Advertisement
Winner!!
My t-shirt i won!! I feel so proud!!Hello again the UK!! Wanted to start off by saying congrats to Si and Hels and their new bundle of joy!!
Ok i am doing this later in the day as i thought more people might read it whilst i am still in town!! Essentially this is my last evening in Phuket and i go with a mixture of sadness and relief!! More on that later!!
Here is the continuing saga!
Day 8
I had headed into town to internet and left G to fend for himself!! It was ratehr a warm day and i was armed with my Ipod- yes despite that i was still stopped by two ladies on a moped (as you are). I thought they wanted directions but they were promoting a local hotel!! I was entered into a prize draw and won a t-shirt and a free holiday! Yes you'll have to excuse my mock surprise at that.....i was then asked to go to the hotel at he other end of the strip. Me being me, i was already coming up with excuses, but relented (as the tuk-tuk was free!!). It was from there that things went pants as they wanted me to sit
through a 90 minute presentation!! No way Jose!! I firmly and Britishly said 'not a chance' and this was relayed to the front desk reception!! I still got me t-shirt and holiday though and no presentation!! But this but me at the other end of the strip and a long walk back to where i wanted to be!
As i had said before my flight to BK (as i shall now refer to it as) is tomorrow and booked that and three nights in hotel for about 50 quid in total!! When i get back to pool its roasting, i am dehydrated and relay my tale of hotel woe to Gary!! I then cool of by walking round the pool reading my John Grisham book!!
Strange Unearthly Phenomena Of The Day- When i was walking back to the hotel, Ipod blasting, i had noted several people on the other side of the road looking up into the sky. Now i couldn't hear a plane and there were no clouds so i inored and carried on. When i get back Gary tells me to look up and there is a rainbow/circle surrounding the sun!! I kid thee not!! I
Patong Beach
View of the beach! didn't manage to get a pic, but G did, so i will get the proof. No one at the hotel had ever seen it before and it was amazing!! Answers on a postcard as to what it was!!
The news is dominated in these parts by the cyclone in Burma and the earthquake in China as has ben for two weeks now!! Makes me feel glad that i am healthy and ok!!
Food was a up market Thai place with a fantastic tom-yam soup and pork green curry. I may have had a cocktail as well........
Evening ended at Scruffys where i attempd to drink the cockail menu!! I didn't manage it.......but th house bands reditions of Irish classics keep me going!!
Day 9
Slept in late, rushed in for brekkie and they had to set table for me! Fruit/egg/toast sit ok on my weak stomach (tom-yam has already encouraged me to go to the lav a couple of times....). Stayed around pool sweating as a good Brit bloke does and as its FA Cup final day, head to Scruffys. Frankly the match is rubbish- the house band drown out the second half although the burger is
pretty darn good!! In conversation with Gary, i let him know that i think i have exhausted Phuket and can't wait to move on!!
Day 10
Up at 9, rubbish nights sleep. Usual brekkie fare (can't wait for a full english when i get back!) and decision made to head to beach! Found a great shady spot operated by two Burmese guys. Costs about 3 pound for the whole day!! Breeze is a welcome relief as well!! I won't lie i mostly people watched today but thats because there are so many strange folk here!! Called Shell in the UK and it was a great phone call for me!! It was great to hear from her although she aint well!! The problem was the credit ground out of the phone so quickly that it left me pretty frustrated!! The phones here are not very private, usually right on the main road, so aren't very good!!
Brought soap powder to clean me smalls (ma you would be so proud!) and powder here costs 50p!!
To lift spirits me and G head to 'The London Pub' an Indian place!! Have some fantastic food kebabs, chicken and ice cold beer!! I
Destroyed Feet
Sorry for the squemish pics, but yes, my poor feet are mashed in a combo of flip-flops and crocs!! certainly have tried to eat well whilst i am away!!
Stopped off in Rock City on the way back- just as the GnR tribute band come on and i open up the cocktail floodgates!! They are cheap (bout 2.50) and have some pretty lethal measures in!! G decides to call it a night after they finish, but i stay there for Metallica and am pretty worse for wear when i get going!!
Day 11
Get up at 9 and yes i feel like pants. Didn't want brekkie. At least clothes are now dry!! As it was G's last day here he called that we go to beach again!! Same spot- great shade and breeze, but to be honest i feel like pants- head hurts and have NO appetite!! I head into the sea for a bit and its uplifting altough the numerous jet ski's and boats zooming about keep kicking up the waves and my swim short pockets keep filling with water (a sight that even made me laugh!!) and threaten to make people run away in their droves!!
One of the Burmese guys is talking to G about the tsunami and he points to a tree
Residing on my throne!!
