I had a wonderful three days of diving on a cozy live aboard boat in the Similan Islands diving. We left the town of Khao Lak on Dec 23rd, and returned the evening of Christmas day. We had nine dives in all, including two night dives (one on Christmas Eve) and a 7:00 AM dive Christmas morning. Sharks, turtles, big fish, lots of fish, the largest barrcuda I've ever seen, all amidst the backdrop of an underwater world of very big granite boulders and spires and caves and more. An almost full moon both nights as I slept out on the sundeck (in this case, a moon deck), and much beauty in the Similan Islands underwater world.

Upon our return to Khoa Lak, all was grand, big dinner celebration, yet little did we know all hell would break loose the next morning. Had I still been on the diving trip the next AM, I might not be telling this story, as from what I heard later from the dive captain of my trip, the islands got hit very hard.