It always amazes me how much the locals squeeze onto their mopeds around here. For instance, I just passed a guy riding one-handed with two cockerels squashed under his other arm. And it is not an uncommon sight to see about three people packed onto one moped, all carrying something. Nuts. I have enough trouble balancing myself, let alone a pillion.
Hey, question…any readers out there eye specialists? I am currently having a flickering line appear in my right eye in a multitude of colours….almost like that signal they used to put on the telly when the station had shut down for the night. I have spent the last two hours trying to complete knowledge reviews for the IDC, so I think that’s what kicked it off. Anyway, an Americano later and it seems to be clearing up. What’s with that? Caffeine addiction and feeding the beast seems to have cured the fuzzy blindness. Hmmmm, lack of sleep be a contributing factor it is, methinks (wow, shades of Yoda dancing through my head).
Well, not surprising really. With the missus’ current crap-o-journey to get here, I have been feeling a large amount of stress on her behalf. Didn’t get to sleep until 1 a.m. last night (a few hours keeping the missus company online, then an hour or so of bloody knowledge reviews). Then was awake at 6:30. Went for a run. Hey, you’ll be happy to know that it didn’t feel as though my brains were going to burst through my skull or my heart implode this time. Still hurt like a sonofabitch and I certainly had a nice refreshing sweat shower as I ran, but things are getting better. Well, sort of. Massive pain the arse stitch as I ran, but I managed to do about 30 minutes solid even despite the knife-like thrusting pain in my mid-section. Particularly bad going up those bloody hills over towards Sairee. Stupid hilly island.
Some sit-ups and press-ups at home to continue the pain and then lying on the bed with a full force fan to cool off for half an hour. Ahh what a glorious start to the day. It feels like I got up hours ago….oh wait, I did. Back’s currently screaming like a banshee and I have a couple more afternoon dives (hey, I’s got to keep inching to the 100 mark and anyway, the missus isn’t getting here until tomorrow in any event now), but perhaps a little trip to Phloe massage this evening will ease the burden.
The run and sit-ups, etc. is actually a guilt-reflex. As I was trying to keep the missus company online, I needed a bar with wifi that wouldn’t be shut too early. So, Hippo it was. Veggie burger and then an apple crumble with ice cream to finish. Oops, there goes the waistline, Mr. Fat Bastard. But, damn, that crumble is good. Decadent, but yum.
So now that the missus is on the way (even if it is a five day journey by the time she gets here) I can relate a little more of the shark story from yesterday…..oh, but before I do, despite the crappiness that the missus is currently experiencing, her story has masses of humour and good times in it. So, keep your eyes on this spot……a guest-blog is imminent (once said, guest gets over massive jetlag and sleep deprivation)….anyway, back to the sharks……
Yesterday, we dive Chumpon yet again (no surprise there). The sea was delectably calm for a change. Nice entry and a quick descent (yeah go Célia’s ears) and we were off around the pinnacle. At the bottom of the dive (Noé insists it was the north-east area of the pinnacle, which is strange, because I could have sworn it was the south-west) at a depth that must have been impossible (bloody broken computer recording depths that as a PADI professional without my deep-diving specialty I simply would not go to and thus violate PADI standards) we saw a couple of sharks. At first we believed them to be black-tip reef sharks, but couldn’t quite tell as they only came within about 10 metres or so of us. But then, one looms out of the mist and heads right for me. So fucking cool. A little nerve-fraying, but oddly, not so much as I would have expected. I was simply fascinated. It came within about 4 or 5 feet of me and then switched direction and headed off again (Remora appropriately attached)…..oh, these were definitely black-tipped reef sharks….well, at least the one that came to give me a kiss was. Such bloody majestic creatures. Sure they look mean, but holy crap are they agile. This would be the closest I have been to a shark (although Noé said I was equally as close when one swam within feet of my head a few moments before …. while I was busy looking at the sand).
Did I say this before? If you have not seen Sharkwater, go rent it, download it, whatever and watch it. It is a disgusting crime that mankind is currently committing against the world’s shark populations. I don’t say this as some proselytizing vegetarian, but simply because we are killing off a beautiful species that is also one of the world’s oldest and dangerously altering the eco-systems of the oceans…..mostly to make a soup in China that doesn’t even really use the shark fins that are procured in the millions each month. If you also get a chance, read the most recent issue of The Undersea Journal and you can find out how to donate/help the save the sharks cause. I know I certainly will be doing so. Ok, enough preaching.
We’ll likely head to Chumpon again this afternoon…..I am still earnestly hoping to catch glimpse of a whale-shark…who knows, perhaps today is the day. I have a good feeling right now, so let’s go with gut impressions…….or early Christmas presents…..
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