Ooh don't i look in good shape? where we are and says it was at this level! Considering it was probably going at 100mph, they had hardly any warning! He says he runs away from it!!
the amount of vendors on the beach today is unbelievable!! Selling stuff from t-shirts to scarfs to fruit to cooke food to scaled down model motorbikes (how you'd get that in your case, i don't know!!), but its all getting to me now!!
Meal out was at Scruffys again (they should give me residency!!) and the fish n' chips is fantastic!! Hardly anyone in today and noted the bars across the way lose all their power whilst we are sitting there!! I have noted the Crocs have actually destroyed my feet further- two massive blisters on both feet and the soles are also hurting as well as my left knee!! DAMN YOU EVIL CROCS!! Believe me, they won't make the suitcase cut!!
Ater walkin down the far end of the strip and attempting every excuse to the suit sellers ('i already have a suit', 'its too cold for a suit'), we both head back pretty shattered!!
Day 12
Up at 9, cleaned myself up an feel better
Frosty ones!!
Ice cold beers at the Indian!! than yesterday!! Breakfast of fruit only and my last breakfast (as i only got the room for the next couple of days!!). G offers me some sage advice 'you are only a credit card away from going home if the trip gets too much for you!'. Will def remember that!! When i head down to reception G is talking to family from Brum!! Small world!! The three of them are heading to new island today, but the daughter is heading onto Oz next week same as me!! At least i know someone from Blighty will be there!!
G left on time- will miss him, he's a top bloke!!- and headed for the mall- and got soaked for my troubles!! Darn it!! The thing is its still warm!! Found a book store that does second hand books and brought a new one (i have read three so far!!).
I had dried off when i got to KFC (yes i know........) but was laughing so hard at passage in Catch 22, i nearly coughed chicken everywhere and had Phillipino family give me the gravest of looks!!! Oooops!! Feet are well and truly mashed when i get back and i am exhausted!!
Indian Menu!!
Sob sob!! Good old blighty!! I had stocked up on sweets, crisps and Oreo's!! Couple of good films on HBO and rested my aching body!! Sleep wasn't great though due to various doors banging through out the night!!
Day 13
As i no longer have breakfast vouchers, i decide to lie in. Then head to the pool, but as it rained last night it was destined to rain again and it did!! Somehow my uncle has managed to take the good weather with him!! Order food from room service before deliberating what i am gonna do for the rest of the day!! I decide to head out and take some final pics and aim for the mall again!! Get stopped by a Singaporean lady who appears to be the only other person sweating more than me and she represents a charity getting schools built in remote areas of Thailand. I only have one note on me, 1000 baht and reluctanly ask fr change of 700 bht!! I feel awful, but at least i have given- several other people around me are very quick to ignore the groups pleas!!
Grab some grub on the way home and take a different route back that takes
me past some of the really big resort hotels. Its from this point i realise i am going to miss Phuket! Its a product of its own circumstance- the vendors, go-go girls, lady boys, tailors are only here because of people like me (well not exactly me!). I feel sad for the locals having to, in my view, sell theirs souls to get by. Its an amazing looking area that is seeing more and more people come here and build things up!! I still don't feel its geared towards travellers like me- i.e. not single, not 20 years old, not in a group, not Australian (only joking!!). As i watch the locals making a lot of noise in the footy stadium enjoying themselves, i guess life isn't too bad for them!!
Light rain assists me home, but have a contented evening!! Massive monsoon rain later on in the evening- irony that it was rain that greeted me when i got here!!
Day 14
Decided to try and watch Man Utd vs Chelsea and it was on ESPN!!! Whooo!! But i only lasted the first half........and promptly fell asleep!! It didn't start till 2am here, so give me some
credit!!
Spent the day at the pool reading- another warm day!!
Then i am seding this blog from a travel shop!!
So thats it from Thailand! My next blog will be from Oz at some point next week!! I will get loads of pics of BK as it sounds quite unique and get back to you all soon!!
XXXX
D
Advertisement
Tot: 0.072s; Tpl: 0.015s; cc: 6; qc: 48; dbt: 0.0426s; 1; m:domysql w:travelblog (10.17.0.13); sld: 1;
; mem: 1.2mb
smartiepinkpants
non-member comment
crickey!
hey finch! I can't beleive your time in Phuket has come to an end it must be sad to be leaving i imagine you must become pretty attached to a place after a while - im sure the ladyboys will really miss you too! have fun in BK and can't wait to see your piccies of Oz - keep me up dated on the weather there - 5 weeks and im there woo-hoO! oh and, forget the pink crocks! LOL! take care smartiepinkpants