Underwater Adventures!

This weekend I went on my FIRST scuba diving trip EVER!!!!!!

Friday night Becky, Shannon, and I headed to Koh Tao on an overnight boat and landed ashore Saturday morning. We got checked in, settled, and our dives paid for.

I started off with meeting my teacher - Ellie from Scotland - and I was her only student for the day! Since it was my first time, she was good at putting me at ease, and taught me all the necessary precautions as well as a few others (since I expressed wanting to come back to finish my license). 

We did some "class room work" then she took me to pick out my gear (YAY WETSUIT) and practice in the pool.  We spent about an hour or so in the pool, then we broke for lunch.

After lunch we made our way to our diving boat. I was the only person doing the Discovery Dive, so I had to stay on the boat during the first dive. I watched everyone go down, and then I laid around on the sundeck. About 45 minutes later....everyone resurfaced and it was time to go to the next dive spot...

RED ROCK! I was diving at red rock, and after Ellie showed me our course, and different underwater creatures we'd see...it was time to suit up and jump in!!

Here is my adventure in pictures...

Getting suited up before my first dive!!!

Layout of where I'll be diving

1.2.3....JUMP!!!!

A-Ok...let's get this started :)

Starting to descend underwater.

Getting Schooled

Just keep swimming...

These things were my FAVORITE! If you get close and wave at them, then suck themselves back into the ground

Blue Barracuda....but no Silver Snakes or Green Monkeys :-\

I'M ON AN ADVENTURE!!

Shannon and me goofing off underwater

Diving is cool :)

Back to being a land-dweller!

After dive photo with my awesome instructor, Ellie!

 

 

 

When I first got in, I couldn't get my body to equalize, so it took me FOREVER to get past 5 meters. I didn't enjoy that part and at one part I thought I wouldn't be able to complete the dive. BUT once I FINALLY got equalized, it was great! I have never been somewhere so quiet before. It was simply magical down there. The fish didn't pay you any mind, you were just left to swim around and see all the beauty underwater.

So now I have complete my first dive. I will go back in a few weeks to complete my Open Water Certification...which means 4 more dives then I'm certified!!!! :)

Sawasdee Kha,
Apes :)

Cold Shower - or Hot Bucket?

So I know I posted already about my new temporary housing, but I have progressed and figured out how to solve my cold shower problem!

Now, if you are reading from Thailand you are probably thinking "Really April? You've been in Thailand a YEAR and aren't used to cold showers?" At which I would respond with "No!"

And, if you are reading from the states you are probably thinking "But Thailand is so hot - why do you need a hot shower?" At which my response would be "Because a cold shower isn't fun no matter WHAT the weather!"

So...I've MacGyver-ed myself a "hot shower". How you ask? Well, let me paint you a picture with words...

1. I use my water kettle to boil (and keep warm) some water.
2. I mix that steaming hot water with some cold shower water.
3. I "sponge" bath myself using the now warm-but-not-boiling water.
4. I pretend I'm fully clean.

And how long does this take? I've got it down to a science. Not a fun (or fast) science....but I've got it working out non-the-less.

As you can assume, I am 100% looking forward to a PROPER hot shower when I find one...

Sawasdee Kha,
Apes :)

Welcome back...to Surat, and to School!

Well, I'm all settled in Surat.

Last weekend was my first real weekend back. Friday night I headed to the Tattoo Parlor to see some of my favorite people in Surat. It was a great time, of course. Some fellow teachers joined and got to meet the "tattoo group" and I was happy to catch up with Eve and the group. And as it turned out, Saturday was Eve's birthday! So we all got to sing her happy birthday at midnight. I love going to that place. I might not be able to speak their language too well, nor them mine, but I always feel warmly welcomed and like it's a little bit of home. That's weird to say - I don't hang out at tattoo parlors at home!

Then on Saturday was the "teacher's welcome party" at the infamous Tigger's place. All the teachers from Surat, new and old, got together for some drinks and mingling. Many of us stayed late into the night having a great time catching up. It was fun to be a "returner" this year and to meet all the new people. It was a great time, but it does make me a little sad to know that I will be gone soon and not around to hang out with them more. Guess I'll have to make the most of it!

