One passport, one bag, one great adventure...

Whale Sharks and Wrecks

kendrac_1 — Mon, 7 May 2012 14:13:00 GMT

In just over a month I will be heading home, after a much longer trip than originally anticipated. This time I will be coming home. Although I'm still enjoying my time on the island, it is not a place I can see staying much longer. If you are not diving, there is very little on the island to do to fill you time. Days off often involve sitting in a cafe of the at the dive school facebook creeping, or watching the fox crime channel (one of the only english channels we have).

Last week I spent three days working on my Deep, Nitrox and Wreck Specialities. Big Blue offers the three bundled at a reduced rate for DMTs, so one of the specialities ended up being free. Day one we did some theory, did a deep dive to 30m and learned to follow reels blinded underwater in a theoretical silted situation that can occur in wrecks. Day 2 we did two nitrox dives on our Wreck, the HTMS Sattuka (thai name), a World War II American war ship. Day 3 was the big day. Diving in 40m and Wreck penetration! Both dives were supposed to occur in the morning, our first being to 40m. Often at depths greater than 24m people experience some level of nitrogen narcosis, a "high" like feeling that disappears as you ascend to a shallower depth. Going to 40m we all expected to feel narced to some degree. No one in our group showed obivious signs of being narced and we were all able to solve math problems at depth, although maybe a bit slower then at the surface. Dive 2 was supposed to be our wreck penetration, but the capitan of our boat had recieved word that a Whale Shark had been spotted at one of the other dive sites, so off we went. As a result our wreck penetration was pushed to the afternoon and we spent the second dive snorkeling. It turns out snorkeling was to our advantage though. Soon after we started swimming to the dive site, we spotted the whale shark. We spent over 30 minutes snorkeling with the whale shark, and as the shark spent most of the time swimming in the first 5m we had a better view than the divers.

That afternoon we headed to the to the wreck to do our wreck penetration. Our instructor set up the reels inside the wreck and in we went. AMAZING! and kind of terrifying at the same time. The stair wells are a tight squeeze and the hallways narrow, but we did it. We later headed to the Captains Cabin. While looking out to window of the cabin, I saw spots swim past. It was the same whale shark from the mornings dive! I make the signal for shark, but by the time my buddy and instructor look out, it's gone. They thought I was crazy. THe visibility was poor and just thought I was seeing something. WE exited the cabin and started to swim towards the buoy line at the bow. No sooner are we out, that the whale shark starts to swim to swim towards me. I was not seeing things! It was amazing. Whale sharks are rarely seen on the wreck, and have never been seen while in the wreck! We were the only divers at the site and it was nice to be able to swim alone with it.

It was a very eventful week, because the weekend following was the Save Koh Tao Festival. The Festival is a two day event to raise eco awareness and funds to ensure the reefs and local environment will be maintained for future divers. As one of the bigger dive schools on the island, Big Blue performs a dance each year. This year was the evolution of dance (it's a comedy number you can check out the original on youtube). Practicing 3 to 4 to times a week for a month paid off. We were amazing and the energy onstage was intense. We looked amazing in our recycled water bottle head bands and rocked out. The only minor glitch in our performance... the stage started to fall apart!

I'll be leaving Koh Tao now at the end of the month, heading to Bangkok and then make my way home. The course is going well and I'm hoping to have everything done in the next two weeks. After that, I can just relax and dive. Can't wait!

Photos: Koh Tao

kendrac_1 — Fri, 4 May 2012 13:37:00 GMT

I finally have some photos from Koh Tao, although I still haven't taken any myself. Mostly just stolen off facebook. Also included is one of our famous whale sharks!! This one we saw 3 days ago at one of my favourite dive sites.

Visa Run Round 2 and Songkran!

kendrac_1 — Fri, 20 Apr 2012 11:06:00 GMT

If you haven't guessed, my second visa run to malaysia was a success. I was able to get a 60 day tourist visa, which will take me to the end of my trip when I return at the beginning of June. I travelled with two of my fellow dive master trainees, on an over night boat and van to Pengang. From what I saw of the city it looked quite nice, but we barely spent 24 hours there before heading back to Koh Tao. While in Penang, we spoilt ourselves with western treat, the cinema, starbucks and pizza hut!

I have finally reached my 40 dives, which means I have been able to start assisting on courses. The second I reach my 40 I was out assisting my former instructor on an advances open water course and an open water course. Our open water ended yesterday morning, just in time for Songkran, Thai New Year.

In Thailand, New Years is celebrated with an all day water fight! Chaing Mai, is home to the worlds largest waterfight, as it lasts 7 days! In Koh Tao, Songkran is only celebrated for one day. When our longtail reached the shore after our dive, fell DMT, DMs and instructors were waiting for us with water guns, but we were also armed. It was an insane day! the Local runs around with water flour paste to rub on your faces. Ice water, however, is the best weapon!

I will not be posting as often as the first part of my trip. The Course takes up a lot of time, and it's a hassel carrying my laptop down to the town everytime I want to use it. The rest of the trip will almost be the same anyways... Diving, Diving and more Diving.

Visa Run: Round 1 Cambodia

kendrac_1 — Fri, 30 Mar 2012 23:08:00 GMT

I do not like Cambodia; especially Phnom Penh! I even tried to go in open minded, willing to give it a second shot as I travelled there thursday to apply for a new 60 day tourist visa for Thailand. I was looking forward to eating some Chicken Amok (probably my favourite dish I've eaten throughout my entire trip in Southeast Asia), and planning on walking around the city in hopes of finding a "nicer side" to the city.

