Day 60 - 61: 4 dives, 2 days, rinse and repeat.

Awake, roll over, check the time, 2:30am, roll back over, dream. Awake, roll over, check the time, 4:30am, roll back over, dream. Awake, roll over, check the time, 5:30am, close enough, grab the iPhone, click on the flashlight app, and start my day. There's 6 of us in the bungalow, 6 lights, but only 2 switches, both would wake everyone up. Grab the necessities and head out the door to meet at the diving shed.

Diving outfit consists of board shorts plus normal dive gear, that's it, such a treat. Around Catalina Island off the coast of LA, it's 55 degrees requiring a full 7mm suit, booties, hoody and gloves. After each dive you peal all the layers and accessories off, try to warm up, then slip back into your cold moist wetsuit and do it again an hour later. Not that I'm complaining about Catalina, cool dive site, but to dive with just boardies on and stay warm - amazing. 

Today we dive Chumpon Pinnacle, 30m down. It's always a great dive, at least thats the rumor, I'll be the judge of that. Crossing my fingers for a whale shark. Paul, my Irish dive master is on the boat again, asked him to dial-a-whaleshark yesterday, he said the line was busy but he'd try again.

Did not bring my camera for the first dive, it recommends only 10m depth, though yesterday I took it to 18.  Am not willing to risk 30m, too many pictures to lose. Dive was incredible, clarity was good, played with some angel fish, avoided the jaws of the triggerfish, got some video of a blue spotted sting ray. Second was at White Rock, another great site, tons to see and avoid, especially the scorpionfish, they look just like the rocks. 

Day 61 & 62 are pretty much a rinse and repeat. Both days begin at 5:30am for 2 dives each off the coast of Koh Tao. Both days involve my compadres in class from early morning until mid afternoon. We always grab dinner together and most nights we hit the hay early to avoid consuming alcohol.  

A few notable occurrences, we discover Larry in the rafters. Not sure what kind of lizard he is, but he's sizable and likes to aim for white linen sheets. No-Nic woke up one morning to find a stealth mission missed his face by inches. Oh Larry! On several occasions, large wirey spiders have joined us for a poo or while we brushed our teeth, or while Slug, Costa, and Snake screamed like little school girls jumping up on their bed as it scampered across the floor. Miss those little guys.

Had a strange run in with an English Bloke about 40 years of age. It was at Lotus Bar, night 62, and at first look, just thought he was socially odd. Was talking to my Phi Phi divemaster friend, Simon, when he approached. In a span of 7 minutes while talking about hot girls he touches my arm no less than 10 times and punches me in the gut. Dude! I leave to find my friends and 30 minutes later, he appears again, this time on the dance floor trying to grind up on me and a few other choice guys. I first tried the avoidance technique, moved away, to no avail, so it was time to be blunt. Dude, clearly your gay, that's cool, but I'm not interested, stop touching me. "I'm not GAY", says he in an offended tone as he tries to grind on me again. Dude, yeah, you are, I know it, you know it, every guy in this bars knows it. There's nothing wrong with that, but let me be clear, touching me, punching me, grinding me, that's not ok, back off. He sat there stunned, still obviously drunk, and before he could spout some ignorant nonsensical retort, I walked off the floor to another set of friends. He did not bother me again that eve, but later found him sitting next to Snake on a stump, way to close. I grab Snake, say let's go grab some food, and save Snakes skin, pun intended.

The last night, we stay up well past 4, I check my emails in the lobby, check the bball scores, the gang rolls on by me to our crib. It's now 5am, heading back to the bungalow to get some shuteye, have a 30 hour trek to Cambodia tomorrow.

Nite nite via the iPhone blogger.