And then on Monday the students were back at school! As I walked into school, I had a bit of a shock...I forgot how big my students are! After teaching little munchkins in Myanmar, it was weird to see all the students at my shoulder height! Before my first class I started getting a little nervous - which was silly since it was a class I taught last year! But I went in, and all was fine :) I didn't see any "new students" of mine until Tuesday, but even with that class I knew a handful of them from my photography club last term. I will be sad to leave my students, but I think I am a little burned out from teaching right now so hopefully they will get another high energy teacher in the classroom.

Next weekend is my last weekend in Surat....then it's TRAVEL TIME! I need to get my plans together....so many places to go - and 2 months to do it in :)

Sawasdee Kha,
Apes :)

Temporary Living

So I've gotten settled in a new place in Surat Thani. Let me tell you about it:

The good:
- LOCATION LOCATION LOCATION: I am in the center of town, a 5 minute walk to work, and in the middle of the night market...as in, I walk downstairs and I'm already in the middle of the market!!
- "Balcony"
- Elevator

The bad:
- Cold Shower
- Fake Western Toilet: it is a toilet - but no flusher, I have to use the bucket to "flush"
- Monk alarm clock at 530am: The Monks start daily chants at 530am. The temple is directly beside my hotel.
- "Balcony" - step out of my room, and the balcony touches a brick wall. So more like a cemented in balcony.

I guess though, that I have been spoiled tremendously in Thailand (and Myanmar) with hot showers, full balconies, Air Con (which I ended up not ever using) and all western style everything. I guess it's about time to start "roughing it". It's only for a few weeks, it's only for a few weeks, it's only for a few weeks.

Sawasdee Kha,
Apes :)

Transition....Myanmar to Thailand!

Welp, I AM HOME! And by home, I mean BACK IN THAILAND!!! I LOVED my time in Myanmar, but I cannot be more happy to be back in Thailand!

I flew into Bangkok Friday night, and it was a VERY eclectic group of people on the plane. There were Burmese people, Thais, Westerns - and of all kinds! Backpackers, red necks, businessmen, etc. I'm sure my oversized stuffed Gorilla added to the mix quite nicely!

I couldn't have had any better of a time in Myanmar - and I had the BEST people to experience it with! So for those who follow - here's a little shout out:

- To my housemates: I can't get 30rock on the TV at any time here! You ladies were awesome, and I loved all of our family meals, electricity blackout hangouts, errand trips, cooking, balcony drinking, and other memories that we shared. You guys made the house more than a house, you made it a great home!
- To the other teachers: - I'm happy our paths crossed when we did, as my school in Thailand just isn't as fun without the Ukele, random snacks, and conversations over "Z" and "Zet". Good luck in all your travels, and I hope our paths cross again!
- and of course, To my roommate/travel buddy/teaching partner/etc**: I don't know why our school put us together in ALL aspects of our time in Myanmar, but I definitely lucked out in having you as my other half. You made my time in Myanmar such a great Sont Sar Khan and when I think of Myanmar I will no doubt always think of you...camping, puzzle solving, whiskey smuggling, birthday celebrations, closet sharing, sleep talking, Myanmar pillow talk, 50th street crazy times, and so much more that I can't remember or can't post on the internet :) Thank you for helping me find parts of myself that I have been missing for a while. Enjoy your newest adventure in your village and keep being the star of the SEA-Game Show! :)

Ok, enough sap stuff.

I didn't realize how little I had in Myanmar until I went back to Thailand. I felt as I was back in civilization...

I stepped off the plane, and headed STRAIGHT to SUBWAY!! As we ate a food that I hadn't even realized was missing from my life, Kerry asked if I was crying. Why yes, I was. IT WAS JUST SO GOOD! A sweet onion chicken teriyaki sub, COLD ice tea, and a white chocolate macademia nut was sensory overload. They of course were happy tears, my body just couldn't deal. I can't imagine what will happen when I land on American soil again...

Next we hopped on the Airlink - PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION WITH AC. Another thing I didn't realize I missed....then onto motobike taxis. I felt like a little kid again.

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A few things that I realized Myanmar didn't have but Thailand does:

- Internet: Thailand has Wi-fi everywhere! In my hotel, I was able to actually be on the internet while sitting in my bed!!!!

