Starting my IDC

Well, I am finally a divemaster (some paper work pending) and today I'm starting my IDC (Instructor Development Course), so in about 2 weeks, if everything goes as planned, I'll be a diving instructor, a certification I'm hoping to use to recover some of my expenses once I'm back in Spain. So, keep that in mind. If you're thinking about doing a diving course, give me a call or send me an email :)

For those of you asking what my future plans are and when I'll be going back to Spain, my immediate plans after finishing the IDC is heading for Khao Lak and try to work as a volunteer there for a few days (probably not more than a couple weeks), then head north and try to see as much of Northern Thailand as I can, although it will not be much since I plan on flying to Hong Kong at the beginning of July. From there I will spend one or two days in London, before flying to Egypt for a week and then head back to Spain. Unfortunately, my plans of visiting Laos, Vietnam and Cambodia will have to wait for a future trip.

So, unless things changes, I should be back in Madrid around the third week of July. And chances of dates changing this time are very unprobable, since my first niece, Rocio, is expected on August, and I definitely want to be there when she's born.

Other than that, life goes one without major changes around here. The diving is over (at least, temporarely) and now the academic work begins. Although I've had lots of fun with Johnathan, my instructor, and Sean, my fellow divemaster trainee, I'm truly looking forward to moving on and leaving Phuket. During this trip I've got used to moving and seeing new places almost on a daily basis, and I truly miss that feeling.

I'll let you know how the course turns out to be and wether I finish it without problems.

Life goes on... and mobile phones simply go!

Well, this period of my trip is Phuket is certainly being the quitest, more relaxed (and probably more dull, if it wasn't for the fact that I'm working on my divemaster certification) of my whole trip. I've been in this island for over 3 weeks and all I've done is diving, studying and going through a visa run (a process which, in itself, deserves a full posting if I ever have time for it).

My friends Adam and Annette came over here to join me in a 3-day live-aboard trip to the Similan Islands, claimed to be one of the best diving places in the world. The diving was certainly excellent, but being a very unsophisticated diver, I was a bit deceived that we didn't see any of the big stuff (mantas, rays, turtles,...). We did see a few Leopard Sharks and other interesting things, but well, I guess I'm like a kid: I love big stuff.

Annette continued her trip all the way to Chiang Mai (a mere 36-hour trip) while Adam decided to stay here with me, certainly making my live over here more fun and interesting.

Perhaps the only remarkable incident I've had during the last days was the fact that we were robbed in our bungalow. At night and while we were sleeping. None of us can figure out how they did it, as we usually wake up by the slightest noise, but the fact is that when we woke up in the morning Adam's wallet (with money, credit card and phone) was gone and, you're going to love this, my mobile phone as well!!! Yes, the fourth mobile phone that gets stolen or lost in this trip. I'm thinking of contacting the Guinness Book of Records as I'm certain this must be a new World benchmark.

Anyway, luckily I still had the last mobile phone that I bought in Australia (it was missing the charger, that was stolen in Rotorua), so I bought a new charger and a new SIM card and I'm reachable again. So please, write down:

MY NEW THAI NUMBER: +66 40 526 734

And that's it from now. Tomorrow I will be going with the other divemaster trainee and my instructor to a new site to help with two Advance students. Hopefully in a few days I will be done with the studying part of the course and I will be able to reply emails and update this web.

Hope all of you are well and happy!