Things started to go down hill soon after crossing the border into Cambodia. I had booked a return vip ticket to Phnom Penh from Bangkok. This was supposed to involve an aircon van/bus to the border leaving Bangkok at 7:00am, walking across the border and reboarding a vip aircon van/bus which would drop me off in the backpackers district of Phnom Penh. On the Cambodian side, I was shuffled into a large cramped bus. Thankfully, at the bus terminal I was buddied up with a young guy from the states, who teaches swing dancing in Bangkok and we were seated together. After leaving the terminal, we literally stopped every 5m throughout the city of Poi Pet picking up people. We continued to pick more people up along the way, and needless today, our bus that was supposed to arrive in Phnom Penh at 9:00pm, arrived well after midnight. My new buddy was unimpressed, as he was heading there for a dance showcase weekend and he managed to miss the entire social that was taking place.

On arriving in Phnom Pehn, we were dropped off at an unknown location, with no signs of guesthouses in sight. I stuck with my buddy as I had no idea where to look for accomodations, and he had a few options. The first place our tuk tuk took us was the most seedy looking guest house you could imagine. There is no other way to describe it other then Seedy. From here our Tuk Tuk driver suggested a different location, which we went to and were both able to book rooms. After a quick shower, I collapsed into bed, exhausted from the 16-17 hour trip.

The next morning I cringed at the sound of my alarm clock. I could have used another couple of hours sleep, but I was determined to get out and take care of my visa. I had a quick breakfast and hopped on a tuk tuk and headed to the Thai Embassy. In most countries, you can have a visa processed in less then 24 hours. You drop your passport and application off in the morning and by the afternoon it's done. Simple right? Wrong! in Cambodia, it takes 4 business days to process a visa; I was there on a friday. I would have had to stay until the next thursday in order to get my 60 visa. I was not willing to spend a week miserable in Phnom Penh! I decided I would return to Bangkok without it and collect my 15 day visa at the border.

The next days bus trip was a bit more enjoyable. I had a lovely Cambodian lady sitting next to me on the bus, that offered me some food of unknown origin, and kept smiling at me for the first part of the journey. I was later given a bunch of lychee fruit to snack on by a younger lady sitting behind me that was sharing fruit with all of her bus neighbours. It was a nice pick me up after a rotten 24 hours in Phnom Penh. Unfortunately, due to the nature of Cambodian buses, I missed my travel agency's last van back to Bangkok. Thankfully there was a private van of Norwegian girls headed for Bangkok. I explained the situation to the girls and they agreed to let me hop aboard for 200THB. I was so please to be back in Thailand and beginning my journey back to Koh Tao.

The next morning was Sunday, and I was finally in Bangkok on a weekend and able to go to Jatuchat Weekend market after booking my return trip to Bangkok. What a place! It is the largest open air market in the world and there is no other way to describe it but OVERWHELMING! But, at the same time incredible. I was able to find some good deals on some lighter shirts for my stay on koh tao, and finally able to replace my flip flops that were continuously falling apart. After spending an hour and a half wandering around I needed to leave before I spent to much!

After my crazy day of shopping I boarded a night bus and headed back to Koh Tao. And here I am. Back on the island and preparing to start my rescue and recovery course tomorrow morning. I have moved into the long term diving accomodations, which seem good. By the end of the week I will be a dive master in training!

Stay tuned for Visa Run: Round 2 Malaysia!

I have fallen in love...

kendrac_1 — Tue, 20 Mar 2012 16:29:00 GMT

... with diving.

So incase you haven't heard, I have extended my trip until June. After completing my advanced open water course, and an amazing night dive, I decided I would find a way to finance staying in Koh Tao for 2 extra months to do my Dive Master Training (DMT). Currently, I am in Koh Samui waiting to fly to Bangkok tomorrow to grab the luggage I had put in storage after my insane shopping trips in Vietnam. I will also be making a quick visa run to Cambodia while there.

The night dive, the final dive of my advanced open water course, was incredible! We dove the White Rock site, and were able to see a huge diversity of marine life. We saw our first blue spotted sting rays during this dive, great baracuda and reef squid. I was also lucky enough to see an adult green turtle sleeping under rocks. Our great baracuda encounter was one of the coolest. We watched as it hunted and caught it's meal. With the first snap, the Baracuda caught the tail of the fish, then quickly snatched up the head that began to float away.

Since finishing my course I spent one day doing 4 fun dives and another doing my first aid/cpr training required to do my dive masters. Needless to say, I've been busy and it will only get busier with doing my DMT. It takes people anywhere between 1 and 3 months to achieve their dive master so i've got my work cut out for me, but I'm extremely excited.

I'll sure to keep you updated as my training continues. I'll try and get some photos of the island, I just haven't had the opportunity to take any yet!

My New Dream...

kendrac_1 — Thu, 15 Mar 2012 02:49:00 GMT

... to become a diving beach bum. I use the term beach bum as a form of endearment.

I can't believe I have only been on Koh Tao for 4 days! it's unbelievable to think of! I am officially a certified Open Water Diver and can dive up to 18m; but, as of tomorrow, I will be an advanced adventure diver capable of diving up to 30m!

