Spring Break (Part I)- Koh Tao, Thailand

Hey Guys,
I'm writing to you from an Internet cafe in Bangkok, Thailand right now. I am huddled up inside, trying to recover from the full moon party last night (http://fullmoonparty-thailand.com/) and seeking refuge from the ongoing Songkran Festival (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thai_New_Year).
I got into Bangkok this morning, after spending last week in Koh Tao, Thailand scuba diving. My initial intention had been to go down there to obtain my PADI Open Water License. Koh Tao is regarded as being the best dive location in Thailand- one of the best in the world. After entering the water for the first time, I was hooked and I ended up pursuing my Advanced Open Water Certification as well. This meant that I had to surrender most of my alotted "beach time," but the benefits greatly outweighed the costs. I ended up doing 10 dives in the span of four days after doing a couple days of classroom learning. Now certified, I have the ability to go diving anywhere in the world. This privilage will open a lot of new doors as I travel for the rest of my life, and I am grateful that I took the time to acquaint myself with the underwater world.
I won't try and explain all of my dives to you because you'd be bored to tears and my Internet bill would skyrocket. However, there were two dives that I thought were particularly amazing. One of these was the "night dive." For this one, we didnt enter the water until it was pitch black. We were guided only by our underwater torches. It is quite a thrill to shield the light and experience completely alone in the water, unaware of all that is going on around you. It's also great because the color of the coral, the species of fish, and the underwater habits of the marine life differs from during the day. If you shield your light and flail your arms, you can experience "phospheresence," a pheonominon where the particles in the ocean glow a neon green. Very cool.
The other dive that I enjoyed most was the Fish Identification dive. If you aren't aware, an Advanced Open Water Certification requires a diver to complete five "adventure dives." There are about twenty options for these dives, 2 of which are compulsory (Deep Dive and Navigation Dive). Otherwise, I had freedom to pursue my interests. I chose to so this Fish Identification dive, and I learned a lot about the different families and classifications of fish. This was very useful.
Koh Tao is one of the most beautiful places that I have ever seen. The island is very remote, and I accessed it by a 15-hour bus/boat combination from Bangkok. It was not the best travel experience, but I'm living to tell about it. Unlike it's neighbors, Koh Samui and Koh Phangan, Koh Tao is relatively undeveloped. The only signs of development are on the small strip of beach. You can access any point on the island in twenty minutes by motorbike. Koh Tao is a quaint diver's paradise. All of the people live to dive, and the accomodations are set up accordingly.
I did my certification at Coral Grand Divers, the most reputable dive shop in Thailand. They have an operational alliance with the Coral Grand Resort, so I was able to split a room with a classmate for a special diver's rate. This turned out to be perfect.
In order to get anywhere on the Island, we just had to head to the beach. At least two or three times a day, we would take a left along the beach and window shop the incredible array of food options that were available on the beach. The Thai food (Tom Yam Soup, spicy glass noodle salad, curry...) was out of this world. It was the real deal- in addition to the flavor, the whole dining experience was unique. We would sit on the ground on special Thai cloth pads. It's hard for me to describe these chairs, but they are like soft mats that raise 30 degrees on one of the sides for comfort. My favorite thing to do was to enjoy a beer as the sun was going down at one of these beachfront venues. Singha was the brew of choice.
Another cool culinary aspect of Koh Tao were the Barbeques. Along the beach, freshly caught fish were on display in front of the barbaque pits. These fish were delicious, and I enjoyed tons of shrimp, snapper, garoupa, barracuda, and king mackeral. Heaven on Earth- I need to make it back to Koh Tao someday.
After finishing up my final two dives, I immediately headed to Koh Samui to meet with Chris and his girlfriend, Mia (fellow BC classmate and a great girl). We enjoyed a great dinner and drinks on Koh Samui before venturing out to the Full Moon Party on Koh Phangan. This party proved to be just as overwhelming as I imagined. People were doing absurd things, many times not the safest environment. I wasn't able to go crazy like some others because Chris, Mia, and I had to catch a 3am boat ride back to Koh Samui in order to make our 6am plane to Bangkok. Needless to say, it was a long night last night, and I am a little bit tired right now.
Being at the Full Moon Party was a really cool thing. The way it worked out, the full moon alligned perfectly with the Thai New Year. This only happens once every twenty years or so- we were lucky to experience both at once. The New year celebrations are fun as can be. For days, local people and foreigners line the street and throw water on passerbys. Literally, people would stop cars in the street with whistles, and just bombard them with water. There was no regard to the well-being of the soaked.... hysterical. Apparantly Chris and Mia tried renting a motorbike to explore Koh Samui. Chris tells me that he feared for his life as he navigated threw the streets, constantly getting doused while trying to focus on the road. I'm sure Mia loved being on the back. The local people also wipe some sort of clay on your face as you pass. While it often was a hassle trying to backpack through this environment, it was amazing to see the pure joy on the friendly faces of the Thai people as they enjoyed their festival.
So far, this trip has been nothing short of incredible. I know that's a word that I have used to describe many of my experiences, but I constantly find myself in complete awe of my surroundings. I cannot wait to begin the second half of my journey. I will talk to you soon.
Best,
Kevin