Beaucoup Fish

Day 12

I woke up in the night and couldn’t get back so sleep so went for a walk on the beach with my torch. Got a shock when something big brushed my leg – turned out to be one of the resort dogs who was petrified of me. I sat on a swing between two coconut trees and watched the glows on the horizon – big fishing boats which use arrays of spotlights to lure fish in. The dog overcame its fear and came to join me. It was relaxing with just the sounds of the jungle behind and the waves ahead.

After another bad sleep (I’m exhausted all the time now), I stayed out of the blazing sun to protect my sunburn, catching up on my photos. Then suncreamed myself to the max wishing I had a nubile German girl to rub it into my back. Applying suncream to your back is pretty much impossible to do properly with just one arm. In the end I improvised, putting suncream on a water bottle and then a t-shirt to get it to the spots I couldn’t reach! Definitely need a girlfriend soon 😛

Fishy stalkers

Went for a long snorkel out by the big boulders where I found more coral and some big shoals of fish. I saw a cuttlefish (like squid but without the tentacles), and some big needlefish. There were also some giant clams which are wedged between rocks and have vivid blue insides. They pulse regularly. There are Finding Nemo fish out here as well, poking out of their swaying pink homes. The little black and yellow striped fish are quite curious fellows and liked to follow me around. One type of fish kept biting my legs aggressively when I got close, a bit painful, but it didn’t draw blood. I learned to keep clear of those! Smaller ones would sometimes peck at my leg eating dead skin or whatever delicacy my leg has to offer.

Find Nemo…

Koh Tao is a pretty safe place for snorkelling and diving though, there aren’t many dangers in the water compared to other places in Thailand. The only fish you are supposed to watch out for are big trigger fish, and the occasional jellyfish and spiky urchin. Compared to Koh Chang where I learned to dive a few years ago it was very tame, the incentive to master your buoyancy is high there as the seabed’s covered with massive spiky urchins!

In the afternoon the weather became worse eventually becoming stormy. I sheltered in the Banana Rock rasta bar with a Chang beer and watched the moody skies and the waves crashing on the rocks. Sea spray, rain and wind whipped through the place. My amazing sex appeal caught the attention of the resident dog who after becoming friendly decided to take things a step further and constantly tried to hump my leg. He wouldn’t take no for an answer and so I let him have his way with me (haha – not really, the owner tied him up!).

Had a tasty mussaman curry for dinner and discovered my big spider friend lurking menacingly by the bed. His eyes shone in the torchlight as he flobbered up the wall at 500 mph. No scorpions in my bed so considered it a good night!