Day one in Patong - Sawasdee!

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Day - Oh my, I have totally forgotten! But let me title this: Wat Chalong, A Wonderful Friend and The Fortune Teller

Ok, so where do I even begin? I woke up early (because that’s what I do when I don’t have to work! - how ironic, huh?) at 5:30 a.m. I went to bed fairly early last night because after 6 p.m., this resort gets very dark outside and it’s easy to wind down and fall asleep. My room has a balcony that overlooks this beautiful lagoon, but the pool shuts down at 6 p.m. and then there’s silence.

Mim picked me up at 11 a.m. and the moment we met, we just talked each other’s ear off! She is such a beautiful person! It was a friendship at first sight! I was so happy that she took time out to come and show me around her island. She drove me through the rest of Patong Beach and I finally got to see the beach during the daytime. It’s pretty much around the corner from where I’m staying. The beach itself is pretty and there are a ton of beach lounges and umbrellas lined up and down the shoreline - so I can only imagine what this place looks like when its high season. Crazy with tourists! However, it is a fun place and the view is pretty. It also looks like a swim beach but I would be careful of the undertow because those waves curl pretty well and it can be deceiving if you didn’t know any better - so do be careful if you swim there.

So after a quick lunch, I got to meet part of Mim’s family which was her love Jack and their feisty dog Missy! It was an honor to be invited over and I enjoyed my short visit with them. Afterwards, Mim wanted me to see one of her favorite temples. The temple is called Wat Chalong and if you have a map of Phuket you can see it highlighted and find it fairly easily. Wat Chalong is beautiful. It’s not high up on a hillside like Doi Suthep, but its main temple is so tall and beautiful. This main temple houses all the golden Buddhas and it has a stairway that you must climb up to the top. The view from there is beautiful and on the hillside you can see the huge Buddha temple that sits overlooking Phuket. Amazing!

What really made this trip special was Mim herself. She took time out to answer all my questions about Buddhism and before I knew it, I was making an offering at the temple! I wasn’t just standing in the background observing, she walked me through the entire process and it was unforgettable. Thanks, Mim! =)

Later on, after hours of chatting…. we stopped in Karon Beach and had dinner on the main drag. I also met a fortune teller who was only in her twenties and who made her living in Phuket reading Tarot cards. It was so interesting speaking with her about her life in this busy beach town. Her family lives up north near Chaing Mai which is really quit some distance. She lives here alone now but at one time she did have her sister with her. Unfortunately, the accident rate is very very high in this area….there are so many young people killed on motorbikes or cars. It really is tragic. She lost her sister over a year ago in an accident but has decided to stay here in Phuket and continue making a living. I’m sure she does well and I just love her spirit and her independence. It cannot be easy living so far from your family.

So after a very insightful day with Mim, I was dropped off and all I can remember is closing my eyes for a just a quick minute and before I knew it… it was Wednesday morning! I slept through a night of rainfall.

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