Phuket and Southern Thailand

Day 9: First thing in the morning, Sea Cave Canoe picked me up at my hotel to take me sea kayaking though limestone caves that allowed you to pass from Phang Nga Bay into small lagoons. At first, I was a bit disappointed that guides did the paddling for you, until we entered the caves. Parts of the entrances/exits were so close to the water that you had to lie down in the canoe to make it through. There were places that I was glad that I decided to wear the suit guaranteed to trim you by two inches!!! I wouldn't have wanted to try to paddle my way through that.Once you went through the caves, you found yourself in calm lagoos, completely surrounded by sheer limestone cliffs. In one of the lagoons, we watched monkeys in the treees for a while. In another lagoon, the tide started rising too quickly, and there was a mad scramble to make it back through the caves before the opening got too low to get through! We were served a delicious lunch on the main boat, then headed to an island for about an hour, to swim, paddle the canoes, or just mingle or sunbathe. It was quite fun.
Day 10: I booked a tour through Phuket Sea Land to go elephant trekking and white water rafting. They misplaced my reservation and didn't pick me up. After a phone conversation, I convinced them that I did have a reservation (which they later found) and they sent somebody to get me. White water rafting was so much fun, and the water was freezing cold (ok... actually about 70-75F...but that's icy to me!) The rapid weren't huge - class I and II, but enough to be really fun without being really scary. This picture was taken in a very slow spot... when I didn't have to paddle or hold on for dear life.
After rafting, we went elephant trekking through the jungle. It was fun, and we were able to buy bananas to feed the elephants. That was pretty cool. They served us lunch (mediocre) and then on a full stomach we hiked up a rather steep hill to go play in the icy water under this waterfall. You could swim up to the waterfall where the water is white, then grab onto the rocks and pull yourself through the opening in the rocks, and stand directly under the waterfall. It was great feeling the water pound on your back. If you lost your footing though, the current would shoot you back through the gap in the rocks, and you would have to start all over again!



That evening, I headed to Patong Beach. It was clearly an area that catered to tourists - and drunken ones at that. There were lots of little shops, but they all sold basically the same things. There were tons of bars, many filled with young Thai women who were throwing themselves at drunken tourists. Even the food had a watered-down spice level. I stopped to get a foot massage and in the process was also talked into a pedicure. After the torture of the foot massage, the pedicure was very relaxing! I must admit, my feet felt much better after that, and I was good to walk for another few hours!
Day 11: An early morning view from the balcony of my room at Kata Beach Resort. After breakfast, I walked up and down the beach for a while, then went to a half-day cooking class at the Boathouse.
After my cooking class, I went to the Butterfly Garden and Aquarium in Phuket town. I skipped the aquarium and headed straight to the butterflies. There were so many that were beautiful. If I didn't have a taxi sitting outside waiting for me, I probably would have spend 3 hours there, instead of the 1 that I did.

Later in the afternoon, I walked the length of Kata Beach. Near Club Med, I stopped to watch this game of soccer for a while.

Kata Beach at sunset.

Later that night, after the sun went down, I took a tuk tuk to Karon Beach. I was wandering through the shops there, then went down a side street. After a while, the shops ended. I thought the side road would connect back up with the main highway, so continued walking....and walking...and walking. I met up with a road I thought was the main highway, and decided the shops were probably on the other side of the next hill. They weren't. At this point, I didn't know whether I should continue walking or turn around, so I continued. It was rather peaceful, actually. There was lightning in the distance, and lots of frogs were singing, so I kept walking.

Eventually, I came to a road with a sign indicating that the Boathouse and Club Med were .8 Km away. Since my hotel was between them, I took that road. And walked...and walked...and walked. I walked past Club Med, but didn't come to my hotel or Boathouse. Then, I saw a road sign pointing to Karon Beach (in the direction I was heading) and Kata Beach (in the direction I was leaving). I was walking in circles!!! I flagged down a taxi and paid him way too much to take me back to my hotel, which was only about 5 blocks away (but I would have never found).

Day 12: In the morning I had my second day of cooking lessons at the Boathouse. We actually got to cook something today. In the picture I'm making a seafood stir fry. I added a bit more lemon juice and pepper than I was supposed to. I thought it really perked it up, as did the other students in the class. The chef teaching the class wasn't as impressed, and informed me that it was no longer 'Thai' because I didn't have the proper balance of sweet, sour, and salt. I didn't care.... it was still tasty, and people from other groups even snuck over to eat it!!

After class, I wandered around the area and beach for a while, then got a foot massage. This one was even more torturous than the first. It was closer to reflexology/accupressure than a massage, and she poked a blunt stick into the nerves in my feet! OUCH!!!

It was nearly time for me to go to the airport, so I headed back to my hotel to change clothes and get my bags.

Just as I got to my hotel, out of nowhere, a huge storm started. At first it was just wind. The palm trees were really swaying and coconuts actually started to fall off them. Then the rain it- hard stinging pellets, which gave way to sheets of water. After about an hour, the storm passed, and I went to the airport

Day 13: My flight left Bangkok at 8 am, and I arrived in Phoenix around 3 PM. The flight from Hong Kong to Los Angeles was incredibly long, and the plane was totally packed. While the flight attendants on United Airlines were horrible (they rammed the cart into my foot and elbow at least a dozen times, and never said 'sorry' or 'excuse me') the guys from the USDA in customs were wonderful. They generously washed my muddy shoes for me so I didn't have to do it when I got home. What gentlemen!! :-)

Actually, one of the things you were supposed to declare on entering the country was muddy shoes - to prevent hoof and mouth disease from spreading - so I declared my muddy shoes, even though I didn't think I had been in an infected area. To be on the safe side, they washed my shoes for me.

Hmmm...... I wonder if I would have 'accidentally' dropped all my laundry in mud, if they would have washed all my clothes for me on my return too! Maybe next trip I'll find out! :-)

Go to Thailand. It's AMAZING!!!