20th March 2016

Happy Birthday Chloe!

We hope you have a fabulous day!

Sending lots of hugs and kisses

Jenny & Simone

x x x

17th March 2016

Dear Chris,

Many Happy Returns Of The Day !!!

Enjoy your special day and we will be thinking of you.

Love & hugs,

Jenny & Simon 

X X X

...and a Happy St Paddy's Day to ya!!

13th March 2016

Since Roy left, it's been pretty quiet, a little odd not to see him everyday.

I've got back into the ECO swing of things and have been pretty full on with the DMT's (Dive Master Trainee's) taking them out on beach & dive site clean ups, drupella snail collections and maintenance at Junkyard.   I've also got a few eco students coming in the next few days, so that should keep me busy.  

Simon's been been walking most mornings as he's on a detox until his birthday  ..I am too but I've had the odd gin & tonic, Si's off the beer completely and we've also been eating pretty healthily.

Here's a couple of pictures of the new office.  It's nearly finished ..only problem is that I've got to share it with Crystal Images.   Oh well, can't have it all :-D

Si's put some lovely shelves up for me today and I'm going to try and locate backing for some large photo's frames that I have.

7th March 2016

Roys last full day  ..the last week has, as it always does, flown by.

We were all on the afternoon boat to double Chumphon Pinnacle, which is one of Koh Tao's best, deep dive sites.  We were the first group of divers to get in the water without anyone/other boats around  ...the visibility was good and soon came across some giant barracuda and then another school of yellow tail barracuda  ...argh, diving when on an empty dive site, totally relaxed is second to none.

Our second dive was just as good, if not better.  So many fish around  ..it was a real treat.  It's not usually like that with multiple dive boats moored up and fortunately for Roy, the visibility had improved over the last few days, he was so so lucky  ...and to have two outstanding.

Being Roys last night, we had a few beers at Crystal and then headed home for a shower and then by Roys decision, to Babaloo.  A vegan, veggie restaurant.  The food there is just so fresh and tasty it beats any restaurant on the island hands down  ...yes, even though it's not real meat!!

6th March 2016

We had a lovely walk over to Liam Thien the other day.   The walk starts in Sairee, so I cycled, collecting lunch on the way and Simon rode Roy over on his bike and then the walk commenced. It's not really a massive walk, around about 5k but in the afternoon heat and the first section is mostly uphill we all suffered a little.  The walk brings you to an abandoned resort.   The resort is now in ruin, grafitti, broken windows, litter everywhere but in it's hay day, it must have been beautiful.

Flat part of walk 

Abandoned resort

Room view

Restaurant area

Sweaty Roy

The beach

Simon chilling

I've been doing some ECO diving days with the DMT's at Crystal which, giant clam transplants and yesterday a beach & dive site clean up which was pretty successful as we gathered 3 massive bags of rubbish.

Dive site clean up!

Simon and Roy have been out on the boat too, taking photo's, helping tidy up all the dead clam shells that have been eaten by the Trigger fish and even some coral transplanting.

Selfie

Yesterday, we put ourselves on the boat  to fun dive in the afternoon which was great fun.  We went to Southwest, a deep dive site.  Visibility was pretty good, 15 or so meters which is much better than what it's been in the last few weeks.

Roy and I

Roy checking out the Snappers

1st March 2016

As the visibility has been pretty bad, we've not been out diving.  Simon has taught a 'Self Reliant' course over the course of a couple of days but I've not done a great deal apart from the odd swim, cycle but it's been good to spend time with Roy.

We've not been lazy, we've all been out on walks which have been very hot and great fun. Sometimes I've cycled part of the way and then met up with the boys as I don't enjoy walking up hills LOL 

Hello, my names Roy!

See you at the top

Where are we??

What a view!

The jungle

Last night we attended a fundraiser for our friend Chad who was recently been diagnosed with Leukemia .  He is in hospital in Bangkok undergoing chemotherapy & blood transfusions.  Chad is one of the most dedicated and passionate people you'll ever meet.  He inspires everyone!  For years he's been working tirelessly to protect the reefs & island.  Training countless of divers in all aspects of marine conservation, so everyone got together to raise funds and find blood donors as he has a rare blood type.

Roy was lucky enough to win a couple of prizes.  A 4 fun dive trip with a new French company and a multi functional cooker :-D

26th February 2016

We've been back nearly a week and its seems like only yesterday we were playing scrabble in front of the log burner and sipping on bubbly with Rosie :-D

The first few days back are always quite hard to adjust especially not seeing the family but I think we're just about over our jet lag and back in the swing of things.

What's lovely is that we have Simon's brother here, Roy.   He arrived the afternoon of the 23rd Feb and we're slowly easing him into island life.  

As I've been away, I arranged some ECO dives with the DMT's (Dive Master Trainee's)  A Drupella snail collection dive (coral eating snails) and then onto our artificial reef, Junkyard to do some coral transplants and cleaning. It was a great day as we used new tongs/tweezers to collect the snails and on just one dive we collected a record breaking 1186 snails.

Coral rope nursery

1186 snails collected

Whilst I've been out diving with the DMT's,  Simon has taken Roy in the pool for a Scuba Review to refresh his diving skills.  He'll now be able to come out and help with ECO and do lots of fun dives.

Longtail ferrying people to
Crystals dive boat

Waiting for the boat

 While we were in the UK, Mae Haad pier collapsed in a storm, so we're now having to be ferried to and from the Crystal dive boats in the longtail.  It takes a lot longer but it's works :-D

Who knows when the new pier will be built.





So apart from diving and propping up the Crystal bar in the evening LOL we ventured out yesterday and did a gentle hike up to John Suwan Viewpoint, one of Koh Tao's prettiest spots.  We'd prepared, well Simon had as he'd packed lots of water and made individual salads for our little picnic that we'd planned the night before.  Lunch was Delicious!!

Boys taking pics

Enjoy our lunch

The view