Thailand Adventures: Long water

I have debated how to do this.  How to tell our stories of abroad and show you the millions of pictures.  I decided.  Today.  Just now actually.  I will not go through chronologically and tell you everything in this post.  I will share with you stories.  The stories that make me laugh so hard I want to do it all over again.  I don't know how long this will take, but hold on because it will be fun!



The basics (in case you are late to the party):  Deneal, Tim, Ashlee, Jason, Ben and I went to Thailand.  If you ask, we will tell you it was hot and amazing.  These are our stories.

While in Ko Lanta, Thailand we had the opportunity to take a day trip on the Andaman Sea fishing and snorkeling.  We had some locals take us out and show us the ropes.  Oh boy.

The day started out rainy, which to be honest, was a welcomed break from the sweltering heat.  We figured no lighting meant we were a go for fishing.  So we carried forward hoping the weather would improve.  It did, by the time we were loading into our long boat the sun was out and ready to party.

There are some things you should know, I am not a great swimmer.  In no way do I pretend or even act like I am.  I should work on it though.  I used to talk a big game about how someday I would dive to the bottom of oceans with sharks and fish and have the time of my life.  That was before I realized that diving also includes swimming.  I realized that on our Honeymoon as I tried to snorkel in a silent (not so silent) panic that the ocean was about to swallow me whole.  This was bound to be a grand time.

We drove around the Sea looking for good finds to bait our fishing hooks.  Old school way.  I love the simplicity and resourcefulness of island life.  The strings were attached to old 2 liter pop bottles so they could find their nets.

When we eventually found a squid to use as fishing bait we snorkeled, and fished (actually only Ashlee caught a fish. Go Ash!) and then we snorkeled again.  And here is where the real story begins.

After lunch on a gorgeous beach we loaded back onto the boat to find another snorkel spot.  We pulled up to this gorgeous cove, "Snorkeling is good here" our captain told us.  "Sweet", I thought - super eager to get off the boat.  Lunch mixed with sitting on a small boat feeling waves isn't great for me.  I suited up with my gear and jumped out.  Ashlee followed and Deneal was soon after.  We all were kicking around, in different directions, seeing the most gorgeous fish in the clear water.  The guys stayed on the boat.  Determined, I think, to not let Ashlee be the only fisherman of the day.

As I kicked around I stuck my head up a few times noticing how far away from the boat I was getting.  "Man, I guess I am a better swimmer than I gave myself credit for" I thought.  As I was praising myself silently I heard Ben, Jason and Tim talking about the fish stealing their bait and not hooking.  Then Jason came up with a brilliant plan.  "Tim, you jump into the water with my hook.  The girls say  there are tons of fish in there.  Just hook one of them for me!"  "OK!", Tim replied quickly grabbing the hook and jumping in only feet from where I sat practicing my kicking and keeping my head above water.

Before I continue there is something you should know.  Our guides were so sweet to cook us lunch and feed us mid-way through our day.  They stopped at a gorgeous beach and grilled our fish and served us homemade curry and rice.  Eating hot curry and rice when it's 100 degrees and 90% humidity is something that grows on you.... Hot meals on a hot day isn't something any of us were used to.  After we finished eating Tim had a brilliant (and I mean brilliant) idea of making a ball out of some left over rice and sticking it in his pocket.  "I will feed it to the fish when we snorkel again", he said "they will love it.  Trust me, we will see so many more."

Now, back to the cove.  After Tim jumped in all I heard was yelling,  "WHOA, WHOA - What's going on?!?!  The fish are everywhere!!"   I stuck my head under the glassy water and saw (I should say schools, but I don't feel like that word does the amount of fish I saw justice) SWARMS and SWARMS of fish brushing past me to surround Tim. They were nipping at his pocket and assaulting him for rice.  Holding one hand above the water, as to not hook himself (remember he has Jason's hook) he swatted fish away with the other.  "Get them away from me!" He yelled.  "Hook one of them!!", Jason yelled back.  I watched amazed at all the fish I saw and taking in the action.  Then without hesitation I broke out in hysterics.  They were attacking him!! Attacking him for a ball of rice.  I laughed and laughed.  Laughing so hard I couldn't do anything to help.  Laughing so hard he somehow swam back to the boat and safely above water before I stopped.

Once my laughing stopped I looked back to the boat and realized I was really far away from them.  I looked around and saw Ashlee quickly approaching.  "We are really far away from the boat", she said.  "I know", we should swim back I said.  We swam and swam, but the boat kept getting further away.  "WHAT THE HECK?" I said, "Are they LEAVING us?" I yelled, "WHY are they MOVING??"  We nervously laughed back and forth as Deneal approached. "Deneal, we need to get back" we said "we are really far away!" We laughed (I really don't know why - some sort of I-might-drown-out-here-giggle).  She agreed and we kicked and kicked with no avail.  What is going on?  We began waving our arms.  "HEY, HEY Where are you going?  We can't get back!"  They guys, and the guides, looked at us with funny looks on their faces and pointed toward the cove.  "We can't SWIM!" We screamed (and giggled).  Everyone on board looked at us , and pointed yet again to the cove.  "Swim in", they said.  "We can't!  We can't!"  Ashlee looked and me and Deneal looked at us both and we saw the panic begin to set it.  Quickly we continued drifting further and further away from the boat, swimming and kicking with no avail.  "What are they doing?  Why aren't they helping us?" Ashlee said.  "I don't know!! SAVE US!" I screamed.  At that moment, La, the Captain of the boat, held up a boogy board.  He held the backside toward us.  On the backside of the board was a picture, a picture of a shark attacking a surf board.  "WHY", Ashlee said with panic in her face "Is he showing us a picture of a SHARK??"  Deneal looked at me, "I think we REALLY need to get in", she said.  "WE CAN'T GET IN!" we yelled again.  Again, they looked at is pointing toward the cove.  "Swim in!" Jason screamed.  We all looked at each other again, patience long gone.  "WE. ARE. TRYING!!!!" I screamed.

Immediately Tim grabbed 3 life jackets and jumped in the water.  He made it to us in record time.  We grabbed the jackets, and thanked him for his aide. Seriously, thank goodness for Tim!  "You guys are in a current" he said, "it's pulling you away.  Swim out of the current and you will be able to get back."  5 feet to the left, we were out of the current and back to calm water swimming safely toward the boat.

Ben and Jason jumped in before we made it back.  "WHY DIDN'T YOU HELP US??" Ashlee and I asked almost in sync.  "We didn't know you were in trouble", they replied.  "One minute you were laughing and the next thing we know Tim is jumping in with life jackets!"  "But WHY did you just point toward the cove when we asked for help?"  "La (remember our sweet Thai captain) kept telling us it was very long water there and pointed toward the cove.  So we just thought it was deep there."  "We almost drown, you know?" we said.  "LONG WATER, all he said was LONG WATER!  We didn't know that meant the current was sweeping our wives away!"

Well it was.

Note for all future trips, long water = super fast current in Thailand.

"And wait, why did he hold up a picture of a SHARK?" Ashley asked.
The boys looked at each other and everyone laughed.

Oh the adventures of Thailand...