Satisfied that we'd seen enough of Bangkok and eager to soak up some non-filtered sun, we boarded our plane for Phuket expecting a less frenetic pace for our long weekend - as long as we didn't have to run for our lives should a tsunami hit. You may recall, Phuket was devastated by a tsunami in 2004. Believing lightening doesn't strike twice, we didn't think twice about booking a stay in this popular resort area. That said, there were tsunami evacuation route signs everywhere. As an aside, there's a pretty decent movie about the Phuket tsunami called "The Impossible" starring Naomi Watts. It's worth checking out if you haven't seen it.
We arrived at 8 p.m., and secured a ride to our resort - albeit in the dark. The streets seemed narrow and switched back regularly - reminding me of the road to Hana in Maui. When we check in, we were given a refreshing glass of cold coconut water. Nice touch. Once we made it to our room, we were eager to take showers and "rinse Bangkok off our bodies" as I alluded to in my previous blog post. I showered first. After getting settled in my PJs I noticed a foul odor in our hotel room. I sniffed and sniffed and couldn't figure out where it was coming from. Then it hit me. It was my hair. I didn't wash it because we intended to go to the beach in the morning. Bad move. Unbeknownst to me, the stench of Bangkok permeated every hair follicle on my head. As soon as Paul emerged from his shower, I had to climb back in and break out the shampoo & conditioner. So, for any of you who perhaps thought I was over exaggerating just how filthy Bangkok is, hopefully this little story put those doubts to rest.
We woke up to a spectacular view (which we couldn't really appreciate the night before) and beautiful weather. After breakfast, we walked to Kamala Beach to check it out. Paul and I specifically chose Kamala Beach because it was described as quiet and relaxing - and it was exactly that. The area designated for cooling off in the ocean was roped off (for safety reasons I assume), and in front of it were countless beach umbrellas planted in the sand tightly together, one right next to the other. Reminded me of the Jersey Shore - except without Snooki. Anyway, while this small area of the beach was fairly crowded, there was something exotic about it - but not enough to compel us to stay there for the day. Instead, we decided to bask in the sun at the pool where we were staying.
After a lazy day, we headed out for dinner in the small town (basically one street) adjacent to the beach. We had a great meal - the satay was to die for! After that, we discovered a local bar with live music - a duo singing mostly American music which I found extremely comforting. We stayed there for a while and then returned to our hotel.
The next day was essentially a repeat of the first, more sun by the pool, followed by a cocktail at the resort, dinner out, and a surprise fireworks show across the bay. It was a lovely evening except... Worried about a repeat of the "traveler's curse" I experienced right after arriving in Tokyo, I was extremely careful about what I ate and drank the entire time we were in Thailand. No street food. no tap water, no fresh veggies or fruit (unless served at the resorts), no ice in drinks, etc. Paul wasn't quite as cautious, but his system isn't nearly as sensitive as mine. However, dinner that night (and perhaps the ice in his cocktail) caught up with him in the wee hours of the morning. Let's call this round of it "the King of Siam's revenge." We haven't even been in Asia a month and we're already through half of our diarrhea medication! LOL
The next day was our last. After checking out we had some time to kill, so we left our bags at the resort and took a taxi to Patong, a much larger resort town just down the coast from Kamala Beach. Though Paul didn't feel much like eating, we thought we'd take in the sights and I could have lunch. It'd be easy enough to kill four hours before having to retrieve our bags and head to the airport, right? Well, Patong was essentially Bangkok by the sea - but without the gorgeous temples. They were replaced with open air bars featuring 24/7 drink specials, cannabis lounges, and "gentlemen's clubs" - and yes, that familiar smell of "too much fun" lingered in the air as well. Honestly, it felt like Fort Lauderdale Beach during spring break circa 1980 - but 10 times worse. This Phuket town is party central, and the party animals (curiously many of whom were Russian) flock there. After wandering around a bit in the blazing sun, we found an airconditioned mall where I finally got my burger fix. Then after just two hours, we had enough and took a taxi back to the resort where we napped in the lobby until it came time to depart for the airport.
All in all, Phuket was nice. But if I'm being honest, I've been to what I consider much nicer, "exotic" beach destinations - Kauai topping the list. Still, we have no regrets. Thailand was quite the adventure and we were fortunate to swing a trip there. I was glad to experience the culture, sample the food, learn about its fascinating history, etc., and I was equally glad to board our return flight back to clean, orderly Tokyo. :)
Until my next installment,
sa wat dii (goodbye in Thai)
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