Paradise Lost

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I arrived on Monday nite to find Sarah at the hotel room in Kamala Beach. Our beach is a quiet little place that was hit hard by the tsunami. The hotel we are staying in is new and right on the beach. But there is construction everywhere so is a little distracting. YOu can see where the wave washed over the town as there are no trees and foundations everywhere. They are building a Tsunami Memorial in Kamala, should be finished later this year. They work at nite with the tides I think as the water comes faily high.

We met a nice family from Vancouver, BC with 2 college aged girls. We all went to this show called FantaSea, a cheesy Vegas style, Cirque du Soleilish show intended to provide a glimse of Thailand's history and differing subcultures from the warriors, elephants, rice fields, children etc. There were many elephants, flying trapeze artists that glowed in the dark and looked like skinny teletubbies, roosters and goats crossing the stage, a random clown, magic act in the middle. It was very bizarre and heavily catered to the Japanese, who by the way were dying as everyone had to checkin their cameras, phone and binocs. Before the show you meandered through this mini amusement park with games, shops, icecream stands etc, bizarre. Security was extremely heavy as we were searched 3 times and they checked our bags, tickets several times as well.

Earlier in the day we went in to Patong, the busy place of the island full of "farong" -touristy westerners looking for a drunken debauchery good time. The streets are full of shops selling T-shirts, sarongs, bathing suits, Thai silks, tailor shops, seafood restaurants and so many bars. The electrical lines run 30 thick and sway dangerously low to the ground. We watched a mini crane lifting a money exchanger booth as it came inches away from the lines, yikes!! Older white men walk around with their 18 year old Thai wives/girlfriends and their fake Gucci bags. It's like Springbreak for Adults on Steroids. Also lots of ladyboys on corners trying to hustle you! This is not exaclty the paradise we had been hoping for.

As we strolled the street shops and warded off the touts, Sarah and I found these beautiful thai silk tableclothes and pillow cases. She had a stack of them and began bargaining. You just haggle with them until you get the price you want. Still suffering from jet lag and a bit dizzied with the conversion rates, Sarah paid 10,000 baht for about 7 pieces! This was after some negotiating! After walking away I said, I think we just got had my dear. We paid nearly $300 for the stuff!! yikes, some tablecloth! Sarah began to pout a bit as she recalled the story of her taxi driver who said he saved up all year to buy a car for 10,000 Bt! No more shopping for awhile!. Lesson learned. Nex time we dine at Sarahs' we'll feel like we are eating off a Mercedes Benz! We did find some good buys in our little beach town and weren't haggled at all. We found these beautiful "paintings" of sort, they are punched buffalo skin and colored, very intricate and a good buy for local art pieces.

After spendiing the day in Patong, we took a Tuktuk back to our hotel for a dip in the pool. As we drove over the hillside the Tuktuk strained. We couldn't help laugh and sing "The little Tuktuk that could", I think I can, I think I can..." More like the little Tuktuk that blew its engine. Trucks and cars passed us as we crawled up the hill, the engine whining the whole way. At one point we thought the driver was pulling a Fred Flinstone and actually pedalling the car! we laughed the whole way home, those tuktuks are no match for big western girls!

yesterday we just wandered the street in Kamala, got an iced latte on a rooftop cafe and enjoyed the ocean breeze. We eventually found a spa place and got the royal treatment, a salt scrub, sauna and massage. The place had licensed masseuses so it was legit. Not a Thai massage but a Swedish massage of sorts, no happing ending. After nearly 3 hours we emerged all smooth and soft and relaxed. The shop owner told us he was in PHuket town the day the tsunami hit but someone was staying upstairs. They survived but had to rebuid the whole place. He said it was lucky it hit on a Sunday as the school would have been hit and more tourists would have been there. Apparenlty the government set up many aid programs. For about 11 months afterwards, no tourists came. Things are slowly picking back up. Kamala beach I'm sure will recover, you can only imagine how beautiful it was before the tsunami.

We awoke today to find the monsoon has hit! Huge torrential downpours and wind! crashing waves. In search of sun and beaches so may head over to Ko Sumai or back to Bali!! Checking things out today. We really want the Thai experience and are not finding it here thus far.

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