Komodo dragons and steering the boat

In the evening we had dinner in the same bay in Koh Tao where we were yesterday. The kids befriended the local dog named Durian. He was a big dog with black and white markings that looked like a pit bull, and the kids fawned over him shamelessly. I wonder how he got his name. We suspect he likes to eat Durian.

I think we all slept well on our second night on the boat, either because we were tired or because we were more used to sleeping on the boat. In the morning after we woke up it rained for 20 minutes or so and we needed to batten down the hatches to keep the rain out. We spent the morning in the cove paddle boarding and snorkelling. Somehow Elizabeth and John talked the first mate Dont into giving them joy rides on a paddle board behind the dingy. John would stand up on the paddle board, holding onto a rope attached to the board for balance.

For the afternoon we sailed back to Koh Pha Ngan and I steered the boat for much of the way with the wind running perpendicular to us on a beam reach. It was good fun and I really enjoyed it. This is how John described the 'ordeal' (he commandeered my iPad when I wasn't looking and wrote this):

"Hello it's John's ambush of doom here. I just want to tell you that I almost died at the hands of Dad after he dramatically drove the sail boat. Let me back up to explain how he actually got the right to get his hands on the fate of my life, that is, how he got permission to drive the sailboat. He got bored, straight up, and the captain let him steer the boat. As you can see, I already had the urge to strand myself with a Bengal tiger watching the entire ship sink before my eyes (Elizabeth being the Bengal tiger and in the scene of the movie 'Life Of Pie'). First of all I can already say that the waves were over the top for another stupidly Dad crazy reason! He got hungry and so he was fed by mom with some papaya, which is a tasty treat AWAY FROM THE STEERING WHEEL! SO THAT WE CAN ALL ENJOY IT OURSELVES! That's what I wanted to say."

We last ended up at a beach near the Panvaman Resort, where we stayed the last two times when in Thailand. The last time we were here we walked down to the beach from the cliffs where we had our meals at the Star Huts. This was a low key place where you could rent a hut with a sand floor and order from a restaurant that also had a sand floor. I think I managed to make it for almost two weeks in bare feet. The first time we stayed at the Panvaman we watched large lizards (something like Komodo dragons) roam at the bottom of the steep slope from our hotel. Sadly no Star Huts or Komodo dragons this time. The beach was transformed into a series of resorts, but was still fabulous with its white sand and views of the hills.

Here are the kids on the dingy on the way to the Panvaman beach.

Snorkel till you drop

Last night we had dinner at the only restaurant in this small cove. We took the dingy from our sailboat to the wharf, which consisted of two floating docks with a four foot gap between them. It was dark and at first we weren't sure how to cross the space. Elizabeth quickly discovered that there was a rope which joined these two docks, which she pulled to close the gap. So we all leaped over, with Elizabeth keeping the open water at bay like a little strong man. As we walked the remaining way along rickety decking, I imagined we were on an adventure passing obstacles like tests to be overcome.

We slept onboard in the cabins below, one in the bow and one in the stern. I don't think anyone had a really good night's sleep except perhaps for the skipper and crew, who were used to sleeping on a boat. I was told that conditions for sleeping were near ideal for this part of the world, with a fresh breeze blowing and the boat gently rocking through the night. I did find it very peaceful though to be lulled to sleep by the ebb and flow of the boat movement, with the sound of water lapping against the hull.

We started the second day on the boat with a morning of snorkeling and paddle boarding. We then slipped our moorings for our day trip to circumnavigate Koh Tao and return to the same place we started off our day. Our first stop was Shark Island for face time with the sharks, which were supposedly one meter long with black fins and not dangerous. As we snorkled around the small island, we unfortunately did not see any sharks. We did however have some difficulty crossing over one point as we tried to make our way around a rocky outcropping. As the small waves rolled in there was just enough room to float over the rocks to the other side. I should have turned around, but I didn't, and so we did get a few cuts crossing and then returning. After feeling the sting of cuts in salt water, we returned John and Elizabeth to the boat and then Catheleen and I continued on. The coral life and fish are so varied and interesting it's hard to describe. You just have to see it for yourself.

We stopped at a few other alcoves and beaches along the way around the island of Koh Tao. Mid-afternoon we stopped at the only town on the island called Mae Haad where the ferry crosses over from Koh Pha Ngan. The main street was bustling with activity as young backpackers made their way around, some looking for accommodations and some waiting for the ferry. It reminded me of Koh Pha Ngan years ago when it was filled with backpackers, Catheleen and I among them.

We then stopped at one last beach before we made port for the night for more snorkeling. The skipper said we would snorkel till we dropped today and we certainly had our fill. Catheleen and Elizabeth saw a large school of parrot fish, and I saw a school of small fish which was so large and packed together it looked like a moving black swarm. I swam through schools of small fish today and it was interesting how they would divide up and then meet back together after I was clear of them, like Moses parting the red sea.

The skipper was then concerned that a storm was approaching, but after a few minutes it became clear that the storm would miss us. We did experience the remnants of the storm on the way back to our mooring with some gusts and big waves that made for a fun ride. John and Elizabeth rode at the front of the boat, which received the most movement as the boat rose and crashed in the rolling waves. The skipper had to turn around a one point so we were head to wind as a gust and wave approached. It was quite a ride.