Deep Water Soloing

Today we decide to go deep water soloing and Gary, Alex, and I have breakfast at Yum Yums and ask around for more people interested in sharing the boat cost with us. Eventually we find 2 girls, Claire and Disa, who are interested in some climbing and snorkelling and we arrange for a boat and kayak together. I'm really pumped to go! I've been looking forward to this since I was back home looking at photos on the internet. The longtail boatman takes us for a 20 minute ride out to Poda Island to a spot where we can climb up out of the water, up the cliff with no harness or rope, and then jump off safely into the water. We kayak around to a couple different sites but the most fun of them all is this huge stalactite tufa formation dripping down from the cliff. There is a rope to get up on and then a really nice jump from above.



I climb it a couple times and get Gary and Alex to film me.



We do some snorkelling and look at the beautiful tropical fish and coral formations. We see the boatman fishing and ask if we can fish too. He lends us his spear (which is attached to an elastic band for firing) and we try to catch some fish. All the big fish are too beautiful and we couldn't kill them so we hunt for the smaller black fish but they're too fast and they get away. We have to head back to Tonsai because the tide is going out but this day has been really amazing, definitely a highlight of the trip so far!

Back at Tonsai we go to Freedom Bar at the beach, drink smoothies, red bulls, eat pizza and banana pancakes and watch the climbers on Tonsai wall right next to the bar. After showering and cleaning up, we meet the rest of the crew for a final farewell dinner at the Viking Restaurant on the beach. Tomorrow I'm flying to Bangkok and Kristina, Jodi, Derek, Kristi, and Cindi are also leaving for Bangkok. I split food with the vegetarians again and have a huge feast. After dinner we go to Sawatdee Bar and drink tequila and margaritas on the beach till late into the night. It's been a perfect last day in Tonsai, a great close to an amazing week climbing in Thailand.