Burma 14.3.2011

14.3.-19.2.2011
Burma for another 5 days
You know us, we are honest, last Monday it was not sure until the last second if we can fix the problem with the engine on time and make it through the immigration in the late afternoon, that we can start the trip as scheduled....our customers were very patient and so were the immigration. Lucky enough we did it, Monday evening around 19:30 everything was done and we started the trip as normal towards High Rock.
Everybody was hoping for better weather and better visibility. No rain on the way out, so far so good and on the first dive we were able to see the bottom around the rock for the first time :-) Please, let it stay like this.
Diving in 3 groups:
• Gerd the dolphin with Susan the older Bambi: Carmen as their guide
• Sven, Roman and Patric, the 3 ladies: their guide was Preben
• and finally the German Gang, Markus, Katharina, Marcel, Uli and Hans-Martin: Mischa with his funny way to use his fins in the pole position
The first day we tried to let the German Gang to jump first, but pretty fast everybody decided to put them at the end of the queue....you are asking why: simple answer: we have never had a group which needed more time to gear up than this one ;-)
We saw amazing stuff on the dives, like a hunting grey reef shark, harlequins were you thought there are four of them, but indeed it was only the reflection in your air bubble, leopard shark passing by, many special nudis, spanish dancer on the night dive, seahorses at Shark Cave, ghostpipefish on the second last dive, shaded batfish and and and.
Due to the weather situation, which was of course changing at some point, we had to seek for shelter around the island after diving Seafan Forest. Diving with high waves was fun for the customers, the dive site has now a new name „Roller-coaster“, but safety comes first and therefore we had to change the route just slightly.
As usual we ended the trip around the volcano island and did the last dive on a new spot, which showed up to be very nice. Here I am told to mention, that Preben finally found his personal two seahorses ;-)
Some short notes:
- Katharina: be careful where you put your finger when you come out of the bathroom
- Uli and Marcel: your pics were really amazing, I hope one day mine are as good as yours
- Carmen: throwing cornflakes into the sea doesn't work against the wind
- Hans-Martin (or was it Uli or Marcel?): sending up the safety sausage is a great idea at the end of the dive, even better if you attach the line to the buoy
- Gerd: please fix your regulator or what ever it was
- Markus: if you go next time on a liveaboard, let them now in advance how much you eat!
- Roman, Patric and Sven: there is always the option to ask for a new guide :-)

- Susan: hmmmm...I have to think hard but finally here it comes: don't take a scarf with you if you leave it in the office before the bus ride
Great dives, great trip, great people!!!! Hope everybody had a safe travel back home or to the next place and we will see each other: somewhere, sometime, somehow! Take care buddies!