South to Phuket

  Phuket, Thailand
Thursday, May 22, 2008

We arrived in Phuket in the early evening and were treated to one of the greatest sunsets I have seen in my life. Every 5 minutes the sky was transformed into an even more beautiful canvas of vivid colors and unending perspective. Sipping some Johnny Walker Blue Label and watching the sunset from an executive lounge of the Phuket Hilton.... can it really get any better?

Waking up in paradise, Lindsey and I started the day off with a long walk on the beach outside of our hotel. The water was turquoise green and warm like a bath tub. Gazing over the waves my attention was brought back to the beach when dozens of little sand crabs permeated my peripheral vision - almost disappearing before my eyes had the chance to define their outlines burrowing into the glistening sand.

After breakfast it was ocean time - let's go swimming! Then a minty mojito by the pool..... aw this is the life. You know - I've worked hard walking on the beach and drinking mojitos - its time for a massage. Good thing its only going to cost me $13! Thats right, if you're in Phuket just walk down to the beach and for less than 2 lattes in Seattle you can be rubbed down for 45 minutes. When I saw her scooping aloe straight from the leaf and rubbing it into my shoulders I knew I hit the jackpot.

Traveling around Phuket was a trip. I saw Thai people on bikes, scooters, cars, even elephants! While we didn't do much "sight seeing" we did find play mini-golf with some dinosaurs. Why not?

I read on a pamphlet from the hotel (first bad sign...) that great sunset views could be found at Promthep Cape. So, we check it out. We charter a bumpy taxi ride an hour into the jungle and emerge at a complete tourist trap. Shops and a restaurant. Clearly enough to keep the throngs of Asian tourists happy because they all seemed to have smiles on their faces.... we were a little less enthused. On dropping us off the cab driver says:

"I wait here for you - you pay when you want to leave".

Uh...no thank you mister taxi man. We're Americans. We don't need to pay you to sit there waiting for us - we'll just get another cab.

So - we settle in for the sunset. Nothing fantastic - definitely couldn't compare to the other night. Then it hits like a ton of bricks - we're hungry! But no! There is only one restaurant in this dive - surely it can't be good! So, we plan our escape and head for the parking lot.

There we discover what our prior hubris had brought us. Every cab in the lot was chartered and had clients waiting to come back. It started to look like we were going to be stranded. We waited for 45 minutes trying in vain to flag a cab down. Finally, once we got sick of being the main course for the mosquitos, we decided - reluctantly - to give this place ago.

Well - it ended up being the best Thai cuisine of the trip. Go figure! The tables were all outside with a pleasant breeze blowing from the ocean below. Family style portions, cheap prices, and ass scorchingly hot entrees. It was amazing. My favorite was a red curry dish with beef and creamy coconut milk - so good! After stuffing our faces and calling the hotel to send a cab we found our way back, full & happy. So - just because a place looks like a dive - don't write it off. You may just eat the best food of your life.

We finished up the trip with a day long boat trip to the Phi Phi islands. These picturesque islands have played host to many hollywood films, including The Man With The Golden Gun and The Beach starring DiCaprio. We actually went to the same lagoon this film was shot, and if it weren't for the hundreds of hairy europeans putting out their cigarettes out in the sand it would have been amazing. However, even they couldn't destroy the natural beauty of the lush green jungle and beautiful clear water. We snorkled and enjoyed the colorful fish and perfect natural surroundings - it was really stunning. All-in-all the tour was a little touristy but we definitely left with positive memories and some great photos - what else can you ask for?

Phuket is a beautiful place. Check it out, but don't expect to encounter much local flair - it is a tourist island. However, if this is what you're looking for, it is nothing short than an idyllic beach paradise. Unfortunately, jobs awaited us all (job hunt for me) so we couldn't stay forever - it was time to go home. Our trip to Thailand was a wrap.