Koh Tao II

As it turned out, my wound got infected after all and with the climate in Thailand, I had no other option then to take anti-biotic pills to stop the inflammation. It also meant that I could not go into the water for several days more.

It was also good to see my friends again on Samui, so that was very nice. I just was able to catch up with 2 of them, Bas and Simon, who were about to leave for the Perenthian Islands, off the coast of Malaysia, where they would teach. I pondered if I would go that way later on, but for now I wanted to go to Koh Tao. It was very good to see them though.

After about a week, I made my way to Koh Tao, taking the Lomprayha catamaran ferry this time, as I had been plenty of times on the Seatran ferry, as part of my diving whilst living on Koh Samui. A relaxing journey, while sitting on the front of the boat in the sun, brought me back to the Turtle Island, as Koh Tao translates from Thai.

At Planet Scuba, where I was to finish up my MSDT, I met up again with my friends on Koh Tao, and it was great to see them again too. It is great to have friends in various locations!

I initially got a room at the same place where I stayed on KT the first time, but I now have moved to another, nicer location. This time, I got a bigger room and a large balcony from which I can see the sea partially. Also my Dutch friends Shirley and Ties live in one of the apartments, so that is good fun too.

The wind has turned in this part of the world, coming from the West instead of the East, resulting in less waves usually. It is supposed to be a great time of the year with sunshine and the occasional rain shower. The west-side of Thailand with Pucket has got now its off season with the monsoon rains coming in from the Indian Ocean. However, after some warm and humid days, I rained quite a bit with overcast skies and waves. I was able to dive again, despite the fact that my wound is not fully healed yet, but as such the diving at the various sites is less good with not so good visibility.

There aren’t that many tourists yet on the island, but all should get better after the full moon of the 18th of June and all the way through July and August. By that time, I will need to do a visa run to extend my stay in Thailand. If I will stay here is then to be seen. It is still quite some time away.

Apart from diving, I have made another investment in myself and have taken up yoga which is absolutely great. The last several years, my body has tensed up more and more, possibly due to age (LOL), less sports activities, driving cars and working in an office possibly. There are almost daily 2-hour sessions at this amazing location with fun, but tough exercises in a great atmosphere. After only doing this for 10 days or so, I already feel my body loosening and opening up. Hopefully, this will bring me more relaxation and physical well-being. If all goes well, I will most definitively continue this when I get back to Amsterdam.

Yes, I have made a decision and am planning to stay in Amsterdam for a while, with no immediate plans to go to some other place in the world. I will move back into my own apartment and need to find a new job. As it seems, that should not be a big problem, as I even got a call from a Dutch headhunter on my Thai mobile asking if I was interested in a position at some company!

So, dear friends and family, I will return the end of September to The Netherlands for an indefinite time and am already looking forward seeing you all again!

Doei, doei!
g.