I Just Want To Celebrate

As previously posted, we arrived in Phuket on the 14th and now, I honestly wish we could stay here just a few days longer. I feel bad for getting my PADI certification and leaving us with just one day to go off to the neighbouring islands. Whatever the case, I hope that I will get a chance to return to Phuket again, maybe this time with my family or a couple of friends!

Landing into Phuket:


In our transfer to the hotel from the airport. Right that instant, I’m sure I was wondering how soon I could get into my bathers and into the beautiful waters:


Tim always wanted a shot of people being carted around like pigs on the backs of pickups and lorries. It’s strange to me because it is so common here in Asia that I don’t even think twice about it. In fact, I’ve sat in the back of pickups many a time before:

We arrived at the hotel in the late afternoon and were pleased to find that it had a nice view, a nice firm bed and was spacious enough for the two of us to fight without destroying the furniture.

The front of the hotel:


The view from the balcony, overlooking the tiny pool. You can see in the top right-hand corner that the beach was right across the road:


Our toilet/ shower combo. As usual, Tim left the toilet seat up:


The bedroom:


The side chillout area by the large window. We got amazing views of the sunset from here:


In the nearby cafe along the beach:


Further up the beach from our hotel:


A typical sunset during a cloudy day in Phuket:

That first night, we didn’t venture very far, just nearby the area our hotel was at and we discovered where the Internet café, the ATM and the nearest massage parlour were!


The 2nd day, we spent a day at the beach where we found ourselves amongst ridiculous numbers of fat, White tourists baking in the sun, with many of the women going topless as well. There were some real Narcissists out there oiling themselves up and strutting around in their g-strings. And those are just the men I’m talking about. Later that day, as day turned to night, I booked myself in for a 3-day PADI Open Water Diver course that would start the very next day. Worried that Tim would be bored shitless while I was doing my course, I agreed to rent a small bike with him to scoot around on and explore Phuket.

Trying to look tough on that jalopy:

Of course, we took the bike out for a ride and stumbled onto the tourist area, what they call Beach Road along Patong. It was touristy as hell and I was glad that our hotel wasn’t situated along that stretch.

Tim being an idiot along Bangla Road:


The shops, bars and restaurants along the roads. It is said that when the Tsunami wave hit the island, it came up to halfway up this road and then washed out:


Racers available for rent, aside from the small bikes (like the one we rented) and the big, noisy Harley Davidsons:



On the 3rd day, I had my classroom tutorials and confined dives in the pool for training. Obviously, I couldn’t take any pictures but I thoroughly enjoyed myself.


The 4th day and I’m on to do my first two open water dives! Yay for me! I leave the hotel at 7:30am and I’m brought to the pier from which we will travel to Racha Yai island for our dives.

The Tourist Pier:


My French instructor Yann on the left with his morning coffee. He has the funniest accent:


Me with the scuba tanks and a jasmine and orchid garland around my neck:


Our equipment:




On board our dive boat the Similan Queen, part of the Scandinavian Divers' fleet. We're docked at Racha Yai:


A pirate boat!

I successfully did both dives and passed a few of the tests required to receive my certification that day. I returned to the hotel with a big grin on my face and more than happy with my choice to do my dive course in Phuket.


Our 5th day and I’m on the last day of my course. I’ve got two more dives to go and again, we head to Racha Yai, but this time at a different spot from the day before.

The West Coast Discovery, a boat owned by my diving school, West Coast Divers:


On our way to Racha Yai:


Two Europeans, Seagren and Howard from the UK, joining Yann and me on our dive for their refresher course. They hadn’t dived for 4 years and looked like they really enjoyed diving in the tropics:


An Israeli gentleman I met who was in Phuket for his birthday with his wife. He was telling me how much he wished she was there diving with him. He had some amazing stories of his life as a refugee during the war and showed me how, due to lack of documentation, his passport states his birth date as 00/00/1935:


The novel from which he tried to teach me a little Hebrew:


This guy here gave me a full congratulations after he found out I had just passed my dive course. Subsequently, everytime I walked pass him on the boat, he’d burst out in a shower of congrats:


Kenny Greg, a cave-diver from Louisiana who had some pretty funny stories to tell as well. After a long chat, we agreed to meet up for dinner in Patpong that night:


Our boat manager Ian, from England:


Yann giving the thumbs-up as he signs and officiates my PADI certification:

Photos hosted by: www.flickr.com

That night, as promised, Tim and I meet up with Kenny and we have pizza at the Pizza Company along Bangla Road. We had a great time listening to his tales and parted our ways with well wishes.
Tim and I then went off to get our tickets for today's trip to the Phi Phi Islands, as well as a mask and snorkel for me.
More in the next post!