With only a few hours left before our departure at midnight tonight, we make the best of it … pool, beach, Thai food, relax, beach massage and dinner with friends.

And then it’s time to head to the airport and tackle a 24 hrs trip back to SFO (via ICN).

Bye bye Thailand!

What has become almost a must-do will be my 3^rd time: a day trip with John Gray’s Sea Canoe to Phang Na Bay. While Kristina & Clae hang back at the hotel (the tour schedule is not in Kody’s best napping-interest), I have to pleasure to bring Kirk & my parents on this great excursion!

After we depart from Ah Po pier, we get our instructions from Eiw, our guide leader, as well as a great lunch. And soon enough, we’re at the first island of the day: Hong Island. Everybody gets into their canoe (2 people plus the “driver”), and off we go. Thru the cave into the hong (lagoon inside the island) we go …

After some free time (for self-paddling or swimming), we head to our 2^nd island, where we are working on building our kratongs (offerings) before heading out on 1 more canoe trip by daylight. Thru the bat cave, we reach the 2 lagoons tucked away in the island. Back on the ocean, we paddle around “a corner” to the next entrance: the oyster cave! And while we’re all steering clear of the sharp edges of the oyster shells that giove the cave its name, one of the canoes gets too close to them and pffffttt … a quarter of the air is out! (But no worries, nobody’s sinking just yet!)

Then it’s time for dinner (great food, again!), followed by our night paddle tour into the bat cave. Here is where we light the kratongs and let the float (a Thai / original Chinese tradition for a festival in November).

And after an hour boat ride back, we’re on our way to the hotel for some well deserved sleep!

As we’re getting into the 2^nd half of our 2^nd week in Thailand, we need to get some moew sightseeing and also some shopping done! Therefore, Kristina ,Clae, Kody, Heidi, Rainer, Kirk & I are headed towards the southern part of the Phuket Island again.

First stop on today’s route:  WatChalong, the island’s largest temple. With several buildings throughout the complex, an hour plus is quickly spent with just short visits into each of them. Temple workers are also lighting firecrackers in the fireplace outside, as part of this week’s Thai New Year celebration.

After that, we’re continuing on, to the Big Buddha. Being built since 2007 (main construction is completed), this statue represents the largest Buddha statue in Thailand! Quite impressive by itself, the stunning views into all directions are an added bonus!

Then it is time for a late lunch, followed by shopping at the Phuket Town market hall (mall), where locals and tourists alike spend their money.

What a day!

Nothing to report … other than: spent time at the beach, swam in the ocean, swam in the pool, sat in the sun (and the shade and the sun) and not to forget getting a beach massage!

Rainer is headed for an hour of sailing in the early evening, before we’re a

ll heading to the Ginja Restaurant for dinner, to celebrate that Kirk & I are officially home owners today! (Well, it’s still the 12^th back in the U.S.).

Happy New Year Thailand! (April 13^th)

After a breakfast at the room (all 7 of us), Kirk & I are heading out for some sightseeing in Phuket Town, and we are in for quite some sights indeed!

Not only do we see scooters loaded with up to 4 people (saw 5 the day before, but no photo to prove it), but several parts of the main town that even I had not been to before! After being dropped off at the Clock tower downtown, we pass the Hock Guan Kong temple before heading to Old Town, where Chinese and Portuguese (?) influences are (somewhat) still visible.

Then we check out the Wat PuttamongkonNimit temple, where/when the heat and humidity are slowly but surely getting to us. After a quick break, we are back on the road, strolling north & south thru Phuket, discovering the bus transfer station (huh?) and then a nice, air-conditioned hotel lobby bar with great mango shakes!

Then we’re heading past the market hall (no shopping today!) to lunch in Phuket Bay. After our Tuk Tuk picks us back up and takes us downtown, we’re ready for the shuttle back to the hotel.

After the first week having been dedicated to diving, the 2nd week gets kicked off by meeting up with some for fellow travelers: Kirk and my parents!

