1. SCUBA (according to Shea and Shannon)
Holy scuba! Koh Tao's coral reefs did us well. Shan and I spent 4 days (and a mere $300 USD) earning our Open Water SCUBA Certifcation. I can pretty accurately sum this experience with: BEST THING EVER. All you SCUBAers out there, you know what I mean.
The class was a combination of classroom theory (equipment, safety hazards, marine life, etc) and open water practicals (DIVING!). We had a total of five dives at four different locations. Shan and I were quite nervous when we began. I dida mini-scuba session a few years ago during one of my family vacations to Mexico and I remember really struggling to breath underwater using the respirator--I would hypervenelate and have to stand up in the pool we were practicing in. Shannon had her concerns, too: what if we ran out of air?! Despite our initial uneasiness, our instructor, Helen, was AMAZING and she made us feel so comfortable in the water. We spent the first dive morning in chest deep water practicing how to breath, what to do when your mask comes off, how to work the equipment in the water, how to be a good diving buddy, etc., and later moved to practice these same skills in 2 or 3 meters of water. When it came time to make our first 12 meter dive, we felt more than ready.
How can I even begin to describe the dives? Gosh. Well first off, Koh Tao is a world-class diving site; people come from all over the globe for the main purpose of diving in the islands' breathtaking reefs. Alright everbody, think back to your high school marine biology classes: where do we find the most life in the oceans? Where there's coral and where there's kelp...which makes these IDEAL places to see all sorts of sea creatures. Scuba diving in Koh Tao was a little bit like swimming around an aquariam but better with even more life....and a little bit bluer.
The reefs were absolutely teeming with life. We saw all different types of coral, trigger fish, sting rays, a SHARK! (no, just kidding), angel fish, sea anemones, NEMO!, sea erchins, groupers, and my absolute favorite, christmas tree worms. Christmas tree worms look like little bright, feathery christmas trees and if you wave your hand in the water near them they protectively pull all their feathers into a small, hidden bud. I had seen these on the Little Mermaid but who knew they were so fun and beautiful in real life. Needless to say, our dives were absolutely incredible expeiences. It was so crazy to look above you and see a ceiling of water. No complications, although Shannon and I quickly learned that laughing into your respirator means a maks flooded with salty ocean water. We had a hard time controlling our underwater giggles so we tried not to look at each other too much once we were submerged. In between dives we would relax on the boat eating fresh island fruit, laying on and jumping off of the top of the boat, and conversing with the other scuba-ers. Óne of my favorite parts of this trip has been enjoying all the different people we get to interact with, both locals and travelers. We have met only a handful of Americans. Most of the foreigners tend to be Europeans or Asians. This has been such a cool experience for me, especially as this is the first time I've ever really traveled outside of the US.
All in all, a scuba was great experience and I'm already itching to get my Advanced Certifcation. Until then, we are looking forward to scuba diving while in Vietnam...and Laura will be joining us next time, too!
2. Island Pups (according to Shannon)
If Rai Lay was kitty cat island, Koh Tao was the island of pups! Anyone who knows me better believe I was having a hay-day! I played with a cute little black dog named Simba for about an hour in the ocean while I watched the sun go down. It made me miss my little pup, the amazing and wonderfully talented Yogi! There was even a little beagle called Trigger, named after the very mischievous Trigger fish. She lived up to her name and proved to be a cute little bugger sniffing everything, walking on people's towels getting them all sandy and running after birds always unsuccessful in catching them. We love the feeling of having our own little local pet for the day! Laura and I sure are animal lovers. Shea is a dog lover, not so much ze kitties.
3. Straight Chillin (according to Laura)
Of the islands we visited, by far the most chill. Still plenty of tourists, but the feel is v. relaxed, locals are friendly and accomodating. As I opted out of the dive I spent some wonderful days doing my own thing on the island. Our dorm mates were two lovely Scottish girls, Janna and Lauren, with whom we immediately befriended. I spent the first day motorbiking with them across the island enjoying the scenic beach views and fruit shake stands (sweltering days call for cold fruit drinks). I think my favorite part was that although we spent the day apart, I would meet up with Shea and Shan in the afternoon and lounge on our beach front patio as the sun set, drinking a cold beer, recapping our days as the longboats floated serenely on the bay and the water lapped at our feet. Wow, a cheesy sentence, but all so true. So many adventures, but always ending in the glory of the Koh Tao straight chillin.
4. Mint Kitchen (according to Laura)
A wonderful restaurant inland on Koh Tao. A suggestion of a local to the Scottish girls, we trekked up a dark road beyond the small busy center and alone on the tiny road rests Mint Kitchen. Run by a Thai man and his wife, the two make all of the food fresh on the spot. Of course this means quite a bit of wait time, but hey, that's thai time for you. Worth the wait, the food was so fantastic. Our curiousity caused us to order an item called "noname". It ended up being a delicious mix of veg and spices fried up into miraculous patties of joy. So good we went back the next morning for breakfast, and oh, more fruit shakes. Thank you Koh Tao for this foodie experience that rivals Boulder standards.
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