To be honest, I have barely seen any of the island, only a couple of streets near the dive school. At some point I will have to take a break from diving and check it out.

So far, I have done 6 dives, including a WWII shipwreck (it was intentionally sunk so technically not a real shipwreck). Tomorrow, we will do a navigation dive, fish id dive, night dive and a fun dive. I might have caught the diving bug though, as I am already planning on doing my rescue diving course next week after spending a few days doing fun dives. I am even checking to see if I can afford to stay 2 more months to become a dive master! Koh Tao is the cheapest place in the world to do you diving school and it is starting to seem like a better idea every day. I would certainly save money on having to make another trip back to do it. Even as I sit here typing this blog post my brain is battling over each senario. I will have to decide soon though so I can start switching flights!

Well, I have a 6am start tomorrow so it's off to bed for me. Rah dtrit sah-wat (good night!)

Railay - bruises galore!

kendrac_1 — Sat, 10 Mar 2012 20:02:00 GMT

Utterly terrifying! That is the only way I can describe rock climbing. I was only 1/2 way up a 25m climbing course on the face of an enormous cliff, hugging the rock for dear life wondering whether I am going to make it. Even though you're in a harness, and your instructor will make sure you don't fall, your natural instinct is to hold onto that rock and not fall. There was a couple of times where I wasn't sure if I was going to be able to climb the course and felt on the verge of a panick attack. I was lucky enough to pull my self together and make it the rest of the way up the course.

To me, the worst part was actually repelling down the cliff face after reaching the top. You had to straighten your legs and let go of the rock face and rope and hold your hands to the side as the instructor lowered me down. It may have been because I had no control over the situation. At the end of the day we hiked up through a cave and individually repelled down the cliff face. I actually felt better doing this, although it was at a much greater height, but I was controlling the speed of my descent.

All-in-all, the course was fantastic. Although I had paid for a full day group course, I ended up with a full day private lesson as no one else had signed up. I was able to to more climbs throughout the day, 9 in total plus repelling down the big cliff. One climb was rated 6a, which was much harder then the 5 rated climbs normally done by beginners. I also think I pushed my body harder as there were shorter breaks between climbs then there would have been with a group. As a result, we ended our day earlier then normal. I was exhausted!!!

My arms were quite stiff and tired day after the course, but yesterday they were worse! The entire arm tight and sore. I am also covered in bruises! I don't think I've had this many since I was a kid.

Yesterday afternoon I left Railay and began my over night journey to Koh Tao for my Open Water Diving Course. We drove from Krabi to Chumphon, where we borded an overnight ferry to Koh Tao. It was and interesting journey, but I surprisingly slept really well! Even with a large thai woman snoring, at a volume I have never experience before, in a nearby bunk. I made friends with a girl from Vancouver in the van from Krabi to Chumphon and we stuck together for the trip.

Arriving at Koh Tao at 6:00am, I had some time to kill while I waited for the taxi from Big Blue Diving to pick me up at 9:30am. For a while the other Canadian and I chatted with some other cotravellers from the ferry, and then decided to take a tour of the area around the pier. Nothing was open at this time, so after my new Canadian friend and i parted ways, I read in a restaurant until they opened for breakfast.

Although I didn't plan on starting my diving course until tomorrow, I have decided to start tonight. The course is 3 full days and this way I should be able to squeeze in some fun dives before it's time to head home. It's insane to think I will be home in only 12 days! Where have the last two months gone?!?!?

Photos: Railay

kendrac_1 — Sat, 10 Mar 2012 19:52:00 GMT

Don't judge the photos of me. I was exhausted after finishing my last climb of the day!

I was picked up by the police...

kendrac_1 — Sun, 4 Mar 2012 12:26:00 GMT

Well... I was picked up by the owner of my bungalow, who just happens to be a police officer on the island as well. I hopped off my banana boat transfer from Phang Nga and was immediately greeted and whisked off on a motor bike with a personal police escort, backpack and all! haha. Enroute, he dropped me off at his mothers house, as he wasn't yet finished working for the day. His family was lovely, welcoming me into their home, two sisters and his 94 year old mother. His one sister had only recently had her third baby, a little boy, three weeks before. They brought me a coconut to drink and when the owner came back to pick me up they told me to come back tomorrow. I unfortunately didn't make it there yet, as it's quiet the distance on a bike. I'll give it a shot tomorrow.

Right now I'm sitting on my porch looking out into Phang Nga Bay towards Krabi. Phang Nga Bay is very similar to Halong Bay in Vietnam, and is home to the famour James Bond Island (which I passed on my trip to the island). Unlike other guesthouses, mine is situated off the main road on a hill offering a specatculare view of the bay. Currently a rainbow is peaking out through the clouds. It seems to rain here everyday 4:30/5:00pm.

Koh Yao Noi is the perfect balance of activity and quiet, but I'm beginning to think it would be more enjoyable as a couple (or with friends). I am pretty sure I am the only single person in my hotel and the only solo traveller I have seen. This is somewhat problematic as most activities are priced based on a group of 4 or as a couple. As I can't afford anything on my own I think I will wait until I head to Railay, Krabi to do anything major. For now I'll just stick with renting bicyles, and if feeling adventurous, try my luck with a motorbike!

