Day 11: Stephen Johnson

Hello Everyone,

My name is Stephen Johnson and I am a sophomore at Massachusetts Maritime Academy having graduated from Pembroke High School in 2023.

I started my day with a fantastic breakfast and then boarded the vans on the way to the boat to the Emerald cave. We were going to visit different islands today. The drive was about 45 minutes long and throughout the drive, everyone in the van was singing and very excited for the day ahead. Once we got to the boat I made sure to put a ton of sunblock on, so I would not burn. We were not on a typical boat. Instead, we were going on a long tail boat which is very common in Thailand. It had a huge motor controlled by a piece of wooden lever. The moderate speed made it easy to take in the incredible views. The water was very clear and light blue. The best part however was all the mountains sticking out of the water.

The first island we went to was very rocky and remote. As the long tail pulled closer to the shoreline I saw Emerald cave. We all jumped off the boat and went inside the cave with a guide with us. The water was super warm and very salty. The rocks in the cave were jagged and sharp. The tour guide kept going deeper and deeper into the cave and we swam along. At the end of the cave, I started to see some light and got very excited. It turned out that, there was a little hidden cove with a beach. It was beautiful. One of the tour guides told us that the beach was where Jurassic Park had been filmed. We swam around the beach and took many pictures. Swimming through the cave was one of the coolest experiences I have had on the trip.

The second island was very different from the first. When we got to the island it had crazy nice beaches and ultra-blue water. This island had a little resort. There were many cabins where people were staying. There was a restaurant that had all-American food which was very refreshing. I got a cheeseburger and fries which I have been craving. Then I decided to go swimming around in the ocean with some friends.

On this island the views were incredible. In the distance, there were some crazy mountains which made pictures look unbelievable. Some kids went snorkeling but I ran out of time and had to get onto the boat again to head back to the van.

The ride back to the hotel was much different from the ride to the boat. Everyone was very tired from the day and was sleeping. I ended up taking a good hour nap at the hotel and then went out to eat at the pizza company. They served New York-style pizza which was amazing. I ate dinner with all my friends and went back to the hotel.

This takes me to right now when I am writing this blog. I would like to say thank you to Dr. Ghosh and all my classmates for making this trip so much fun. I am excited about the world citizen experience this trip is bringing me.