- Phones: I put baht on my phone and phoned my REAL home...Mom and Pops over in the USA! And I texted people...TEXTING! My fingers didn't know what I was doing! Myanmar charged $250USD for a sim card. Yes, that is TWO HUNDRED AND FIFTY US DOLLARS! Needless to say, I didn't have a phone there. Made it interesting when making plans with people...

- Food: Both countries have food (OBV!) and good street food, but only Thailand has "fast food chains". That means what I can find in Thailand; Subway, Burger King, KFC, Pizza Hut, McDonald's, Swenson's...I cannot find in Myanmar as of yet. Yes, no comfort fast food when your hungover!

- 711. No, they do NOT exist in Myanmar. There are "108" shops...which is the closest you can find. Thailand has 711 on every corner...they are like the Starbucks of NYC. When I saw the first one in BKK I was like, "I HAVE TO STOP" but then I saw another, and another, and another...

- Bad English. Ok, I shouldn't say bad...just very broken English. Thailand has this...Myanmar has GREAT english! I didn't have to break down my English into "where toilet?" in Myanmar. The same cannot be said for Thailand.
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Eventhough I didn't have all that available in Myanmar, I didn't need it! I didn't even realize how simple and un-western the country was until I saw what Thailand was.

I know soon enough though, that will change. Myanmar just got ATM's, and wi-fi at the airport...it won't be long before the Myanmar that I fell in love with will be just as westernized as Thailand is.

Sawasdee Kha,
Apes :)



**betcha didn't see that "feelings" stuff coming did ya?.....BOOM!

Myanmar Money

I heard before I came to Myanmar that your American money has to be crisp bills, so people walk around carrying thick books with their money laying flat inside of them.

I of course didn't believe this.

Now after being in Myanmar, I can say it IS true that your American dollars need to be crisp and clean. We have tried paying for our bus/train tickets before and have had our dollars rejected.

"There is a crease here"
"The corner is folded"
"There is a small tear"

Yes, we now store our American dollars in thick books to keep them flat. Myanmar money, on the other hand, can be torn, smudged, or crumpled and it's accepted.

It is also weird to need USD here - as when buying train tickets, foreigners have to pay in USD. However, they do not have change for you in USD, and will not give your Kyat (Myanmar money) as change either. So if you have a $100 bill, and your ticket is $60....GOOD LUCK! It's a very weird system to have for a foreigner to carry 2 types of currency.

Minglabar,
Apes

Burma Travels

So I've been doing my last round of traveling in Burma lately. Here's my list of places I've gone during my 2 months here:

- Yangon (where I live)
- Dalah
- Nay Pyi Daw (the capitol)
- Pago
- Mandalay
- Pagan (land of a thousand temples)
- Inle Lake

So I've hit the major (and some minor) spots in Burma. Which is good, since this is my last week here!!

Last weekend Kerry and I took a 4 day trip (thanks to the May Day holiday) to Inle Lake. I think this might have been my favorite place in Myanmar. The whole trip was great; our company, our activities, the area, etc. Here's what we did...

Tuesday night before we left, Kerry made a friend (Mark) at the Art Exhibit and told him about our trip. I then met him Wednesday at the bar while I was having goodbye drinks with a friend. Then on Friday he was tagging along! We also had my friend Amanda from Thailand coming with us.

So on Friday, we all loaded up on the bus and hit the road to Inle! We left around 3pm, and got in around 5am to Inle. Once there, we tried various guesthouses until we found one to stay in - Joy Hotel. It was right on the water, not expensive, and we had 2 separate rooms beside each other - which meant we all got our own bed! Then it was nap time before we started our day.

Once it was actually wake up time, we had breakfast on the balcony, where we met another group of 4 travelers (Angie, Oliver, Bart, and their friend). We shared plans for the day, and they gave us their tips on what to do while we were there.

Then it was time to head off! We rented bicycles and biked to a Temple that was inside a cave (Angie had told us about it) and it was soo cool. There were little caverns inside the cave that you could explore (good thing we had our flashlights!). After about an hour or so discovering the cave, we hopped back on the bikes and grabbed some lunch in town. Then it was time for the VINEYARD! Yes, you read right - Inle Lake had a vineyard, with wines!!! We biked to Red Mountain Vineyard, and as we got there, we ran into the breakfast group as they were leaving. We all decided to meet for dinner later, but right now it was WINE TIME! We got a wine tasting - 4 wine tastings for 2000kyats ($2.43USD). Then we decided to buy a few bottles - we got 2 bottles to split between us then (a while and a rose). After we finished those off, we took a tour around the vineyard and got to see the Myanmar women hard at work harvesting the grapes. Then we bought 2 more bottles for the following day and started the bike ride home.