There are some perks of travelling alone though. People tend to want to take care of you and make sure you arrive at your destination safely. This even happened in crazy Patong Beach where a thai woman and man had me sit and wait with them at 5:30am for a local bus that they flagged down for me. I was also given the man's business card for his taxi and told to call him if I ran into any problems on my trip to meet my volunteer group. The two of them would personally come get me if I needed anything.

This again happened in Phang Nga. The receptionist from my guesthouse in Phang Nga arranged my bungalow booking for me, and knowing that I was travelling alone, she arranged to have the owner pick me up at the pier. I don't think the personal police escort is part of their normal service. She even called him later to make sure I had made it there safely!

Due to the quieter nature of the island, things here are a little bit more expensive. Food is much more expensive then I am used to paying, but my bungalow has a fantastic restaurant that is reasonably price, so I will eat most of my meals here. It also offers the best view of the bay. I even woke up at 6:00am this morning to go watch the sunrise over the bay. It was a bit cloudy but I'll try again tomorrow. The early part of the day is the nicest here as it is also the coolest!

Tomorrow I will bravely rent an automatic motor bike, and head to the other side of the island. There is a local market over there, and possibly some delicious foods to discover. A couple from Switzerland have also said that the sunset is beautiful from the other side as well. They also told me of a fantastic massage place that I might just have to check into.

Photos: Koh Yao Noi

kendrac_1 — Sun, 4 Mar 2012 12:22:00 GMT

Photos: Ko Phra Thong

kendrac_1 — Thu, 1 Mar 2012 21:03:00 GMT

Let's get moving

kendrac_1 — Thu, 1 Mar 2012 20:53:00 GMT

So I'm officially back on the road again. I arrived in Phang Nga this afternoon and made my way to a guest house to spend the night. I am hoping to do an overnight boat tour tomorrow to a Muslim Fishing Village and James Bong Island. It's so weird having internet and electricity again, but nice. I can finally start planning the next stage of my trip.

Unlike some of the other volunteers, I slept on the beach with the field leaders for a second night. We expected more turtles to emerge before we excavated the nest the next morning. THe night was long, cold and buggy thanks to a 1/2 hour downpour we had at 11pm. I went to sleep in soaking pants expecting more rain. When I woke at 1am, I could see a clear sky and decided it was safe to take the wet clothes off and put on a dry sarong. THe rain stirred up all the bugs. The previous night there were barely any, but I am now completely covered in sand fly bites. SO ITCHY!!!

We waited all night for our turtles to emerge, but none did. Fearing that many did not hatch, we expected the worst for the morning excavation. Maxi, who is incharge of the project, began the excavation. We uncovered the hatched shells of 65 sear turtles! that means 58 managed to sneak out the night before we camped out! we were so pleased; only 7 eggs did not hatch, and never developed.

It was an eventfull last few days in Ko Phra Thong, and I was sad to leave this morning. Hopefully I will return one day.

Naucrates Sea Turtle Project Koh Phra Thong.

kendrac_1 — Thu, 1 Mar 2012 20:49:00 GMT

Ko Phra Thong, Phang Nga Province

Entry 1 -18/02/2012

I had decided to keep an electronic journal during my time with Naucrates, the Sea Turtle Conservation Project on Ko Phra Thong. This will allow me to quickly post one or two entries when I have internet access again. Internet sticks are available on the island, but I am avoiding their use unless absolutely neccessary. I am currently typing from my homestay in the village as a gecko stares at me through my mosquito next. The mosquitos here are unbelievable! My legs and feet are covered in bites and mosquito repellent doesn't seem to have any affect. I am living in a room at the Poo Yai's homestay, the chief of the village. Last night (17/02/2012), I had my first Thai conversation with the Puyai and his wife. I greeted them with the usual Swadika, and managed to ask them how they were, respond to their returned inquiry, thank them for my room (and gave them my thank you gift - a calendar with photos of Canadian Parks), AND tell them their house is beautiful! We had our first Thai lesson earlier that afternoon, and it was fresh in my mind.

The house is very quaint. I virtually have the upstairs to my self, which consists of a fan, mosquito net, mattress and shelving. I occasionally have visitors, such as geckos, birds, or the gigantic coconut beetle. The houses in the village are equipt with either western or asian squat toilets. My house has the latter, which I thankfully perfected on the train ride from Chiang Mai to Bangkok.

A lot had happened since my last post, not including my arrival on Ko Phra Tong. I made my way to Patong Beach, Phuket, after Bangkok and enjoyed some rest and relaxation on the beach. I was a little early for check in at Bodega, a hostel that had been recommended to me by fellow travellers from my tour, so I left my bags and wondered around the main street, looking to by some island essentials - sun screen, sarong, hat, and sun dress. After checking in, I pulled on my swimmers and hit the beach. Later that night, during happy hour, I met some fellow Canadians, and ended up going to an illusionist show in town. They had recieved free tickets from on of the acts, and had a spare. It was nice to do something free for a change, and I certainly would not have paid the 1500 baht for a ticket, but it was a fun experience. The next day I hit the beach again early, then had a late lunch before heading back to the hostel for the hottest part of the day. Unfortunately this day I also discovered the Patong shopping centre, and I was well behaved... until, I saw a guest booth set up for Valentines Day, with orchids, that had been preserved, edged with gold and made into jewellry. I chatted with the girl for sometime, but walked away worried about how they would travel. I returned 5 minutes later to make my purchase.