Kirk is waiting at Patong pier as we get back from the boat, ready to jump in the van with us to go to the Twin Palms resort for Sunday Brunch, where my parents are joining us as well. Together with Thien, Miz, Renee, Dave and Dan, we’re all enjoying a great meal before we head up to the JW Marriott/Phuket Beach Club for a week of relaxation!

Monday morning is here before you know it … and we have a full schedule for today! But it’s all fun! Packed in a mini van, Kristina, Clae, Kody, Wes, Heidi, Rainer, Kirk & I (plus our driver) are heading south to Kata, where the Kok Chang Safari elephant ride awaits. With its beautiful (and huge) animals ready for us, we head up the hills through the jungle, to the view point, where Wes and Kirk then jump into their respective “driver seats” and we’re heading back down the hill.

Next, we’re off to Kata Beach, where we say Good Bye to Thien, before hitting the shops at Karon Beach. Souvenirs anyone!?

Our lunch stop is the Natural Restaurant in Phuket Town, with more great Thai Food. And since time flies when you’re having fun, it is almost 3pm when we’re done … time to head to the airport and drop off Wes, who is flying back that evening.

Our 3rd and last day of diving is coming up quickly and as we are heading back south past the Surin Islands, our 1st dive of the day is at Twin Peaks (Koh Tachai). Beautiful underwater rock formations (boulders), paired with colorful fish and corals, we have a great dive before breakfast.

Also the 2nd dive offers great underwater views and another great diving experience … my last dive on this trip.

The last night-BBQ party is in full swing when a short but hefty thunderstorm with heavy rain & winds comes – and goes after just a few minutes. And the final morning includes some fun group photos, before we all headed out into different directions.

The 2nd day in the water was all about Richelieu Rock, one of the most famous dive sites in the area. Named by Jacques Cousteau, supposedly after the French Cardinal from the middle age (remember the bad guy in The 3 Musketeers?) for his purple clothes, this dive site shows off its beautiful soft corals (purple!) and wide variety of fish throughout all of today’s dives.

While the first 2 dives go well, I have to cut the 3rd one short as we go down to 90+ feet a bit too quickly given the (very) poor visibility. Oops … well, all came out fine!

Big sights today include the Cuttlefish and a group

of Durban Dancing Shrimp … and for some in the group a Yellow Tiger Tail Seahorse and a Harlequin Shrimp!

After our arrival at the Patong pier, our group gets transferred to the dive boat via longtail boat. We explore our cabins and the rest of the ship, before it’s dinner time … our first of may great meals on board!

On Thursday, we get a bit of a delayed start (the ship’s air compressor to refill the dive tanks is broken), but soon enough we are in the water at Anita’s Reef (Coral Reef) in the Similan Islands National Park. “Team East Bay” is made up from Wes, Clae, Kristina and I plus our dive guide Kristian (from Seattle/Denmark), and we’re off to see some life under water.

The 2nd dive that afternoon is at West Ridge (Koh Bon) brings more of the same … beautiful underwater scenery and fish!

It’s been too long since the last vacation, but since we’ve got the next couple of days to get into it (before “part 1” of the trip gets started: the dive boat). Relaxing at the beautiful Marriott Beach Club at Mai Khao Beach, we get in the right mood!

First day is Monday, and we have our first beach massage that morning! What a way to kick things off! Add pool time, ocean stroll and more relaxation and the day is “packed” with important things to cover! The following day, Wes joins us at the hotel, to enjoy some sun and a massage at the beach as well.

Ready to get into dive mode, we are heading out of the hotel on Wednesday, down to Kata Beach, where we meet up with Thien and Miz and get all set up for a refresher-dive off the beach. Practicing your basics is helpful when your last dive was over 1 1/2 years ago!

Ready … set … go! By 5:30pm we’re getting on the “school bus” (per Kody) which takes us to Patong Beach, where the “Scuba Explorer” awaits! Also on this trip: Renee, who had been on the liveaboard with us 5 years ago.