TO BE CONTINUED
I booked this last year in August or September. Got a nice discount for booking two trips on two boats by the same owner, Steve.
So here is the plan: Fly into Thailand on 15. March, stay four days in Kata Beach, go diving Myanmar for ten days, stay two days in Khao Lak, go diving Similan Islands for six days, fly out on 7. April late evening.Everything is payed and arranged, but then things started to change quickly.
The Corona virus COVID-19 outbreak in China around 15. January picked up speed exponentially.
Travel restrictions apply, it becomes a matter of days or even hours, if you can travel or not.
Travelers from many countries are put in 14-day quarantine, Italy has the second highest number of infections following China, they are not even allowed to enter Thailand anymore.
Thailand introduced a mandatory Health screenings for most european travelers at immigration airports effective 12. March.
My flight is rescheduled two times an re-routed once, finally I travel with Swiss Air via Zurich, directly into Phuket. On monday morning, 16. March 2020, I land on schedule in Phuket, have my T8 health questionnaire form prepared and filled out, get it stamped after a fever check, pass immigration, and enter Thailand.
In the meantime, infection numbers explode, one country after the other imposes drastic measures, curbfews, shutdowns, empty stores, toilet paper craziness, quarantines. it's two weeks now that people start buying noodles and especially toilet paper in bulk quantities, hoarding and stockpiling it.
Public life is supposed to be brought to a grinding halt. Everybody is asked to stay at home, schools, bars, churches are closed.
Italians sing together from their balconys, in Germany your neighbors shout at you and want to call the police when you sing in the backyard.
After not even 24 hours being in Thailand I read that Europe shuts their borders effective Tuesday, 17. March, all travels inside and outside EU are banned for 30 days, 17. April. I came out on one of the last flights, two days later it was not possible anymore.
My trip is supposed to end 7. April...
I take a shared minivan from the airport to Kata Beach and check in at Orchidacea, the hotel where I spent my very first visit to Thailand 10 days ago. The Hotel got a good makeover during the last 10 years, evrything is a bit lighter and looks friendlier. As this is my third visit here, I get an upgrade to a room closer to the pool, now that's nice. It's around noon, I head to the pool, take a dip, and chill on a sunbed, with a beer in my hand.
As usual, it will take 2-3 days of jetlagging until I am "back in the clock again", but that's ok.
Next day I rent a motorbike/scooter and go around the southern part of Phuket, visiting Jonathan Winter, former Cruise Director, and Bpoum, former second chef on the Junk. They retired from Liveaboard work, opened a TextMex restaurant in Chalong, close to the pier. Jonathan is giving online English classes. I go get some beers at the pier, not easy, all beach bars are closed, it's like a ghost town, but I find a kiosk.
Jonathan and I have a beer together, chat with Bpoum, and I head off back to Kata. It's still the same, though there has been a lot of newly constructed houses and hotels.
The little supermarket across the street is still there, now run by the lady, since the former owner, her husband, has died a couple years ago. At the southern end of Kata Noi Beach the "On The Rocks" still exist, but it's not a restaurant anymore, just a beach bar. One of the old staff is still there.
Ska Bar, Koktanode Road, all still there.
Wednesday, 18. March I do an Equipment Check Dive with Oceanic, recommended by Darren King and BJ O'Doherty.
Good I did this. It's a shore dive, as soon as we are deep enough for the tank to submerge, I hear bubbles in my back. I call Rachel who dives with me, we inspect the equipment. The HP hose for my Suunto Transmitter is leaking. We get out of the water, Rachel calls Joel at the shop, he picks us up and we investigate further. Finally we take off the transmitter, put a stopper and and off we go again.
We do a 60 min dive, I'm not used to it anymore, need more weight, and my 2 mm sock is too small, far too much slack in the prosthesis.Back in the shop, Joel has organized a new HP hose in the meantime. Now that's service! Great experience.
If I wouldn't dislike shore dives so much, I could go more often with them.
Joel brings me back to Hotel Orchidacea, I rinse and dry equipment, as the room phone rings. Reception. There is someone for me in the Lobby.
It's Nida, the beautiful and super friendly Thai woman from Oceanic, bringing my shoes, which I forgot...
Everyday I'm checking the Corona updates, this is developing as a pandemic, glad I made it out to here before everything closed.
I spend my days going round on the scooter, eating Thai Beef Salad and Pad Thai, chilling by the Pool. Evenings you can find me at Ska Bar, southern Kata Beach, unchanged for the last 10 years, incredible.
I am in contact with Steve Wessel, owner of the two boats I am going for. He arranges a shared transport from Kata Beach to Ranong on the border to Myanmar. The Phinisi is moored there.
more dive videos here: https://vimeo.com/user55401320"
See you under water
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