The next morning (14/02/2012), I caught the 6am local bus from Patong Beach to Phuket Town to meet two others joining the project (1 volunteer - Max; and the new field assistant - Rebecca) at the bus station. From here we hopped onto a 160 baht ($5) bus for the four hour journey to Kuraburi, where we were met by a car and taken to the pier for our boat transfer. Our boat was also responsible for bringing supplies such as meat, bread, ice, fruit to the island village, and was piled high! The hour long boat trip to Ko Phra Tong Island was breath taking. the Andaman sea was a green/blue unlike any other, and was bordered by mangrove forests of the many islands dotting the coasts. We passed by the jungle thick, mountains of Ko Ra, another island where Naucrates monitors, sea turtle, tortoise, sea grass and mangrove forests, before heading down the narrow channel into Lions Village (get thai name), Ko Phra Tong. Here we we greeted by the currecnt field assistant- Nikki, and taken to our homestays.

Perhaps here I should give you some more information on the island. Ko Phra Tong is essentially a very large sand bar, approx 20km x 5km in size? The boundaries of the island are lined with sandy beaches or mangrove forests, with an area known as the Savahanna in the centre. Because the island is essentially flat, it is much hotter then any of the other nearby islands so we must drink alot of water each day. We are based our of Lions Village, names for the Lions International Club that came in and rebuilt the village after is was destroyed by the tsunami in 2004. When you enter the channel to the village, you can still see the foundations of some of the old houses where the village was originally located. At the other side of the Island is Golden Buddah Beach REsort, which we refer to as Beach 1. Before the tsunami, Naucrates was based ouf of this beach, as it had the most turtle nestings. Unfortunately the the tsunami destroyed everything in its path, and two of the Naucrates Field Assistants were killed in the disaster. I am currently reading a book from the office called Out of the Blue written by an Australian journalist that had a bungalow on the island and survived the tsunami by staying on Hornbill Hill, the location we now do our behavioural observations. The affects of the tsunami are still seen on the island as many villagers moved to the mainland for jobs and housing. The school in Lions village was shut down a few years ago due to low enrollment, and all children must go to the opposite side of the island for school.

After settling into our homestays, we regrouped at the Naucrates Field Office for an introduction on the project and some brief training on the identification of different types of sea turtles. We later headed to dinner where we were pleasantly surprised at the food quality. I for one was expecting to eat bland rice and meat for the duration of my stay, instead we were presented with beautifully cooked thai curry, rice, fish and vegetables, and fruit for dessert. We were told all of the food would be like this, and they weren't lying! For breakfast, which we almost always eat on the beach after patrolling for turtle activity, we have the choice of eggs and toast, french toast, museli, fruit and milk/yogurt, or pancakes (the last two are my preferred choices!). For our other meals we have been spoilt we many traditional thai and local dishes - Pad Thai, papaya salad, soups, sea weed salad, delicious fried vegetable patties, fish meat balls and patties, all kinds of fruit, and my personal favourite- sticky rice with coconut milk and mango! Lamion, our cook, is a rock star! A roi ma ka (very delicious!)

It had been busy since coming to the island, and I have been here 5 days so far and I am loving it. We start our mornings at 5:30am, when we board a boat that takes us to the nesting beaches. We are assigned beaches/tasks the night before, which include the daily tasks of walking walking 5km alond beaches 2 and 3; 10 km of beach 1, or taking weather data and doing 2 hours of behavioural observations in the morning and afternoon, and finally checking the fresh water turtle traps just outside our village. We also do beach surveys, reef cleaning, or transect studies. They are hoping to create a marine protects area (MPA) in the area we conduct our behavioural observations. Our afternoons are normally quieter because of the heat, and we spend them in the village prepareing educational material for children and tourist about the project and sea turtles. I have spend many afternoons drawing flash cards of mangroves, various species from the island, and dangers ecosystems, or painting.

Our mornings begin early because we want to be the first on the beaches to look for turtle tracks and signs of nests, before poachers have the opportunity to dig them up and sell the eggs on the black market. there are normally 60-150 eggs/next and each egg can fetch $1 usd (alot of money for thailand!). When found, the nests are mapped, beach profiles taken, and then disguised so no one will know where they are. There have been no new nests since I have arrived, but 3 are known to exist on beach 1, and one is expected to hatch in the next week. If i remember correctly, this the lowest number of nexts in the 16 years Naucrates has been present on the island. Major risks in the areas for the turtles include poaching, some often die when they are caught in squid traps, or other fishing nets, and locals still eat both fresh water and sea turtles in region dispite is being illegal. This has nothing to do with poverty, but the tradition of why buy food if i can catch it for free. Hopefully they will have a few more nests before the field season ends in April.

Today, after walking the beaches, a few of us headed to the reefs to clean them. This enables me to perfect my duck diving as we must dive down to cut fishing lines and nets away from the corals. The corals and fish in this area were so colourful and beautiful! I only wish I had an underwater camera to capture some of the unique fish and corals I saw.

