Anyway, apart from recouperating today, I did some exploring. The Kata lookout was first on my list, famed for all the world as one view gives many of the most famous beaches in the Andaman Sea. You can see the rocky headland where my hotel is at the top of the second long beach from the bottom. Big Buddha was another thing to see, although it's nothing compared to some. It does however look out from the centre of this large and mountainous island over Phuket Town and hopefully Buddha keeps a watchful eye over the woman in the Panda suit down there. I bought some fruit: mangosteen, mango and maprang. Sadly rambutans, unlike in Indonesia this time of year, are not in season. Snake fruit is here, dragon fruits, Thai maple apples, all kinds of goodies, but the two best are mangosteen and mango. I bought one kilo of each and will eat them all tonight. It is worth the trip for them alone. I went to a cashew nut factory, the amazing veggie that has a nut as a biproduct. The large fruit gives juice and a very precious oil, if it were not for the fine oil it makes cashews would not be grown. Each nut is pushed out of its shell by hand. In the picture you see a hard working person under tourists eyes all day long. I did ask before I took the picture, but I do feel sorry for people having to live like that each day. She earns 15 baht a kilo, and there's a lot of cashews in a kilo. The yellow thing in front of her machine is the size of the cashew fruit. I do like fruits an vegetables - lets face it, it is why I talk to all of you. Ha ha ha. Talking of fruity, in Buddhist nations, 'lady boys' abound. One was working the 7-eleven in Karon today where I bought cheese and onion chips. Every nation on the planet has Cheese & Onion chips EXCEPT NORTH AMERICA. What is wrong with you? OK so where was I going with the story? Yes, I know: Do you remember the steel teeth Japanese murdering schoolgirl from Kill Bill Vol 1 ? Well, that person is now a lady boy working at a 7 Eleven on Karon beach, I swear to God.
Horse shoe shaped beaches are always prized, they keep their sand, collect more and have sheltered waters. They are rare. This island is surrounded by them. I need to treat this photo when home to remove some haze.
My parents always said money does not grow on trees - and they lied. This tinsel-y tree has people pinning money to it like leaves. I want one.
The other amazing thing about this part of the world, although it is not as green as Indonesia, it's still pretty much the same story. Anything dropped on the ground will grow with amazing vigour. I for one would love to live in a place like that, driving past all the little markets selling orchids and palm trees for your back yard, wouldn't it be fun to pick out giant palms for your garden? Doesn't seem like much to ask, does it? Plumeria, the adopted symbol of Hawaii is also abundant here. Nothing more tropical than those, and, yet again, cannot grow those at home either :(
Oh well, I dipped my feet in the Andaman today at Karon beach - a long public beach that is pretty full of people, mostly Euro, few American, and again this is one thatwas in all the pictures of the giant waves. I booked a trip to Phang Nha for tomorrow, famed for 'The Man with The Golden Gun' 007 movie among other things and sadly the Surin and Similan islands will have to wait for another day to have Dave bless them with his prescence. It also turns out, apart from not packing a bathing suit I also failed to pack the underwater housing for the camera. Am I a Bieber, or what? So I may go snorkeling in a pair of old shorts but no pics I suppose, sadly.
This post is a ways from the beach, and it marks the high water line.
I do not leave Phuket until late Saturday, which is awesome (and part of my super pack-it-all-in planning) as I can use part of that day. I am now going on a quick trip to the Phi-Phi islands on Saturday morning, pronounced pee-pee ( insert your giggles ), the hotel here sold me on it, I should have bought it in town with the other one, for far less. Phi-Phi is where 'The Beach' was filmed. Anyway it is a speedboat ride away, which the last time I rode on one produced projectile vomit that flew horizontally sideways because the boat was so fast. I will try to Gravol this ride ahead of time and reduce the available fish food. Arriving late at Changi airport in Singapore that night, right after midnight, I am sleeping at an airport hotel then flying the Sunday morning at 8am for Kathmandu in Nepal. So no more time to recouperate, it's gonna get busy.
You know this pic could have been much improved if I had focused on the ocean, not the banana leaves...
Asia has a passion for assembling electronics, but not it seems a good way to bury cable. Even in Tokyo, only now are they getting rid of the masses of overhead cable.
Phuket doesn't have the tranquil and almost mystical spots that say Bali has, it seems as though it's go-go-go here in most of the island. Phuket has better infrastructure though and at this time of year the wet weather is on the equator and below so its quite dry here - and that seems to come with higher prices. There's undoubtedly benefits to both, and since air to each from KL or SG to each is so low, I guess I would say, do both!
This is your friend, the snot ridden Dave, hanging out in front of a gorgeous sunset and signing off for the night. I have a free hotel dinner tonight, not sure if I am brave enough to do Patong town afterwards, or tomorrow... We will see... Either way I hope you all have a good night too.
- BlogPressed from my iPad. Click on picture for larger image and gallery.
