Day 36: Ko Tao and Diving

I know we haven't posted in quite a while, so I'll just give a quick update right now. Two days after the full moon party, we took a boat taxi over to bottle beach on Ko Pha Ngan. This was a generator run beach that only had power at certain hours of the day, and internet was 5 Baht a minute, so we didn't get a chance to get on and write another post. Stayed there for three days, and actually upon arrival met three wicked Canadian girls. Upon further conversation, turns out that they're actually from St. Albert, which was quite surprising. Talked to them for a while and ended up staying at the same resort that we were.

Spent a whole day on the beach hanging out and having a really good time. The subject comes up that they actually ran into some other people from St. Albert at Hat Rin before the full moon party. They give a name, and it turns out to be none other than Steve Jackson. I know that most of you besides my friends don't actually know anything about him, but it's a guy that I went to Kindergarten and high school with. Hung out with him a bit, and realized that for some people, High School is a life long adventure that they just don't get past.

Dad, above and to the right is the picture I mentioned in the comments section so you can show Grandma
We spent the next three days at this relatively secluded beach playing loads of frisbee, and basically just relaxing. All in all, it was a great experience, and I think I would go back at the drop of a hat. Again we got a beach bungalow for $15 a night with another fantastic view, and we bought a hammock, so we could waste away the hours lying around reading and relaxing.

Being the rock hopper that I am, I spent a lot of time with one of the girls exploring all the rocks that shoulder the beach. Mike and Nevin were pretty pleased to sit around and read, but I was in a more adventurous mood.

This morning, we took a ferry to Ko Tao, an island renowned for it's amazing scuba diving, and wouldn't ya know it, we're all now magically signed up to become PADI certified scuba divers. (Mom, Dad, may need to get that loan before planned.) Instruction starts tonight, and our first session is tomorrow during the day. It sounds like we get five or six dives, all at different depths, and the company that we are going with sounds great.

Right now I'm trying to download Skype on this computer so I can phone Mr. Tenove. Turns out Mike isn't feeling good at all, so he and Nevin are down at the clinic right now trying to figure out what's up. From the symptoms that I've seen, it looks like a pretty weird fever, but I'm sure he'll be kicking again in no time at all.

We're all doing great and still absolutely loving it over here. Mike's a bit choked because he worries that he may not be able to do the scuba, but we'll wait here as long as we have to so we can all get it. Everything is good over here, and I hope that everything is fantastic at home. We will phone all of you when we get the chance, and you'll see some pictures of our more than fantastic tans right away.