Aimi must have recharged her batteries yesterday enough that she wanted to come diving today. It was much better weather and as luck would have it, we got the whole boat to ourselves!
First stop was Hin Ngam where we buddied up and were led around by the instructor. I’m qualified to just dive with another open water diver, but Aimi has not done the qualification… yet. Down side is that it costs a little more, but up side is that shes gets all her kit sorted for her and then there is someone experienced who knows the area and can lead us around and spot things for us.
It was amazingly worth it because on that dive we saw a Ray, a Moray Eel and we actually got to see a Turtle. He was just chilling under an overhanging rock, on the sand. We didn’t get too close and just hovered, watching him for a while from a distance. Then after a few mins we moved on and I slowly got a bit closer. Aimi was in rapture, she was so happy to see one.
The next place we went to was Tanote bay. I had been here the other day, but there was so much to look at I was happy to return. The best bit of this dive was seeing a massive trigger fish. This guy was the size of a coffee table and we had been told to avoid them. When you get too close they are territorial and will attack you, so we moved off in the other direction. Later that dive I briefly saw a black tipped reef shark. Aimi got a good look but I happened to be looking the other way till it was almost gone and there is no way to call out someone’s name underwater.
Returning to land and back to base we were very hungry. We had been getting the afternoon boat out which afforded us a very leisurely lifestyle. Rise about 0900 for a late breakfast. Walk to the Mojo resort, have a mango shake. Kit up and move out about 1200. Dive 2 different sites and be back around 1700. Go straight out for some food, and then wander around town. Such had been the pattern for several days.
Tonight we ate cheap at a roadside shack called Mama Tams. It was literally a roof held up by random timber, metal and concrete posts with barely tarpaulins for walls, mismatch tables and chairs and a hole in the ground to shit in. It was basic. But it was packed with people and the food was great.
Walking back to our hotel it was just becoming dusk. We took our sandals off and walked along the edge of the ocean with waves lapping over our feet. It was wonderful.
After a shower to cool off and with some un-sweaty clothes on, we had an evening walk around the streets at our hotels end of the island. We haven’t really explored this end because as luck would have it, the best hotel for the money we could find was furthest from Mojo’s base. We found a 7Eleven and got ourselves an ice cream and went for a wander.
On the dive boat, they had little biscuit sandwiches with pineapple jam in the middle. They are just bite sized and great to throw in your gob as your going around. Probably dangerous for my waistline, given my history with biscuits. But nevertheless we found a supermarket and bought a couple small bags for later. By the time we got near the 7Eleven again, we were hot enough for another ice cream.