Monday, March 14, 2005
Phuket
The most interesting thing about living out of your backpack, is you are never quite sure how long you'll be where.
I was in Phuket, all set to pick up all my gear and head west to Ko Tao to find a dive class. However, my friend Steph P. in D.C. has a friend here in Phuket, with whom I had dinner (and met his girlfriend and their 1 year old). Turns out that Rowan works in the dive industry, and his girlfriend Sabine used to, and they had just returned from a trip to Ko Tao where she had done some diving. The conditions were horrible. Anyway, next thing I know I'm enrolled in a course here in Phuket instead, and learning to breathe underwater. So far I've only done the classroom and pool dives, but this morning I get to actually jump in the sea.
As for Phuket, you can really barely tell that the tsunami came through here at all. There is construction projects going on, but that's the case all over Thailand (hence the phrase "developing country.") But it's pretty weird to see the resorts depicted in all those horrific images from 26 December, but without locals to explain it to me, I'd have no idea which ones were which. On the other hand, you see why so many people were swept away - the beaches are beautiful here. But the industry is in bad shape, because tourists are afraid to come here, which is absurd. On the other hand, nothing is crowded and bargains abound.
Here is where I'm staying. http://www.littlemermaidphuket.net/
But the food. Let me start with the admission that I loved Thai food before I got here. Especially Thai Green Curry Chicken. I love it so much that I've made a rule that I am only allowed to eat it every other day. But that fine, because the rest of the food is amazing as well. Last night was a Green Curry night, and I swear to you that if Moses had come down from Mt. Sinai with a bowl of food, that would have been it. And yes, it is much better here than in the States. And, needless to say, much cheaper.
And Thai massages are $5/hour, and really, really relaxing.
I still have a few more days in my dive class, and then I'm either going to check out Ko Phangan on the East Coast, or I'll simply head to Bangkok. I need to decide soon whether I want to go to Laos, because I need to get some of my visas in Bangkok (Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam all require them). I'm about 50/50 on going to Laos - I hear it's fun, but you certainly cannot rush it.
Anyway, props to Steph P. I need to get some breakfast before class.
I was in Phuket, all set to pick up all my gear and head west to Ko Tao to find a dive class. However, my friend Steph P. in D.C. has a friend here in Phuket, with whom I had dinner (and met his girlfriend and their 1 year old). Turns out that Rowan works in the dive industry, and his girlfriend Sabine used to, and they had just returned from a trip to Ko Tao where she had done some diving. The conditions were horrible. Anyway, next thing I know I'm enrolled in a course here in Phuket instead, and learning to breathe underwater. So far I've only done the classroom and pool dives, but this morning I get to actually jump in the sea.
As for Phuket, you can really barely tell that the tsunami came through here at all. There is construction projects going on, but that's the case all over Thailand (hence the phrase "developing country.") But it's pretty weird to see the resorts depicted in all those horrific images from 26 December, but without locals to explain it to me, I'd have no idea which ones were which. On the other hand, you see why so many people were swept away - the beaches are beautiful here. But the industry is in bad shape, because tourists are afraid to come here, which is absurd. On the other hand, nothing is crowded and bargains abound.
Here is where I'm staying. http://www.littlemermaidphuket.net/
But the food. Let me start with the admission that I loved Thai food before I got here. Especially Thai Green Curry Chicken. I love it so much that I've made a rule that I am only allowed to eat it every other day. But that fine, because the rest of the food is amazing as well. Last night was a Green Curry night, and I swear to you that if Moses had come down from Mt. Sinai with a bowl of food, that would have been it. And yes, it is much better here than in the States. And, needless to say, much cheaper.
And Thai massages are $5/hour, and really, really relaxing.
I still have a few more days in my dive class, and then I'm either going to check out Ko Phangan on the East Coast, or I'll simply head to Bangkok. I need to decide soon whether I want to go to Laos, because I need to get some of my visas in Bangkok (Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam all require them). I'm about 50/50 on going to Laos - I hear it's fun, but you certainly cannot rush it.
Anyway, props to Steph P. I need to get some breakfast before class.