Well our power had just gone out for the evening. We only have electricity from 6:30pm to 10:30pm. Tomorrow i have a later start, as I will be biking across the island with our translator to do weather and behavioural observations. But, I must tell you quickly about 2 of my faviourite experiences on the island so far. The first occured 2 days ago, and often occurs when our long tail boat heads back to the village after a morning in the field. As the boat cuts through the water, it disturbs a certain variety of fish that leaps out of the water to get out of the way. This jump isn't your average fish jump. THe fish jumps/skips across the water the same way a flat rock hops along the water when you attempt to skip it. It is incredible to see, but impossible to photgraph. The other happened this morning on our boat ride to beach 3. Phosflouresent algae. when the water is displaced it lights up! this can only be seen in the dark. After exiting the boat we splashed around in the water for a bit playing with the light. I know I've said incredible alot, but there is no other way to discribe it. INCREDIBLE!!!!!!

Entry 2 - 22/02/2012
Sawadi ka!

Hello! It's hard to believe that I will be heading home one month today! Six weeks have gone by way to fast! I am still enjoying my time here on Koh Phra Tong. I was even considering staying a few extra days, but it would cost 1500 baht/day which is WAY over budget for the length of time I'm travelling. That would cover 3 nights hostel stays PLUS food!

SInce my last entry, I have seen my first turtle! When doing observations on 19/02/2012, I saw one break the surface of the water just for a few seconds, then he/she was gone! It was so quick, but during afternoon observations, other volunteers saw the turtle, which came to the surface many times during the 2 hour period. As for the nests, there has still been no movement/evidence of hatching. I just hope it happens before I leave next tuesday.

The last few days have been really busy and long for me, but I somehow managed to fit a tiedye workshop in! I've been up early to walk the 5km beach, plus I've been helping one of the researchers (a Candian named Barry) monitor the local seagrass populations in the afternoon. We have to wait until low tide to conduct the work in order for the sea grass to be visible. This happens to occur during the hottest time of the day - 2:30-5:00. The lowest and highest tides will occur today, but we managed to get all of his work done in 3 afternoons before he returned home to Trang, a province south of Krabi. Anyways, I have spent the last 3 afternoons out on the mud flats infront of the mangrove forests, looking at sea grass, crabs, shrimp, snails, and algae. On several occasions, I have ended up knee deep in mud! But I really enjoyed the project, and we were able to get everything done fairly quickly.

I continue to work on my thai, practicing both with our translator and our boat driver (who doesn't speak any english). I can now say that I am hungry, go eat, go home, jump in the water, stingray, see you tomorrow (and in the morning), yesterday, crazy (ting tong

)and I don't understand.

The last couple days I have been trying to get a video of the skipping long tom fish, but have been unsuccessful. I think they might be on to me and be a bit camera shy. Hopefully they'll return with a lower tide.

Entry 3 - 28/02/2012

Today I was supposed to leave Koh Phra Tong, but as some of you might have seen on my facebook or heard through the grape vine, I am still here! haha. FINALLY, our baby turtles made a move. Yesterday morning, when doing our beach patrol Nikki, saw evidence of coning (where the sand had dropped a few cm because of movement). There were even a couple of baby turtle tracks. On hearing this I made my decision to stay two more days. I had stayed this long and could not miss the opportunity to sleep on the beach waiting for the little guys. Another volunteer is scheduled to arrive March 1st, so I would still be able to catch a cheaper boat to the mainland. In order to compensate for this added expense I'm now planning on skipping the Full Moon Party on Koh Phangan. The other choice was to skip rock climbing, but I think it will be safer to skip the Full Moon lol.

After our turtle discovery, on of the field leaders from the other island headed over with a volunteer to join our camp out. at 4:30pm we were packed and ready to catch the boat back to the main beach, brining with us blankets, dinner, red lights and other turtle accessories. We watched the sun go down, then dug in to eat. The night sky was unbelievable! I have necer seen so many stars in the sky and the moon reminded me of the Cheshire Cat's smile from Alice in Wonderland. There was no way to tell what time of the night the babies would make their appearance, so we waited patiently. Tom, one of the fields leaders estimated that 21 babies had already made it to the sea the previous night based on the number of tracks. At 8:30pm our little ones made their presence known as we were all huddled around the nest (the novelty of waiting had not worn out yet!). Seven emerged from the soft sand. They were then placed in a bucket so they could be measured and weighed before release. Unfortunately the Thai worker from the island (a man with no biology background) hired by the Phuket Marine Biology Centre, continuously caused problems for us. Geting in our field assistants ways, using flash photography, white lights and digging in some of the nest hopping for more. Only red lights can be used as turtles do not register red light. He would not listen to any one and completely ignored our translators attempts to reason with him on our behalf.

After all measurements were taken, the turtles were placed back on the top of the nest and left to fly to the sea! Thankfully, the moon had a clear path on the water, with the lights of all the squid boats falling outside the path. Hopefully our little guys will make it past all the fishing dangers of the Andaman Coast. Unfortunately, one turtle became confused because of the one mans white light and headed back to the beach, where a crab attempted to make a meal out of it. One of the volunteers taking a bathroom break discovered the situation and was able to rescue the turtle and send it in the right direction. I have some fantastic photos of our nest and a video I hope to be able to get online soon.

That night only the 7 made their way out of the nest. We will head back there again tonight to sleep and hope for more before the nest is excavated tomorrow morning.

Other then our exciting nights, my last few days have been pretty typical for the island, beach walks, observations, painting in the Community Conservation Centre. I also attempted to puzzle together a turtle skeleton; however, the remains are too different from humans and without any proper reference material I gave up after working on the neck and tail. I also have a deer that I was working with (a bit easier then the turtle). I was able to put the vertebrae in order and side most of the bones.

