Ko Tao. Still.

This is our 5th day on Ko Tao. Our open water scuba course is finished this afternoon and the original plan was to move on to Ko Pha Ngan, another island just to the south of here. However, we are loving our dive school and our instructor and have decided to stick around for another 2 days to get our advanced scuba certification. This means we'll be able to dive down to 100 feet rather than 60 and we'll get another 5 dives in while we are here. It's cheaper to do this certification here than in the U.S. and Tyson will feel more comfortable doing dives in other places having several more course dives under his belt. Plus, there's a chance for us to do a dive where we will see sharks! And maybe a whale shark! If I see a whale shark, I will probably explode with exitement. Seriously.

We did our first two open water dives yesterday, one at a reef called Japanese Gardens and another at Twin Rocks. The visibilty was great and we saw so many beautiful corals and fish. Tyson is a natural under the water and it's really great to share this underwater experience with him. Before leaving the States, I purchased a "Relief Band," which is this bracelet that sends a small electromagnet pulse to your wrist every four seconds and is supposed to keep you from getting seasick. I am thrilled to report that it works! I did not get seasick at all yesterday during our boat time or after. That band will change my life!

Anyway, I think my first post on Bangkok might have given an impression that we didn't like it there and that isn't true. The second day we were in Bangkok, we took the Skytrain (elevated train) to the Chaya Prao River. We successful dodged the ripoff "tourist" ferry for 150 baht and found the local express boat for 12 baht each. We were so proud of ourselves for finding the cheaper boat! The river is really busy, with ferry boats, long tail boats, and shipping barges. It was pretty easy to figure out how to pay and where to get on and off. We got off at the Khao San Road area (the backpacker haven)and set out to find where our bus would leave the next day for Ko Tao. After lunch and finding the bus stop, we wound up hiring a tuk tuk that brought us to several wats (temples) and of course a tailor shop. The tuk tuk drivers get a commission if they bring you to the tailor shop and the tailors hope that you buy a suit from them. We passed for now (hoping to get suits made in Vietnam at Hoi An)and the next stop was at a tourist office that is run by the Thai government. We purchased a trek and accommodations in Chiang Mai while we were in the tourist office and are still questioning whether that was a good decision. We probably could have found cheaper options once we arrived but sometimes it's nice to have everything sorted out ahead of time. We made a pact that if we find out we got ripped off, we won't ever do that again!

We made our way home on a long-tail taxi boat through one of the canals that runs east-west through Bangkok. Thankfully, a kind Thai man on his commute home from work helped us figure out what stop we should get off to make it back to our hostel. Tyson and I were the only non-Thais on the boat. And the people who collected the fares were hanging on the outside of the boat from ropes, wearing hardhats (and jelly sandals)!

In summary, this day in Bangkok was filled with travel and sights but most importantly, we met at least 5 Thai people on the street who were incredibly friendly, kind and helpful. At first, we were very suspicious of their willingness to help, but we soon learned that that's just the way it is here. It sucks you in, excites you, calms you, and above all else, leaves you with the feeling that everything is going to be alright (or much better than alright).

So much more to write but it's time to dive!