Saturday, April 6, 2013

Koh Tao: My Bicycle and Dives

My bicycle squeeks in a mesmorizing rhythm as I ride. The chipped paint and worn seat sing a song of years of use and abuse as a rental bike. Its chain skips and dances as I ride over bumps and hills. The gears are just for looks; everything is rusted in place. Luckily the bike never goes fast enough to need solid brakes. I'm sure it hasn't seen a proper tune up in its life, poor soul. It's seen better days for sure. But these days are mine and I'll make them count.
*****
 
The past few days have swept by like a raging tide. Thankfully, I've been underwater mostly, exploring the dive sites around Koh Tao and filming. On land, I've been editing footage and getting accustomed to the routine of things on the island. Topside my anchor points are Oceans Below, Scuba Junction, and Kookkai... and 7-Eleven. I'm usually withing shouting distance of any one of those places- or diving.
 
Thanks to Oceans Below and Scuba Junction, I am filming and edited my diving experience on Koh Tao. Here are my first two days diving:
 
April 5 - Aow Leuk / Hin Ngam
 
 
April 4 - Mango Bay / Twins:
 

Tuesday, April 2, 2013

Round 2: Koh Tao

Beads of sweat trickle down my forehead gathering above my eyelids. With one blink I unleash a waterfall down my cheeks and chin. Wiping my forehead with my forearm, I make a futile attempt to clear away the sweat. It's sweltering hot here. Goodbye, winter. Hello, Koh Tao.

*****

It's been a while since my last post- over a year... I have gotten out of the habit of logging into these things and before I knew it, a year pass. There are worse things but I figured some sort of explanation was due...

I am now writing from Koh Tao, Thailand. The island is saturated with dive shops and tourist boutiques. Motorbikes zip along the road while tourists in their bikinis and board-shorts meander the streets looking for the best deals. It's incredibly western, but thankfully I'm staying in a house away from the frenzy and the crowds on the northern edge of town (past Coral Grand).

I have come here to take an underwater videography course and internship as well as to complete my open water scuba instructor certification. For the next 2 months I'll be here filming with Oceans Below and Scuba Junction then earning my OWSI. I am so grateful to have the opportunity to share my experience with others through film and instructing. I am also looking forward to cooling off by swimming most of the day. Sanuk!