Beautiful Ko Tao

Tim: We made it to Ko Tao without incident.  We took a truck taxi from our guest house to the pier in Ko Samet. We took the boat from Ko Samet to Ban Fe where we got a van to Bangkok. Then we took an 8 hour night bus from Bangkok to Champon, waited for two hours, then caught the speed boat to Ko Tao (2 hours).  While waiting for the bus in Khao San, Bangkok we spotted some huge rats only a few feet away from where we were sitting. Amber was disgusted and moved to a different spot.
Ko Tao is beautiful! It looks like a paradise from a dream. Amazing clear water with palm trees crawling up the sides of the island. In contrast the sandy beaches were nicer in Ko Samet, but Ko Samet was rather dirty with trash filling the sides of roads and alley ways. The diving culture in Ko Tao has made for a very clean environment with little trash. Ko Tao has a very large diving poplulation as diving is the largest past time here. We came here on the recommendation of our friends Justin and Rico, who took their PADI dive training here in Ko Tao from their Thai friend Fai. Amber and I also signed up for the PADI course, and today is our second day. After some classroom work, we got in two open water dives yesterday afternoon. It was amazing! Both of us are having a great time. Pictures to follow. Amber and I have been having so much fun that we haven't taken any pictures since we have been in Ko Tao.
Amber:  Ko Tao is beautiful!  We got in early two days ago after a long bus ride and a speed boat out to an absutely georgous island.  The palm trees streatch up into the jungle on the hillsides and the huge granet boulders that surround the white sand beaches are amazing.  We have a cute little room at the resourt where we are learning how to scuba dive, complete with fan, flush toilet and cold water shower.  We even have a tv in!  It is right next to a pool/hot tub and very quiet. 
Scuba is really fun!  Instead of being terrified of dieing from drowning, its been a very relaxed and enjoable.  We watched some videos and did a few quizzes the first day here then yesterday Fai took us into the pool and we did some trial runs on what to do if your mask fills with water, you loose your respirator, your buddy runs out of air, etc.  From there we were able to go out into the open ocean and pull ourselves down a rope to a coral pillar surrounded by fish.  Our ears both did well, Tim actually did better than I did and he's had some pretty bad issues with diving in the past.  Right before we surfaced, we were surrounded by a huge school of baracudas! Our second dive we saw more fish and sting rays.  Both of our dives were not very deep; just 12m so we were able to stay down about 35 min each time.  Very cool to be on the bottum and be able to see the surface way above you and not have to go back up for air! 
We went to a traditionl Thai BBQ for dinner after our dives (and crisping ourselves for the first time since getting here) and stuffed our selves on BBQ chicken, baccon, pork and veggies and had a few Chang with Fai, Air (a young Thai girl doing the course with us) Rico, Justin and Joe then went back to our pool side for a game of Up and Down the river with the guys.  Early to bed and now we are up having breakfast and hiding from a small rain storm.  We have class today that will just be lecture then tomorrow more diving!!!!