I awoke like any other day since my training started and did my morning routine. Nothing felt different about today. I really put very little thought that in a few hours time we would all depart our training together as certified yogis. I grabbed a snack from the The Beam and headed up to the Shala. It was a beautiful morning and the walk up seemed quick.
We started our last session with some notes about our session here and improvements we recommend for future programs. Our last practice together was 108 sun salutations. It seemed like a lot but became like a meditation after about 30. Our breath was in sync and when we finished together the moment of finality arrived. It was in a big group Om with all our knees touching and everyone facing different directions that I felt the closure of experience.
We recieved our certificates of 200/hrs completed and said our goodbyes to everyone. Most of the group left immediately after the ceremony. I did a few errands and chilled out most of he day with Dennis around the beam.
I reflected later that the certificate I received meant very little about whether I was a teacher or not. It was what I know inside that was my credibility and accomplishment not a piece of paper telling me I am. The knowledge is in me and that's what matters most.
Dennis and I met up with the remaining stragglers of the yoga group on Haad Yuan in later part of the day. There was 7 of us that ended up crushing the beach area with nothing more than our imaginations and conversation as our entertainment. Happy shake indeed. We finished the evening at Bamboo restaurant for dinner on the upper platform. I had the green curry with lots of laughter.
Wed Feb 25
Breakfast in the morning at The Sanctuary was delicious and it was a good place to finish at. I said my goodbyes to everyone throughout the meal as they left for other places or passed to other activities. Dennis and I caught a boat about water taxi about noon to Haad Rin. It felt like entering a huge city for me after my time on the quite beach. The ferry to Koh Toa was a 1pm and was packed. I wanted to sleep but I was middle seat and my head kept moving around waking me up.
After arriving in Koh Toa we made for lunch to get our bearings and wifi access. Of course the two places we went had terrible wifi connections. I barely found a dive shop recommendation site before the Internet would click out. With address in hand we got a taxi to a dive school called Scube Junction.
I walked in the shop with all my luggage excited to find out more about the diving certification process and possible accommodations while we were on island.
Luck would have it they had a new open water class starting in 10 mins and it was only $300 US dollars to get my open water certification with PADI. Dennis already had his open water cert with PADI. They set us up with accommodations about a 10 minute walk away. A lot of the other programs offer free lodging but we got a deep discount apartment with a great view and two twin beds for 400baht a night ($12). Dennis went off to check us in while I started class. 3 boring videos and some review of our next three days later I left class and made to find Dennis and our lodging.
I got there just in time to witness a gorgeous sunset. Dennis stocked the fridge with a bunch of big Heinekens which tasted amazing. I laughed realizing I didn't even go one day before I got into another learning program.
We got dinner at an Italian restaurant splitting a bottle of red wine from Argentina. It was a nice change of food style after a month on Phangan. We stopped at a few other bars and made for the apartment. I have to be careful while I'm here. Alcohol use can impair you when diving. Looks like no heavy vacationing in my near future. It's funny because I took it easy almost the entire time I was doing teacher training and now I have to continue that habit until I complete this training.
It was a warm nights sleep. I woke up a lot throughout the night.
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