Location: Phi Phi Don, Thailand
As usual, we woke to the smell of delicious breakfast wafting into our sleepy cabins from the galley. This morning it was a mix of hot scrambled eggs, sizzling bacon, and fresh fruit salad. Our trusty chefs, Joe and Giulia, did an excellent job, rising before the sun to prepare food for the 19 of us. We ate up on deck, and then, after our routine breakfast clean-up, it was time to split into groups. Half of us went to shore for the morning, and half of us began our open-water dives at a nearby reef off of Argo. Shore time was filled with bright and colorful fabric, mango and pineapple shake, and a bit of internet time to check in with the many loved ones at home.
Diving was great fun for all; we finally got to test out our new skills in deep water and catch our first glimpse of the marine life that we would soon come to memorize and know by name. Everyone really enjoyed the dive, especially because it brought us one step closer to certification. Max thinks it is going to be his new favorite hobby, and many of us agree! The enthusiasm on board is contagious; everyone is so excited to be here and be experiencing this wonderful opportunity.
Before dinner, we had shower time, one of my favorite times of the day. I love diving off Argo into the dark blue water, the sun catching the ripples, and soap suds tangling in our sun-heavy hair. It feels like such a treat to be able to do a simple activity such as washing outside in the warm sunlight. Dinner was falafel and couscous, and my squeeze question for the day was, “If the person to your left had a superpower, what would it be?” We got some amusing answers. It was my job to assign a superpower to Kris, our captain, and I picked the ability to see and breathe underwater.
That’s all for now. Thanks for reading!