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Published: March 4th 2009
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Oh my dear... did I feel worse for wear this morning! Jian, typically, bounced back from last night with full flight and fancy. I however, was slower to start my engines. We met up with Rohan and Jodie, and Jodie's parents and set out to Kok Chang, where we would ride elephants.
Riding an elephant is a strange and wonderful experience. Rohan and Jodie had researched the establishment we chose, on the basis of the treatment of the animals. We didn't want to throw money to people who were cruel to their animals. This place was pleasant, well run and the elephants obviously respected. Our guide gave us the opportunity to sit on the elephant, figuratively driving the animal. At first I was sceptical and Jian was not up for it as you were literally sitting unsupported and unharnested, your legs draped behind its ears, bareback. But I did it anyway, and you then couldn't get me off it- even when I probably should have. And this wasn't a well trodden path we stomped through, this was a jungle of foilage and jutting rocks. The entire time I had images of the elephant falling off a cliff face or throwing
us to the ground with only cactus trees and television sized elephant stools to pad our fall. But of course none of this happened, we we're perfectly safe and the experience was utterly amazing.
Afterwards, we went back to our room and I slept the afternoon away. I realise that I have a hangover of a larger kind, one that goes beyond our crazy, pool tabled, ping-ponged, multi-Changed endevour last night... I feel as though I am hungover from the last year of work. There were so many long hours, multiple jobs and deadlines. Jian and I basically sacrificed sleep, life and fun for a little over twelve months and although we stopped work on the 13th of last month, we spent those last two weeks frantically selling everything we owned and packing up our lives. This is the first moment we have literally had to unwind and we can literally feel the fatigue slowly lifting from our shoulders. Jian even said to me today "Aaron, you look ... just healthier." It feels really good to be experiencing something we worked so long for. I still cannot believe it is all really happening.
Phuket is like nothing I
have ever seen. The roads are scary, the drivers make their own rules (as evidenced by our trip from the airport to our resort ... travelling 135km ph in an overcrowded min-bus with semi-functional seat belts and a driver who insisted on driving within an inch of other traffic and who forced other drivers, riders and walkers out of the way). Cocktails come either in small glasses or oversized caraffs in the shape of nude women and every aweosome meal comes with a semi-frozen packaged wet towel. The temperature is in the mid-thirties and although the sun lacks the bite of that in Australia, the air is thick with humidity. It's this that's the killer. Phuket's scent is one part spice, one part nice and three parts sewerage. Combined with the heat this makes quite the molitov mixture. One minute you will be inhailing the smell of of the foodstalls and the next BAM!!! shit. The smell is so awfully sweet, it's sickening, and it feels so thick and hot that you literally feel as though someone has momentarily wrapped a warm, fecal sheet over you. Between this, the traffic, the constant offers of cheap tailoring and locals instantly knowing
we are from Australia because we wear thongs- you are well and truly on your toes every minute. Your guard never drops here; part of Phukets intoxicating appeal.
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Emma
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"Phuket's scent is one part spice, one part nice and three parts sewerage. Combined with the heat this makes quite the molitov mixture. One minute you will be inhailing the smell of of the foodstalls and the next BAM!!! shit. The smell is so awfully sweet, it's sickening, and it feels so thick and hot that you literally feel as though someone has momentarily wrapped a warm, fecal sheet over you." lmfao...that's so bad, but so funny the way you wrote it aaron! the photo's of you guys on the elephants are amazing! Love you!