Phuket 2013

Day 4

Finally a sleep-in!

I swam a few laps of the pool while the girls got ready. Then it was breaky time. After breaky we swam and lazed around for a few hours.

The stomach started grumbling, and the decision was made to wander out and have a look around and grab some lunch. We walk down towards Bangla road on Rat-U-Thit Road and came across a 100THB shop which sold mainly shirts and a few other bits and pieces. I got myself a couple of chang singlets for a 100THB each and the girls grabbed a couple of shoulder bags, some were 80 THB and some were 100THB. The shop is across the road from the school, and there is also another shop not far down the road on the same side.

We reached Jungceylon with still no lunch, I noticed a small cart with a large amount of Thais buzzing around it and decided to have a sticky beak at what was going on. Miss C and myself grabbed a few marinated pork pieces on sticks and I also got a papaya salad which was HOT I mean chilli hot but tasty, it had a brown juice in it that stank but it was beautiful. Miss G went to Maccas for her lunch, after lunch we wandered around Jungceylon for a while.

Mid-afternoon had us back at Nicky’s to laze around the pool and to have an afternoon nap. Later we will be heading out to join in the New Year festivities.

We had dinner across the road from Nicky’s at a small street side restaurant for about 220THB for the 3 of us. Then we started a walk to Bangla Road to join in the New Year festivities, We had a few drinks along Bangla Road, OMG the bell rings were coming thick and fast and close to midnight we hit Patong Beach to see the sky alive with lanterns and fireworks they were so loud the ground shook and the sky was alight with fireworks. Just after midnight worn-out and slightly drunk we staggered back to the hotel. But we had a wonderful new year.

Day 5 

What a Chang-over, I think chang means a herd of elephants jumping on your head, Ouch!!!! I plunged into the swimming pool to snap myself out of it and to do a few laps to work some of the booze off. By this time the girls woke up and we wandered down to get some breaky to fill the empty void and I hoped it would improve my head and stomach. Back to bed, for a little nap.

Around lunch time I was back in the pool, feeling better and relaxing. Miss C wanted more sleep, so Miss G and I went to Mc Donald’s to eat something to soak the booze up.  Miss G and I decided to go for a massage; it was just a few doors down from Nicky’s. Oriental Spa, I booked in for an hour Thai massage, which was bliss.  Miss G opted for the oil massage. 

Back at the hotel and everyone feeling alive again, we got a lift with a tuk tuk to Karon Temple to check-out the market.  We loved the market here, prices were cheap and no hassling from shop owners we wandered around checking out what was on offer. A monk called Miss C over to have a go on the big gong; he showed her how to rub her hands on the gong to make it sing, as he put it. Move over kid, let dad have a turn. Well it took me awhile to get it going but once I got it I found it very easy. We thanked him and gave a small donation.

I grabbed a couple of pork sausages which came with ginger and cabbage and also a mandarin drink in crushed ice , yummy dinner and only cost me about 80THB. We left the market and wandered down to the beach and sat to watch the magical sunset and to feel the cool breeze on the water’s edge.

We grabbed a tuk tuk, which was 400THB back to our hotel, once back we swam for a while before calling it a night.

Day 6

I had my morning swim and breaky. And while the girls got ready, I went to change a few travellers cheques and to pick-up and drop off our washing. While I was there I organised a few tickets to Fantasea with transfers for tonight.  Back to the hotel and down to the beach to relax and toast our flesh in the sun we got beach chairs for 100THB each for the day. After a few hours we left the beach and made our way back to the hotel , and with all feeling a bit burnt we thought it a good idea to find an inside activity and came up with the movies. We got to the movies at Jungceylon and bought our tickets for deluxe seating for 80THB each and our movie was The Hobbit, which we all enjoyed. But we did get a little confused when the national anthem was played and everyone stood up to pay respect to the King. It was getting late by the time the movie finished so we had Mc Donald’s for dinner and caught a tuk tuk back to the hotel and freshened up and to wait for our transport to Fantasea. 

We entered Fantasea and had a wander around and took a few photos. Then lined up for the show, which we enjoyed well most of it. The elephants and what they were made to do disturbed us a little but other than that it was great. After the show I asked our driver if she could drop us off at Bangla road. We decided to have a few drinks and people watch for a while. 

Day 7

It was the normal morning ritual, swim breaky and pick up and drop off washing. And we walked to the beach for a while.

On the way back to our hotel we had lunch at a small street side food stall. I also got talking to a driver and organised an afternoon out. We hurried back to freshen up after the beach and to wash the sand out of my toes and got ready. By 1 pm we were waiting out front of Nicky’s. 

We jumped into his Mitsubishi 4wd wagon and off we went, with a little general chit chat. Our first stop was Karon view point we wandered around a got a few photos. 

Next stop was Cape Promthep again we wandered around and checked out the lighthouse and a few markets stalls. I bought a drink off a woman who was charging double the price, we had a few words and I got the drinks for the same price in Patong. Our next stop was Rawai we pulled up and had a quick look around but it started to rain so we headed off. 

 Thick fog

Next stop was the Big Buddha, but like I said it was pouring with rain, and we got a wonderful view of the Buddha. We hurried inside and lined up for our blessing and to have a quick look around, on our way out I spotted a large gong and had to try out my gong master skills. I got a tune going and also a small crowd. I do wonder if any of them got the hang of it. 

And to carry on with our pilgrimage we stopped off at Chalong Temple for a look around , while there someone threw a hand full of fireworks into a small chimney, “bang bang bang” , I thought someone had gone crazy with a gun and wanted to run for cover at first, Time to change my undies. I guess it could be karma for the pan wake up call. Back in the car our next stop was Phuket shooting range, we are not usually shooters, but I have always wanted to shoot a hand gun, I have shot a few rifles in the past. Miss C and I both chose the 9mm hand gun while Miss G went with a 22 hand gun, we had a “blast” and glad we had a go, those guns sure had a heap of power. It was time to get back to our hotel. Dinner was at Nicky’s with a few beers.

Day 8

What a glorious morning, the best we have had so far. The morning ritual was over and we hit the beach again I demanded front row seat with a smile. We enjoyed this perfect day the sun was so hot we kept cooling off in the water. I do love how we didn’t need to go anywhere, but the constant asking if we want this and that was a pain in the butt. Mid-afternoon had us ready to go; Miss G wanted to go to the Otop markets, so we walked down and wandered around for a few hours. By this time we were darn hungry and grabbed an early dinner at a small place next to the market call You and Me the food and service was great and 350THB for 3 people with a couple of drinks.  By this time the sunburn was getting bad so we caught a tuk tuk back to the hotel. Miss C wasn’t too bad but Miss G and I were a little sore, we left Miss C at the hotel and we went in search of something to rub into our hot skin. We passed a spa on the way to the chemist that had a sign out front Aloe Vera massage, we looked at each other, sweet we both said. Kill 2 birds with 1 stone as they say.  The icy cold towels on our hot skin were a bit hard to take at first, but once the aloe Vera hit our skin it was instant relief. Time for a beer and bed.

 Thailand Money - here

Taxi and Tuk Tuk fares - here

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