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Published: December 30th 2010
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Our plans for getting up and out early once again failed, after staying up until all hours drinking and chatting with Stewart down in the Hostel garden. Wiping the sleep from our eyes, we shuffled into the Chinese soup restaurant he had recommended, to get some breakfast.
I could smell the restaurant before I saw it, the smell of garlic emanating from this tiny establishment would have kept an army of vampires at bay! This place looked like someone’s living room, the shelves that lined the walls were bowing under the weight of countless family portraits of children dressed up like royalty! Were they his kids? I wondered as he began stirring the cauldron of steaming broth. A Particularly special photo was of a boy, caked in makeup - including eyeshadow and liner, dressed in a blazer and grinning insanely. Odd, I thought, but then again, nothing surprises me in old Phuket town. There was no menu, we ate what we were given, which thankfully was delicious! We started to speculate about how long this dingy little place had been serving this delightful soup; maybe it was a secret recipe that had
been handed down for generations. The first thing that hit me about the soup was the garlic, but then I was more concerned with investigating what lurked beneath the murky water – chicken, pork scratching, egg noodles, various veges and random tid bits rose to the surface as I stirred it with my spoon. It was fantastic though, and watching the owner pruning the plants outside and feeding the numerous tiny birds trapped in ornamental cages provided good entertainment. You certainly couldn’t go wrong at 95Bt for two bowls! 1.50 pounds approx.
We then couldn’t resist a Swensens icecream, but I only had a small one! Over the ice cream I suggested going for a Thai massage, but Ste wasn’t so keen. He had never had a massage before and didn’t know what to expect, especially in Thailand with the strong possibility of being offered a “Happy ending!!!!” Reassuring him, we headed into a really lovely looking massage parlour with wooden decking and traditional Thai decoration. We opted for the 1 hour Thai massage and sat down and waited for a moment. We then had our legs and feet washed in a marble sink
In Pain
After being pummeld and trodden on for and hour and were given some sandals. The women didn’t speak much English, so we just nodded and smiled as they signalled where to go with hand gestures. Downstairs were a row of leather chairs where people were getting foot massages, but we were taken upstairs to an area with numerous sliding doors and mattresses on the wooden flooring, which were decorated with flowers. Ste was given Thai pants to put on because he was wearing long denim shorts and I was told I was “ok” in my little shorts. We lay down and waited. The two ladies then appeared, dimmed the lights and set to work. The moment they started forcing the soles of my feet to the floor and cracking all my toes, I knew I wasn’t in for a relaxing ride! This womans thumbs were made of steel as she drove them into my legs muscles! She was leaning her entire body weight on my thighs with just her elbow..ow! She then did the same to my arms; cracking all my fingers etc. I then turned over and she started walking on my legs! I think my legs were sufficiently massaged by this point and so she started pulling
me backwards by my arms. It was hardly the relaxing aromatherapy massages you get at home, this was hardcore! She continued twisting me into various positions for a good few minutes and finished with a shoulder massage. I felt battered and bruised by the end, but I think she got rid of the knot in my shoulder, which I guess is the idea. Very unusual experience as I had no idea what to expect! I think I might opt for a more relaxing foot massage next time though. We returned to the hostel and shared our experience with Stewart and another couple over some beers before being kicked out when the bar closed. We would definitely wake up early tomorrow
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