We did nine dives in six days in Koh Tao and came away with our open water and advanced certifications. We are hooooked!

The open water course was a combination of class time, homework and diving over four days. We learned basic skills like how to assemble (and use) our gear, how to breathe underwater and what to do in any number of potential panic situations (run out of air, broken mask, lost diver - this last one actually came in handy during the advanced course). We also got to do our first dives to 18 meters, which is when the fun really began. So much so that we didn't want it to end.

We moved on to the advanced course, which is all practical. Meaning, no classroom and lots of diving. We dove a wreck, a retired WWII ship called the HTMS Sattukut. We learned navigation skills (using a compass underwater is harder than you think). We refined our buoyancy at an underwater "theme park" called Buoyancy World, where we swam through hoops and floated upside down. We did a night dive, where we lost a girl in our group and had to put our new skills to the test (she's fine, just easily distracted). And we went deep to our new max depth of 30 meters, although visibility was so bad, it felt like the night dive.

There were definitely a few times when we got nervous. B was pushing through his comfort level with water like a rock star and I had to face my fears of giant man-made objects in the ocean at the wreck (thank goodness it wasn't a submarine). But all-in-all diving has been an absolutely incredible experience. It really is a whole new world down there and diving allows you to be a part of it in such a natural way. We cannot wait to do it again in Indonesia!

We didn't have much time outside of diving, but the little free time we did have, we used to explore Koh Tao. It's a beautiful island. Very developed in some areas, but completely untouched in others. And, it's small, so with the right vehicle (ATV or 4-wheel drive) you can get pretty much anywhere in an hour. Our scooter confined us to the beaten track, but we found some ridiculous beaches on the south of the island.

We left Koh Tao with a new passion and a decent tan... A week well spent.

Saying goodbye to Kenya and our CTC family was bittersweet. A big part of us wanted to stay in Maai Mahiu for another week or two, but the island culture, long history, rich flavors and white sand beaches of Zanzibar were calling (and who are we to ignore curries and paradise?).

We flew from Nairobi, over the small strip of Indian Ocean that separates the island from its quasi-parent-country, Tanzania, and onto Zanzibar. Our first stop was Stone Town, Zanzibar's historic center (and a World Heritage Site). Like most places on the small island, Stone Town is located right on the water, but it’s more known for its role in the spice and slave trades than its beaches.

After a great night's sleep and delicious breakfast at our guesthouse, Stone Town Cafe, we committed to being tourists for the day and powered through the handful of cultural attractions in and around Stone Town:

1. House of Wonders, a poorly curated museum showcasing the history of the island.
2. Palace Museum, once home to the Oman Sultanate, which ruled Zanzibar for several hundred years before the British took control in the shortest war in history (roughly 25 minutes).
3. Spice Tour to see, smell and taste the many flavors of Zanzibar (we also were officially crowned as the "King and Queen of the Spices" and adorned in palm frond regalia).
4. Underground cave next to the ocean where slaves were hidden before being sent abroad, after slavery was outlawed by the British.
5. Boat trip out to Prison Island (no prison is actually on the island, but there are giant turtles and peacocks, which was actually a huge (literally) highlight of the day).

We ended the night at Faradani Gardens, a nightly market of fresh seafood, Zanzibar pizza (an interesting egg/crepe/pizza combo) and sugar cane juice offered in bulk at bargain prices. We ate lobster, octopus, fish, prawns, coconut bread, dessert pizza and washed it all down with sugar cane, ginger and lime for about $15. We went to bed fat and happy.

The next day, we took a break from the tourist circuit and simply got lost in the old-world labyrinth of narrow streets in Stonetown. If you can ignore the calls from the shop promoters (Hello... My friend... Welcome... Good price) this is the absolute best way to get a feel for the city. We ended the day with what we thought was going to be a sundowner with a friend-of-a-friend who is a pilot in Stone Town. One pilot turned into three and the sundowner turned into an all-nighter. We woke up tired, hungover and ready for some R&R on the beach.

Matemwe is a small town on the eastern coast of Zanzibar, located about halfway in between the northern and southern tips of the island. It's known for its soft white sand and crowd-free beaches and it delivered on all fronts. We quickly agreed that it was one of the most beautiful beaches either of us had been to and that it was the perfect place to kick back and soak up some sun for a few days. Unfortunately, our pale skin wasn't quite up to the challenge of the strong sun (Zanzibar is only 6 degrees from the equator). We both got fried on day one and had to do everything from find shade to apply massive amounts of sun screen to snorkel in long-sleeve shirts to continue. We read, went on afternoon jogs, walked the beach during golden hour to get photos, ate fresh seafood and curries and generally felt pretty good about our performance as beach bums for the week. As the cherry on top of an already amazing experience, we met Tom, the owner of a new boutique hotel in Matemwe. After some good conversation, a delicious meal and a bottle of Cointreau, we couldn't pass up the temptation to spend our last night at Matemwe Bandas. Hotel is somewhat of a misnomer - Bandas has only three private bungalows with a pool, hammocks, a great kitchen and staff to cater for your every need (more appropriately, want). We got spoiled rotten for 24 hours and loved every minute of it. Brendan even shared some smoothie making secrets with the chef, so if you decide to visit, order a fruit shake!

We headed back to Stone Town for one more night at Stone Town Cafe and another meal at Faradani Gardens and got packed up for our next adventure... A two-day train ride from Tanzania to Zambia.

Lastly, a very happy birthday today to Jamie Starr. We love you, bro!

Oh Yeah, And Then We Got SCUBA Certified in Thailand

Island Retreat