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Published: August 13th 2014
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Patong
We flew from Phuket to Patong and had a very seedy welcoming at Patong's very own strip on which our hostel was located. This experience was made all the more pleasurable by a power-cut in the middle of night causing a loss of air con!
Phi Phi
We were up early to catch the boat to Phi Phi. Roxanne, amongst many others, was sick whilst Sophia and Tara were on the verge due to a very rocky ride.
Unfortunately we couldn't find any accommodation together so Susan and Tara had a short dander to their hostel while Sophia, Roxanne and Zoe tackled the maze of small streets and wrong directions.
After this ordeal, we headed out for dinner and Sophia and Susan treated themselves to an hour-long oil massage (so worth it!) while the others treated themselves to some cocktails. We then met up with a school friend and other friends from our travels and explored the Phi Phi nightlife.
We all (bar Shady Susan) decided it was high time we treated ourselves to a relaxing beach day after arriving at our next hostel the next morning. While we were catching some rays, we saw none
other than the Loughborough Leeches advancing towards us from the sea - the stalking continues!
We headed along the beach for dinner and made two new friends over our Connect4 dining entertainment before sampling a bit of the local culture by witnessing our first Muay Thai fights in the local arena!
That night we met the Loughborough boys yet again at our new on-beach local club. Susan, Tara and Zoe decided to brave the climb up the podium to look out over the crowd of party animals.
After a very late night out, a beach day was in order once again. Feeling a little bit lazy after over 4 weeks of activity, we rented kayaks and ventured to Monkey Beach where we found no monkeys but thankfully did find a pretty view! We had been recommended to go to a local Mexican for dinner and, on leaving, we discovered a newly opened bar where they were holding an acoustic night. After soon being labelled the Irish table, we sang along until our hearts were content (we're not so sure about everyone else's ears)!
The next morning, we decided that it was about time we resumed being active and
so we set off on a tour for the day. Our first stop was Monkey Beach (where we actually found monkeys!) followed by snorkelling off Phi Phi Ley, The Viking Cave and pretending to be Leonardo DiCaprio on Maya Bay. Things got a bit hairy on our way back from "The Beach" to the boat as we found ourselves literally stuck between a rock and a hard place due to the crashing waves! Our last stop was to swim and admire the Phosphorescent Plankton after sunset which looked like sparkles when you ran your hand through the water - very cool.
Knowing that we would have to have an early night the next day, we decided to make the most of out final night out in Phi Phi.
After - yes another - beach day on Phi Phi, we took advantage of the evening sun and hiked (literally) to a viewpoint. A very sweaty 30-40 minutes later and with Sophia and Tara wondering if the others had given up along the way, we were able to enjoy the breathtaking sunset view of the island as well as a rest and a well-earned swig of water! On speaking to a friendly American however, we soon realised that there were steps to the viewpoint that were around the corner from our hostel and would have taken at least half the time... After this laugh-or-cry ordeal, it was time we treated ourselves to a hearty meal by the sea.
Patong
We had an early start for the boat back to Phuket where we were to stay a further night in Patong. On arriving at our hostel, we discovered that Susan had kindly decided to only book accommodation for herself using Zoe's money...! With this thankfully speedily resolved, we headed for a famous local Thai restaurant for lunch before spending the rest of the day soaking up the rays on Patong Beach. Roxanne however wasn't so fortunate as she was attacked by an evil jellyfish! Thankfully antihistamines and, most importantly, chocolate milk quickly eased her pain! It would seem we have accumulated quite a celebrity status during our 5 weeks of travelling as we were asked/begged to pose with a family for photos!
We decided to spend our last proper night of the holiday with Simon Caberet's Ladyboys which was definitely a more family-friendly show but far too convincing and impressive all the same!
Bangkok
We had yet another early start to catch our 8am flight from Phuket to Bangkok - the beginning of the end! We spent the day attempting to waste time around MBK Shopping Centre with Roxanne's Uncle, his girlfriend and cousin kindly escorting us and treating us to dinner.
Susan was finally reunited with her passport but not for long as the girls were taking no chances and so entrusted it to Sophia! The list of lost items below should explain why...
The Horcruxes (Lost Items) of Susan McFaul
Passport
1 million dong
2 locks
Factor 50 suncream
Susan's charger
Susan's adaptor
Roxanne's charger
Roxanne's adaptor
Sunglasses
Shoes
Susan's coat
2 of Zoe's coats
Tara's camera (almost)
Goggles TBC
Multiple water bottles
Citronella band
We are currently very much sleep deprived and awaiting our second flight of the day from Doha to Edinburgh before finally heading on to Belfast.
We've truly had the best 5 weeks and can't believe it's all over already!
Looking forward to seeing you all soon!
All our love,
The 5 Irish girls
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