Roving Gnome Travel Blog: I'm a Divemaster! (and nobody puked!)

We did it, Chrissie and I are officially Divemasters now after passing the final exam, the "Snorkel Test" without any flying colours (i.e. nobody puked).

The whole crew from Blue Marlin gathered for dinner and drinks at 8pm yesterday. Chrissie and I strategically ate bland food a little earlier than everyone else fearing it might come up later and should have some time to settle. We also decided that the snorkel test would be less of an ordeal if we drank a few beer first. At 10pm, they dressed Chrissie and I up in our costumes. Sadly, the joke about us Canadians being Team America carried through and we were dressed in red white and blue. Chrissie sported a stunning Wonder Woman costume and I was a modified Captain America in a blue toga with an amazing hand-crafted shield. I will have to post more photos when I get some from someone else who was there, since I was worried about getting myself home, let alone remembering a camera after the event. Once we were dressed, we had to put on a mask and snorkel with a funnel attached, then our mentors poured a litre of mixed booze down the funnel (I think it was orange juice, vodka, Joss - an energy drink powder, and god knows what else). Both Chrissie and I finished all the drink and NEITHER OF US PUKED!

I had one other skill to check off my list so after the snorkel test I immediately presented a full scuba equipment explanation and set up demonstration for my mentor, Ari, and about 10 other instructors... It was probably 5, I was already seeing double by the time I finished. The rest of the night is a blur since that snorkel hit me like a ton of bricks and made me instadrunk. Snippets I do remember are; Mike, another instructor telling me that Chrissie and I "need to throw that bear in the pool", then realizing there was a guy in the bar in a furry bear costume... Yup, we threw him into the pool, I also pushed Ari into the pool, threw Pong's room key into the pool, then ended up in the pool myself, I shed my costume and ended up dancing on the bar in my bikini along with everyone else there... there was literally no one left on the floor, everyone was on the bar. I woke up on the floor upstairs in the bar outside in my damp bikini at 3am. I put on my shorts and tank top and dragged my drunk ass home where I realized that the blue toga bled color all over me (likely after being in the pool) and I looked like I had some incredible blue bruises. I spent all day today nursing a horrible hangover, watching movies with Chrissie in her bed, and scratching the 20 new mosquito bites I collected while passed out outside. Uuuggghhhh, I'm so glad that's over.

We only have two more days here on Gili Trawangan before going to Bali on July 25 for one night and then flying to Labuan Bajo for our 6 day live aboard scuba trip to Komodo Island. We have both requested 30 Visa extensions which will be ready shortly after we return to Gili Trawangan on August 3rd. We plan to do our Advanced Nitrox and Decompression Theory course when we return :)