On Diving with Sharks

"They are flesh eating but not man killers"
Shark expert David Nicholson on black tipped sharks

ON DIVING WITH SHARKS
I've been a bit slack with sending out these emails. The last one, on Laos should have been sent out over a month ago. Since then I've been through four more countries: Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore and the UAE. Which all may seem a bit extravagant, but it was actually the cheapest way to fly back to UK.

* * *

I spent three weeks travelling through Thailand. The north, in particular, Chang Mai was beautiful. I then went to an island in the south and started working on a tsunami relief centre there for a week. Given that the tsunami occurred nearly a year ago, all the essential things have all been provided, but there are still problems with debris still lying around, and there not being enough tourists. I'm not under any illusions about the amount of help I was providing, but I just thought it would be more fun than just lying on a beach.

I had a great time there, and there is such an amazing atmosphere, everyone is so friendly and laid back. The sunsets are beautiful here, and the whole island is too. One beach that was relatively unharmed was the one filmed in the Leonardo DiCaprio film "The Beach", and it was stunning. I've not had much opportunity to sit around unfortunately.

And one morning, before work, we went shark diving. They are black tip sharks - completely different from Great Whites in terms of their behaviour and feeding patterns - they never attack humans - but almost identical in looks. I got to swim within a couple of metres of one. It was great.

* * *

I spent a further week travelling through Malaysia and Singapore. In Malaysia I spent a while in Petronas Towers - the worlds second largest building. There's a huge entertainment complex there, and lots of really random exhibits like a giant dancing dinosaur. And the signs they have here are written in English, but with really bizarre syntax. One sign read: "These seats are reserved for the elderly. AREN'T WE SO VERY NICE AND COURTEOUS?!" I've copied that sign exactly as it was written.

In Malacca, a town in the south, I was chased by wild dogs and ended up tripping over and grazing my hands pretty badly.

* * *

I then passed into Singapore, which is so incredibly expensive I could barely afford to do anything. Its nearly as expensive as England. Singapore is so completely different from the rest of SE Asia. If you cut out London, filled it with Chinese people that all speak English, and put in the Indian Ocean, you'd have a fair approximation of Singapore. Its also really efficient and spotlessly clean. Their subway system is easily one of the best in the world, and the harbourside is beautiful.

* * *

Now finally, the United Arab Emirates. After a 7 hour flight I landed in Dubai, where I am currently. I guess its hardly rocket science to point out that a desert is hot, but it is really hot here. The heat surrounds you, the light blinds you, and you really feel like you are in an oven the whole time. Theres also some slightly bizarre points I've noticed. For example, as it is the holy month of Ramadan, no restaurants will serve food. But the restaurants are still open, and fully staffed, they just won't serve you any food.

I'm travelling at the moment with a Swiss guy called Fabian, and we went to a water park yesterday which was incredible. They have the fastest water slide in the world here, and the whole park is amazing. This whole city is like an Islamic Las Vegas; neon everywhere, giant theme parks, and medieval treatment of women.

Anyway, I'm flying back to the UK tomorrow evening.

All the best,

Mike

The Route

Whitewater in Laos

"Foolish to the point of insanity" Assistant Secretary of Defense Paul Warnke on US Stratergy in Indochina



WHITEWATER IN LAOS

After I came back from whitewater rafting, I had forgotten how physically draining the whole thing is. Imagine being on a rowing machine for seven hours. You basically can't stop rowing the oars at all all day, and I felt a little big like a slave on a Roman galley. Having said that, it is pretty spectacular, and very exciting. The rapids weren't as big as they are on the upper portions of the Nile, but they're still amazing, with huge waves several feet high.

I went back the following day to try the same thing in a kayak, and that was much more extreme, particularly when we crashed into a bed of bushes, and the boat capsized.

* * *

Laos is a tiny laid back hippy of a country. It seems to be dimly aware that countries exist outside Indochina, but isn't too fussed about them. No one seems to worry about anything. Their national museum is particularly trippy with a giant Pepsi can and a builder's hard hat ending the section on Laotian history.

* * *

I met a genuine Vietnam War Veteran the other day, along with his much younger Laotian wife.

"Did you know," the Vet asked me, his eyes slightly wild, but his voice proud "that we killed more people in Laos than the whole of the Asian Tsunami? Just in this one country! And yet no one back home even seems to have heard of Laos! They don't even know its a country!"

He laughed about this, and I really wasn't sure of what to make of the whole situation. I wonder what his wife thought about it all.

* * *

Anyway, I have left Laos, and arrived in Thailand now. The North and the South are both incredibly beautiful, although the capital Bangkok seems to be a bit more like a destination for drunken package tourists. And my wallet was stolen there, which didn't really help my opinion of the place.


Currently I am volunteering on a project on Ko Phi Phi , an island in the south. Its bloody hard work, but the island is beautiful, and the people here are great.


Hope all is well in the UK.


Michael