💯
This is the last post.
I finish this blog with Day 101, though it's called 111, simply because the trip is over.
100 days and 128 dives later, once around the world, full of impressions, smells, feelings, tastes: I am back.
I started this trip with 90 dives ( certified with 11 dives in March 2014, 79 dives from March 2015 til March 2017). Now it's 218 in the logbook...Had all kinds of boat diving, liveaboards, Dinghis, Longtails, small diveboats, some shore dives, many nightdives, all kinds of entry, near out of air, drift dives, currents, cenotes, caverns, caves, deep dives, in waters around the world, and not a single minute in the pool:
I declare myself an experienced Advanced Open Water Diver now
In the end I realize I did it almost exactly as I initially planned...:
Still wearing one of my dive t-shirts (The Junk June Hong Chian Lee, actually) for days now, dive leg and boat shorts, they feel so familiar and homy, cannot get used to long pants, socks and shirts with collar yet...;-)
I use the last free days to update this travel blog to the current date.
It feels so good to be home, with my family, and have time to take a soft transition to "normal working life". Barbecue on the balkony, my daughter is pregnant and I will be grandfather by the end of November, my son is busy with his studies and workouts, and my loved Kate is just simply sweet.
She goes to work in the morning, I edit and write blog all day, this way I have the last week very vividly in front of my eyes and slip into life in Berlin very slowly, do some laundry, start to re-animate my scooter and motorbike, which I left in hibernation back in March, and enjoy the slow pace.
Still some jetlag, wake up at 3 am, sleep at 5 again. (Actually now it's 2:17 am on the 22nd, I still can't sleep)
(Updated) Some people ask, which one was the best diving spot. Hard to tell, you cannot compare Melissa's Garden in Raja Ampat with Cenote Tajma Ha in Yucatan or Bunaken with the Similan Islands or Nii'au of Hawaii, for example. All of them have their own beauty. I would dive all of them again at any time.
Some ask, which one was the most beautiful spot I visited. Hard to tell, I knew only Thailand before, I had a very great time with the folks at Scuba Junkie on Mabul in Borneo, loved to sail on the Junk June Hong Chian Lee, we were laughing our asses off on the liveaboards of West Coast Divers, spent an unforgettable time in Hawaii and on Highway One in California, just as some examples.
But I am very interested in seeing Komodo, the Philipines, Fidji, Micronesia, Palau, more Cenotes, the works of Jason DeCaires Taylor at Lanzarote, ...
More important for me: the people. Many or most of them with an open heart and welcoming spirit, beautiful souls and wonderful minds. I met some old friends and made a lot of new ones from all over the world along my way, in Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, Hawaii, and Mexico.
We smiled a lot during these 100 days...
I say thank you to all of them, for the wonderful times we had,
Marco, Beto, Fernando, TJ, Pooh and the Rainbow Divers staff, especially Hannes for good advice, my Tattoo artist Bao, Mr. Boy and all staff at Lanta Bee Garden, Kon Tiki Diving on Koh Lanta and in Ao Nang, Gemma and Edu in Khao Lak, Lembeh and Raja Ampat, the staff at Scuba Junkies Mabul, all the incredible boat crews, Julia and Brad, Deirde and Gillian, Dan on Oahu, the staff at Scuba Tulum, and the wonderful people at Art Hotel Tulum
and especially the new friends:
Mam Khaolak for perfect welcome to Thailand,
my new dive buddys on the Sawasdee Fasai and Pawara: Danielson McLain, Prajuk PJ Ponsimma, Camille Lamaison, Oliver Fitch, Jan Chan, Monica Boiza Martinez, Pilar Hernandez and Vasilis Votsios, Emanuele Del Barba and Chiara Pezzoli, Xiaobin Chen,
at Rainbowfish Divers on Ko Tao: Ella Scubarella, Franz Peschel, Andrea Langhans, Lissi Ma and Sa Botage
on the Junk June Hong Chian Lee: Jerome Blanc,
on Koh Lanta: ABenz Light House, Shawnee Walker,
at Scuba Junkie, Mabul: Dionne Fran Dantsz, Jessie Saville, Catherine Manarang, Evelynn Yee, Ivan C. Guzman and Chel Briones from the Philipines, Tom Wright from Australia,
at Bunaken and Lembeh: ElynelyseKo Elysie and Leonardo Charlton Ang,
on the 7 days liveaboard trip in Raja Ampat: Angela Cozas Bagur, Víctor Kelèvra and Cristina González Prieto, Eduard Simo Arbos, Luis Garcia Lapuerta and Maica Ciria, Isabel Mateos García,
In the Cenotes of Yucatán, Mexico: Rubiel Estrada Vera
Last but not least: All of you readers, who made me keep on updating this blog
A big Thankyou and Mahalo to all of you! 🙏
PS: Tomorrow I will wake up my fun car,
looking forward to a 3 days camping weekend with friends, vintage car meeting, rock'n'roll, drinks and races.
PPS: I did not feel like taking part in the races, still in traveling mode, slow and relaxed. I would let my friend Bernd drive me around instead...
but I saw a last Manta, at least
A roadtrip to Tossa de Mar in September is more what I feel like now...
Volker Roadmovie from AVWC on Vimeo.
By the way: my dive gear is ready, set, go again for Italy and Costa Brava in September... 😀
See you above and under water, have a good one, cheers and Chok Dee!
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