Oh, and I've given up on filming the skipping long tom fish. I think their camera shy, because the day I made this decision, a group of 5 made an appearance. Oh well.

Hopefully I'll talk to you March 1st, when I head to Phang Nga. I might be staying another couple days in another homestay so my internet access may remain unreliable until I head to Krabi or the Gulf Coast.

Photos: Ziplining in Chiang Mai

kendrac_1 — Sat, 11 Feb 2012 19:53:00 GMT

Unfortunately, when ziplining, it is really difficult to take photos of yourself lol.

Ziplining in Chiang Mai

kendrac_1 — Sat, 11 Feb 2012 17:44:00 GMT

My tour is almost over. We arrived back in Bangkok this morning around 8am after the most uncomfortable 15 hour train ride. My body picked the most inoportune time to get sick!

Although our stay in Chiang Mai was short, we were able to cram togeether a lot of activities. Before heading to our cooking class, which we booked for that night, the girls were in dire need of some pampering, so off we headed to a spa. Here I recieve the most amazing foot massage, especially after walking, and travelling for 28 days.

At 4:00pm that night we were picked up by the cooking school and headed to the market to get a few ingredients for our meal. I had chosen to make pad Thai, coconut chicken soup, red curry and Tarro in Coconut milk fro desert. Unfortunately, I missed the soup lesson, as this was when I began feeling sick. Thankfully, I began to feel better by the 3rd course and was able to fully participate in the lesson again.

The food was delicious! I can't wait to come home and make some REAL Pad Thai. I didn't eat to much because I didn't wish to make my self feel sicker. That night I opted to stay in and get some rest instead of visiting the night markets with the rest of the group, especially with a busy morning of zipling the next day. It wasn't like I really needed to buy anything else at this point anyways lol!

Still feeling a little sick, but nothing bad, we headed out to the Chiang Mai zipline camp, approx. 1 hours outisde of Chiang Mai. After a quick lesson, we began zip lining, Our course included 27 platforms, and the longest line was 400m. The experience was unbelievable! Zipping through the tree tops, over rapids, through valleys. The course took only 1.5 hours to get through and we were able to twirl and flip upside down when flkying through the trees.

Late that afternoon we boarded our night train to Bangkok. Our cabin was next to a cabin filled the the chattiest monks you could imagine. Today, I am just taking it easy, just sleeping and hoping that my stomach will feel better for tonights goodbye dinner and party. Tomorrow I will head back to my original hostel to spend one night before catching my flight to Phuket. I'm looking forward to spending two days at Patong BEach, relaxing before begining my volunteer program.

Tubing, waterfalls and Elephants oh my!

kendrac_1 — Tue, 7 Feb 2012 09:56:00 GMT

Laos has been a nice change of pace. The entire country seems much more relaxed then Vietnam, and much quieter. People don't blare their horn every half second here!

Our first stop in Laos was Vientiane. After arriving in Vientiane, we ventured out for a quick bite before hiring a Tuk Tuk and heading to the Buddah Park. Gree Papaya salad is one of Laos' specialties and it is delicious, although extremely spicey most of the time!

Only 3 of the remaining 5 choose to go go to the Buddah Park, and it was a very interesting trip out there. Think of the worst road you can for pot holes. No multiply that by 100000; that was the condition of 75% of the 1 hour drive out to the Buddah Park. Not only did it feel like we were on a rollercoaster, but unfortunately our Tuk Tuk ended up with a flat tire. We pulled over at a mini garage while the driver attempted to fill the tire with air. Our trip ended up being approx 1.5 hours, and we were already trying to rush to make it to the Buddah Park before it closed.

We finally made it, and it was definately worth the trip. You would think by this point I would be sick of Buddah statues and images, but the park was so serene. It was filled with both Buddist and Hindu statues. Buddahs, shivas, and demons all in one location.

The return trip in the Tuk Tuk was just as interesting. Our driver eventually gave up, and called his mate to come pick us up. After arriving back at the hotel, we went across the street for a much needed massage! two of us opted for the Traditional Laos masssage, as it was only 3500kip (approx $7.50). It felt more like a full body, chiropractic appointment than a massage.

Noon the next day we began our 4 hour journey to Vang Vieng after having a fantastic (but a splurg) breakfast at a coffee shop called JoMas (Aunt Shell, the owners are from Cranbrook, BC and I chatted with another couple from Cranbrook over breakfast!). The road to Vang Vieng was just as bumpy as it was to the Buddah Park, but windy. Reading was not an option as it made me motion sick, so instead I attemped to doze whenever I wasn't thrown a foot off by seat.

Vang Vieng is notorious for it's drug/party scene. It's major attraction is river tubing, where you stop every few meters at riverside bars to enjoy, a beer, bucket or other. Having read about the tubing, we were all determined to participate, regardless of the cool, drizzly day. I of course stuck with canned beer, as rumour indicate other substances could easily find there way into your drink. As the trip ended up being more expensive then anticipated, we also had very little cash for drinks and needed to keep a small fund for the tuk tuk ride back to town. The next day, we made the 8 hour drive to the former capital Luang Prabang.

