Deep water soloing is all the rage with the climbers in Thailand, and we were able to spot some routes far away from the crowds. All we had to worry about were the plentiful jellyfish which would appear out of nowhere. Jared (pictured jumping) and I are more mountain people but still managed to enjoy the ocean.

Emily and Betsy were on a neverending quest to see different kinds of fish. As I followed behind them I could catch the occasional phrase drift by on the wind like 'dinoflagellates' or something equally exotic.
Emily and Betsy hiked all over the area- the land beneath them was devastated during the Tsunami as it is ideally situated to be overrun by waves. Plans for rebuilding seemed to be based around getting the buildings up as soon as possible, usually right in the foundations of those that had been washed away.
After wandering around with Betsy and Emily I realized that biologists just have a more developed sense of wonder for the natural world. Although I could talk about little limestone escarpments and salt water and limestone's effect on stainless steel climbing bolts in all earnestness, I still have little interest in the phylum of local flora and fauna; my mind naturally slips into practical questions, like 'how fast could one travel cross-country in this jungle? What footwear would one use?'. I tried to fall into the background and pick up as much as I could so I could sound smarter the next time we walked into the jungle.