.......as I was saying......

We're back. Sorry for the time away, but from here on out, we will try and post every day. I'm sure there are many who have forgotten about this blog, and who could blame them, but if you are reading this and know of others who may enjoy reading along, let them know. I have checked and the comment function on this blog does work.

*****

For starters, you may know that this trip began with me (Lou) arriving in Thailand early to try and become a dive master. Well, seven weeks and eighty eight dives later (excluding many hours spent on the bottom at six metres, practicing the required skills), I am a PADI certified dive master. Not a super big deal, but it is the most time consuming step in becoming a dive instructor, which I will complete over the next twelve months. I had some great experiences, made some good friends, and spent almost every day diving and talking with interesting people from all over the world. Oh, and I also spent twelve hours of almost every sunny and warm day either on a boat or in the 29 degree water. It was OK, I guess.

Koh Chang is a quite island and most days the staff finish up at the dive shop and head home for an early night, preparing for the next day of diving. So when the opportunity for a party comes along, this group is all in. There are birthdays and going away parties, but the most common celebrations happen after a dive student has completed one of the upper level training programs, either dive master or instructor. At these parties, which happen at the BB Diver's bar in Lonely Beach and are attended by all the BB staff, staff from other dive shops, their partners and assorted customers of the dive shop, there is a particular rite of passage called the snorkel test. I had the chance to see it over the weeks I was on Koh Chang as other students completed their training. It involves wearing a dive mask with an attached snorkel which goes in your mouth - one can only breath through the snorkel. Attached to the top of the snorkel is a large funnel. During the test a large bucket of booze - in my case a very strong vodka/Coke mix - is poured into the funnel and ones next breath can only be taken after the snorkel is cleared of liquid. I spoke with Kim via FaceTime later that night and she thinks I was pretty funny to talk with. The dives the following day were less funny.

*****

On December twentyfourth I bid Koh Chang adieux, heading to Bangkok to gather sweet Kim. We returned to the city at 3:30am Christmas morning and spent three, relatively un-eventful days in Bangkok. We boated up and down the river, slept late and often, ate good food, drank more than was good for us, and generally rested after a busy few weeks for the both of us. 

Yesterday we traveled Bangkok - Trat, on our way to Cambodia. Trat was our initial stop way back when we first came to Thailand. We spent yesterday and today remembering our previous trip, looking up old sights, re-visiting the many markets. There is some sort of festival at the " healthy park" tonight; we heard music and crowds as we drifted off last night, so tonight we will go see what's up there. We also found a little club with live music and expensive beer which we will check out after 7:30. Dinner is at the food stalls of the night market and then it's back to our rooms, preparing for our departure, for now, from Thailand to Cambodia. We leave at 10:00am.

Below are some photos of Trat.