I am currently writing this blog entry from our river boat as we leave Luang Prabang and hope to post it tonight, so long as an internet connection is available in Pak Beng (they were only hooked up with electricity 2 years ago). Luang Prabang was my favourite spot in Laos. The small city was quant with a fantastic market and cheap food. Last night we were able to fill a plate fo 10000kip (about $1.25!).

Yesterday, our entire group booked a tour that involved elephant riding in the morning, and a trip to the famous Kuang Sii Waterfalls in the afternoon. Elephant riding was amazing, although I often felt like I would fall out of the basket as they went down a hill. The afternoon at the water fall was fantastic! After a long hot morning, it was nice to get into the pools along the river and cool off. We enjoyed the pools so much, we nearly missed the main attraction... the waterfall. We had to hike back up the hill to see it before we left.

And now, I am on a slow boat, heading down the Mekong River to Thailand. We will stay in Pak Beng tonight, and reboard the boat tomorrow morning. Laos has been very scenic. Undistrubed forests and mountains everywhere. Unfortunately, Laos is a poor country, and has started selling lumbar to China. Hopefully the majority of the forests will remain.

I will try to post one more time before I begin my volunteer on the 14th. It's hard to believe there is only 5 more days left in my tour and that I have been gone for nearly 1 month already!

PS There was no internet connection in Pak Beng so I'm posting this from Chiang
Hong Thailand. We cross the border late this afternoon. The two day slow boat trip was very scenic and beautiful. Small villages dotted the banks of the Mekong River, with mountains and jungle in the background. We frequently saw the local people out fishing, or cows roaming. It was nice to sit back and relax for a bit. We spent most of the trip naping, reading, chatting or playing cards. Since we had to leave so early both days (6am) it was incredibly cold and we bundled ourselves in blankets.

Tomorrow morning we head to Chiang Mai, which I'm really looking forward to. I'm hoping to do a cooking course in the evening and maybe go ziplining the morning after before we catch a night train back to Bangkok.

Photos: Vientiane, Vang Vieng and Luang Prabang

kendrac_1 — Tue, 7 Feb 2012 08:06:00 GMT

This album contains photos from our adventure to the Buddah Park, Tubing in Van Vieng and our Elephant and waterfall adventure in Luang Prabang.

Photos: Halong Bay

kendrac_1 — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 11:24:00 GMT

Tailors, bikes and boats

kendrac_1 — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 04:53:00 GMT

Our time in Vietnam has been activity packed so I haven't updated the blog recently. We will be losing more of our group that day and our tour will be down to 5 as we fly to Laos on the 1st.

Since I didn't give Ho Chi Minh City a good description in my last post I'm revisiting it here. Since then, however we have visited Hoi An (where I again spent to much money), Hue Halong Bay and finally Hoi An, which is where I'm writing from.

Ho Chi Minh City was an interesting experience. Our first night there we visited the market, where you could find souvenirs, leather goods, and perfumes galore! the morning of our second day we visited the War Remnants Museum, which had extensive displays of the Vietnam War including the affects of Agent Orange. That afternoon, a few of us hired a van to take us to the Cu Chi Tunnels, an extensive tunnel system used by the Vietnamese during the war, both to live in and travel. We were able to crawl into the hidden entrance holes and take a short, crouched walk though the tunnel system... the last 100m was the worst, as the tunnels were the narrowest here (this so even after widening them for tourists).

That night we headed to Nha Trang and from there Hoi An, the tailoring center of Vietnam, where custom designed and fitted coats, suits and dresses are produced within a day. Everyone in my tour had some item of clothing made. Personally, I had a beautiful silk lined wool coat and Vietnamese silk dress made. This resulted in me having to purchase a second piece of luggage! haha Thankfully my hostel in Bangkok will allow me to store luggage for up to 60 days (I plan to do this before I head to the islands).

Day Two in Hoi An involved a 4 hour bicycle tour of the countryside. We were able to experience the Vietnam you see in photos: rice paddies, vegetable gardens, fish farms and water buffalo. This was one of my favourite experiences while in Vietnam.

From Hoi An we flee to Hue. Hue was not our favourite location, but we did not stay long. One late afternoon 3 of us took a motor bike tour of the region. We were taken to the rice museum, an Emperors Tomb, and an American Bunker. We were also able to take a stab at making insense.

From Hue we took a 14 hour night train to Hanoi. Very interesting and sketchy experience. We were lucky to have 1st class cabins with bunk beds, because by 10pm the hall of our car was filled with Vietnamese people sleeping on the ground. It was an ordeal to make the trip to the toilets! Locking the door was also a must, as some people would just open the door, hoping to find an empty bunk, or some goodies to steal.

When we reached Hanoi in the early morning (5am) we took a 4 hour bus to Halong Bay. After checking in, we headed to the tourist pier for a 4 hour boat tour and seafood lunch among the islands. Over 2000 islands are scattered throughout the bay. The site has recently been named one of the 7 natural wonders of the world. Our fresh seafood lunch was amazing, and we were taken to one of the floating seafood markets in the bay. Later we also stopped at one island to tour the caves.

We spent one night in Halong Bay then headed to Hanoi yesterday. In the afternoon we went to the water puppet theatre. This afternoon we plan to tour Ho Chi Minh's Mausoleum, and tomorrow - Laos.

Photos: Ho Chi Minh City, Hoi An and Hue

kendrac_1 — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 04:14:00 GMT