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Published: August 8th 2007
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Making our mark
Quick story...As we were writing this a man came up and nearly walked all over it. We all shouted at him to stop, he nearly shit himself thinking he was about to die! Ooops Making our mark
Quick story...As we were writing this a man came up and nearly walked all over it. We all shouted at him to stop, he nearly shit himself thinking he was about to die! Ooops
Phuket
As mentioned previously we are in Phuket really just meet our friends Scott & Sally, otherwise, to be honest we wouldn't bother, it's way too commercial.
We arrived a day or so before they got here so we could arrange their accommodation.
We decided to try and avoid the busy sections of the area, mainly Patong so found ourselves in Kamala Beach. This is further north and an "OK" little place, fairly quiet, mostly rebuilt due to the Tsunami so quite tidy as well.
It does seem to be mostly Scandinavians here though?
We ended up stopping in a great little guest house called "Twin".
300 Bhatt a night for a clean but small room, hot water and a T.V and it was literally 20 meters from the beach!
After trawling all the way down to busier beaches further south to Kata & Karon (I say trawling because the only way to get here other than a taxi is
Jeep
Cheaper than getting a taxi to the airport, although I needed help in turning it..Where was the power steering? to get the "Big Bus" Sawngthaew to Phuket town get off then get straight on another to get to Kata/Karon...Both journey's taking 45 mins, a bit of a pain in the arse, literally!
After all of this we found the best place 10 meters from our place in Kamala beach...Typical
After finding the room for Scott & Sally we just relaxed and whiled away the time until the day arrived for us to pick them up in the jeep we had decided to hire (as it was the same cost as a taxi and we would have it for 24 hours).
Before they arrived there was one funny moment when we were in a restaurant during a thunder storm. It was peeing it down and subsequently the electricity went off on the whole street.
There were about 5 other couples eating (luckily we had finished ours) and to the staffs credit they came out very quickly with the candles. They made there way to the nearest table and I thought it amusing to start singing "Happy Birthday" in a loud voice...I stress I thought it amusing as no-one else even sniggered, laughed or looked my way! I turned
Tsunami warning
Better late than never... to Victoria who also looked a little gob-smacked then burst out laughing...Thank god someone finally did...
It was one of the dust balls rolling across the desert moments with the wind howling (Please let someone understand that last comment)
Anyway...As Scott & Sally have been avid viewers of all our blogs I said they could be honorary travel reporters & write the next two weeks whilst we are with them....
P.S. They amusingly argue as much as myself and Victoria do when we both sit down to write the blogs!!!
Scott and Sally's experience of Thailand
Day 1- Arrived at our hotel called Siam at Siam in Bangkok which was the poshest hotel ever, five star and all for forty pounds a night! There was a lady playing a grand piano in the lobby on the 17th floor, looking out over Bangkok and the infinity pool, and the waitress was Miss Thailand's sister (which was being televised as we sat and drank expensive wine and whiskey for a pound).
Day 2-Went for a swim in the infinity pool then walked to the Grand Palace and Sleeping Buddha, very nice, but once you have been pestered
by a thousand Thai con men and seen a really big Buddha then you have seen them all. In the evening we went to Patpong and sat in a bar thinking there were a lot of men around. It wasn't until 20 minutes later that we read the little card on our table and it said "Welcome to the Telephone Bar, The Heart of Gay Bangkok" and it all became clear! Also if you want to see dubious ladies shoot things from their nether regions then it’s the place to go. (They give you a menu...)
Day 3- Sally had a full massage by a little Thai lady called Lala and then we flew to Phuket to meet Russell and Vicki. Got to Phuket airport to be greeted by Russ and Vic holding a sign up with Tubby and Tally written on it. Very amusing. Russell was wearing a vest (no shark tooth yet...) looking like an extra from a boy band! Went to stay just outside of Phuket in a place called Kamala. Few drinks later and Russell and Scott went swimming in the sea at 1 o'clock in the morning and saw a shooting star!
Day
40 hundred steps
I'm not surprised the beach below was deserted, Health & Safety not an issue in Thailand 4- Went to a little cove which was down a steep cliff, down 40 hundred steps, sunbathed, then died walking back up the 40 hundred steps.
Day 5- Scott and Russell went to get 2 mopeds and came back with 'Donald' (It had a Donald Duck key ring), A motorbike and side car for 4 with a dodgy clutch. Scott started driving and after several near misses ( the longest straight line skid in Thai history) Russell took over. Finally found a lovely beach after having to get out the side car several times and push 'Donald' up the hills. Found new accommodation at Cook Kai Bungalows. Watched a 2 hour Thunder storm over the ocean. Amazing.
Day 6- Got a sawngthaew to the bus station, then a 4 hour bus ride to Krabi, where we ran for the Ferry which they had held for us. Sat at the front of the boat, pretending to be pirates and saw a Shark! (Russell missed it!)
Day 7- We went Elephant trekking to Tiger cave thinking it would be an amazing old cave that the elephants could go into. The lady at the beginning said "you may get a
Boat to Ko Lanta
Scott & Sally's first boat ride in Thailand and they saw a shark on the surface...the lucky B*#tards! bit dirty', which was fine. After half hour trek on Pompooey the elephant we got off and followed our guide (who spoke no English at all) along the jungle track. We walked for well over a mile or so and saw some monkeys. We finally got to a little sandy cave and thought "is this it?” If only. Our guide then took us up a rickety bamboo ladder and we ended up pot holing! Scrambling through tunnels that were a foot high and climbing several feet up a vertical bit of rope with a couple of knots in it. In the evening we went to a bar and found a wedding party of English people who in true Brit style proceeded to set off fireworks on the beach!
Day 8- Decided to have a cheap night and took some beers and blankets down to the beach and sat under a full moon watching the lightning off shore. Some people then came down the beach and set some floating lanterns up into the sky.
Day 9- Found 2 Lilos! Sun and crystal waters
Day 10- Caught early boat over to Ko Phi Phi (near where 'The Beach' was
1st time in a back of a pick up
Just another mode of transport in a very short time...Welcome to Thailand filmed). Found some accommodation, went to the beach. In the evening we sat in 007 James Bond Bar and watched "The Beach" dead cheesy but the wine was cheap!
Day 11- Sun Sun Sun Sun Sweat
Day 12- Booked an island tour. Very nice, lots of tropical islands. All of which were amazing, apart from "Maya Beach" where "The Beach" was filmed. This was a little underwhelming as it was the smallest and the most populated by tourists.
A school of dolphins decided to join us, that is until the boat staff started banging pipes on the boat...never mind!! Later we waited for the sun to go down, all to the sounds of Bob Marley, (very once in a life time, all worth waiting for)
...Booze.
Day 13- Home tomorrow! Not good! Topped up the tan and out for a meal.
Final word. Thank you to Russell and Vickeeey, for a brilliant time and for the good company.
We would recommend Russell, Vickeeey and Thailand. Good, good, cheap cheap, I love you long time.
Lots of love Scott and Sally
Meanwhile back with Russell & Victoria...
We left Scott & Sally at
the pier to go back to Phuket. Me and Victoria (Victoria & I ?...whatever) were heading to Krabi to get a bus to Satun which is our jumping point for Malaysia.
Nothing to really tell other than so far during this trip I’ve managed to get about 12 Mosquito bites in total...1 night in Krabi and i doubled that... Never sit at a street vendor's eatery without Mozzy killer on...
Next stop, new Country Malaysia...
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