I’ve put in my order for Kimmie’s Special (tuna melt with chili peppers), French fries and a soda water.
After HUGE amounts of juggling and frustration, we’re booked for a Similans trip that leaves March 9th for 4 days/4 nights. The trip we originally wanted to go on because some of our friends are going on it didn’t work out because Blue View has one of their Canadian groups coming the same week. Then the trip Ryan wanted to go on didn’t work because two other people from Barakuda were going to be gone that week. It’s also a bit of juggling because we have to do a border crossing to activate part 2 of our double entry visas before the 21st of March and we were wanting to combine the two. I’m resigned – nothing can be simple when trying to organize a trip!
It’s fourteen dives, including 3 night dives. Ryan and I are sharing a twin room, because that’s all that was available and Chris has himself booked for a quad. I’m of course afraid that I’m going to roll out of bed. As some of you may know, I’ve fallen out of a twin-sized bed as an adult. So I’m almost hoping that it will be a little like the Channel Islands where your bed is more of a coffin-bunk than an actual twin size bed. But somehow, I think this is a little more upscale than the Truth Aquatics boats!
If you want to take a look at the boat: http://www.khaolakscubaadventures.com/liveaboards/37. Unfortunately, they don’t post the itinerary, so you’ll have to wait on my debrief for that.
Here we go chasing Mantas and Whale Sharks, so wish us luck!
The staff at Barakuda is starting to thin out. We’ve had two instructors leave and two more will be leaving in the next 10 days or so and then another shortly after. It’s becoming a bit more chill of an environment. This morning, a friend of mine and I were starting to talk a little bit about how we can make it our own now that the curmudgeon-y old timers are leaving.
My big beef about staff and Barakuda continues to be that we have to have sufficient staff for two shops which is not necessarily the amount of staff we need for the diving. Sitting at the shop doesn’t pay a single Baht (unless you book something), diving does!
My friend Nicole announced yesterday that she’s leaving. She’d applied for a position on a Similans liveaboard at the beginning of the season and they called her up and asked if she’d come out and finish out the season. After that, she may be back. Since she’s about my favorite person at Barakuda I’m totally bummed she’s leaving, while being very happy for her that she gets her dream job for a while.
I keep getting asked if I’m leaving, how long I’m staying, etc. etc. My new stock answer is that I’m not leaving till I’ve seen a whale shark. At this rate, it could be a while.
If we indeed stay put for low season, I’d like to consider moving us to a bungalow that has hot water. Otherwise, no major changes are upon us personally.
On the diving front - we had that sweet spot of incredible conditions before full moon screwed everything up. I had the unforeseen pleasure of going to the wreck with a very good diver. It yielded these pictures taken with the new little point and shoot that I picked up from one of our departing instructors:
Now that's what I call good viz!
Well, I’m off to have a massage.
Peace out.
