfast

11:00: briefing

11:44-12:28: DIVE # 2 – West of Eden

13:00: lunch

then sundeck or trip to the beach of one of the Similan Islands - sundeck for me

14:45 briefing

15:23-16:20: DIVE # 3 – Anita’s Reef

17:00: snack

18:30 briefing

19:14-19:49: DIVE # 4 (NIGHTDIVE with torches) – Honeymoon Beach

20:30: dinner

WHAT A DAY! The diving was really good!!! The instructors are competent and nice! The Thai staff is super-friendly and super-helpful! The food is delicious and plenty! The boat is comfortable! I’M LOVIN’ IT!

Starting my SCUBA-DIVING LIVEABOARD to the Similan Islands :)

Having breakfast at the “Stempfer’s Cafe” because the have delicious German wholewheat bread! Later I update my blog in an internet cafe (1 baht per minute) – it’s less expensive here than on Ko Phi Phi, but still more expensive than in Bangkok. At 5 pm I meet Priska for dinner, and at 6:30 pm I go to KHAO LAK SCUBA ADVENTURES because I’m going on a 4 DAY / 4 NIGH LIVEABOARD – scubadiving in the Similan Islands I’m so excited! I have been very much looking forward to this trip for quite a while now!!! So, there I meet:

- the dive-instructors/divemasters: Chris from Belgium, Andrea and Rodriguez (Dodi) from Spain, and Tik from Thailand; Vicky from New Zealand (the videographer); Neil from the US (might work for the company in the future)

- the divers: Jenna (Northern Ireland – my roommate), the guys: Sebastien (France, lives in Switzerland), Davide (Italy), Antonio (Spain), Laurent (France), Javier (Spain), Dirk and David (Germany), the couples: Karen & Jason (UK), Samantha & Steven (UK), Melanie & Armin (?) (Switzerland), a couple from the Netherlands (forgot their names).

After a 30-minute-drive we arrive at the harbour, take off our shoes (NO SHOES for the next 4 days) and get on the boat, the MANTA QUEEN I, where we will be spending the next 4 days doing nothing but SCUBA-DIVING, eating & drinking, sleeping and relaxing – and talking about the dives (4 dives per day, 14 dives altogether)

Jenna and I are lucky as we are upgraded from a 4-bed cabin to a 2-bed cabin She is really nice and it turns out that she also did one liveaboard before – just like me – with CDC (Cairns Dive Center) in Australia. What a funny coincidence!

Before we take off a small ritual takes place at the front of the boat and then we leave the harbour – it’s pitch-dark and quite amazing how the captain finds his way in the middle of the night…

Just before I fall asleep to the rocking of the boat and the sound of the engine, I remember that it’s ELECTION DAY TODAY in the US and I wonder whether Obama is going to make it… I will only find out in 4 days as there is no cell phone reception out in the Andaman Sea.