On the way home, we stopped so Amanda could get pizza (she was going to have it as an appetizer) and then it rained the rest of the ride home. RAIN?? We haven't seen that in ages!

Once back at Joy - we met the breakfast group for dinner, and then had drinks with them on the balcony. During dinner, I sat next to Bart and we started discussing travels, and etc. He mentioned how he was planning a Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos trip soon - as was I. We have since stayed in touch, so we can travel part of that together. We also talked about the boat trip that my group was planning the next day, as he had done it the day before. One of the stops is a Cigar Factory and he casually mentioned that his friends had brought him Cuban Cigars and he had them at the hotel. So when we had drinks on the balcony, we shared a cigar (MMMMMM) and he gave me one to smoke on my own later. If you've ever had a cigar with me, you know I was QUITE a happy camper!

Then next morning we got up, shared breakfast with the other group once again - then they headed back to Yangon to fly out to Bangkok, and we got in a boat for our Inle Lake water tour. On the tour we stopped at various shops, saw the Floating Gardens, visited the Jumping Cat Monastery, visited the Cigar Factory (where I got to roll my own Cigar), had lunch on the water, and got to see the Fisherman that row their boats with their legs. 

Excerpt from Wiki: Local fishermen are known for practicing a distinctive rowing style which involves standing at the stern on one leg and wrapping the other leg around the oar. This unique style evolved for the reason that the lake is covered by reeds and floating plants making it difficult to see above them while sitting. Standing provides the rower with a view beyond the reeds. However, the leg rowing style is only practiced by the men.

The day was of course filled with photos, fun times, AND our bottles of wine from the day before. We also all got to try Beetle-nut for the first time. What is that you ask? It's something that the Burmese men chew and spit, and it turns their whole mouth red. Of course we wanted to try it! I was the first to go - and it didn't taste bad. It was hard (I was expecting something soft like chewing tobacco) and the taste was a weird mix of mint and grass. Then I started the spitting part, but it never turned red! My mouth only turned it orange. Then it started tasting bad - so I spit it all out. Mark and the girls also tried it, and we all had about the same reaction to it. It did give us a burst of energy though, like a shot of espresso!

After we returned back to Joy after our day on the Lake we grabbed a quick dinner and then went to a traditional Puppet Show. It was about 40 minutes long, and the puppeteer had been puppet-ing for like 40 years I think he said!

Then we headed home, as we were exhausted from the day.

On Monday we woke up, and had one last breakfast with Amanda and Mark. They had decided to do a 3 day Trek to Kalah, and Kerry and I were staying for 2 more days in Inle before going back to school in Yangon. Kerry and I spent the day lounging, take a "rest day" after our last few busy days. Then we ventured out and went to a Pagoda outside of town and watched the sunset. We stopped by an Art Gallery on the way, and then went to PANCAKE KINGDOM for dinner. The pancakes were delicious, but I can't wait to go back to the states and have a stack of my Dad's pancakes! Then we booked our bus tickets for the next day, and relaxed on the balcony. We got to watch that night's storm from our hotel, and the lightning and thunder was a nice show for us.

Tuesday it was our last day :(
After breakfast, we rented bikes and biked out to the Hot Springs. It was about an hour bike ride, and the ride was so peaceful and beautiful. Rolling landscapes, huge mountains, and Tiny villages crawled past us. Once we got to the hot springs, we soaked for about 2 hours and just relaxed. For lunch we got Tofu (as the Hot Springs here were known for their Tofu). It didn't taste like any special tofu though, just tofu! Then we biked back, enjoying our last little bit in Inle.

We arrived back to Yangon around 5am, took a quick nap and then were back in our classrooms teaching at 8am!

Everything about Inle Lake was so spectacular, I didn't want to leave. My camera is broken, so I currently don't have any photos to share. Once my travel group puts their up, I'll make sure to share them.

Mingalabar,
Apes :)