Our new hotel was clean and very modern, but had terrible wifi. We were both very tired after the problems from the previous night. Denali at this point was being extra annoying so I chose to let him go to breakfast alone. I sulked in my room and tried to navigate the terrible wifi. He came back, and I was still annoyed. I left and did some shopping for last minute gifts. Two hours walking around the touristy area of Phuket in the heat, and I was ready to go. I hailed a tuk tuk back to the hotel and soaked up the AC. Denali went to the pool and when he came back, we were friends again. Continue reading “Back in Phuket”
Island hopping by longboat…
This morning we got up early to get ourselves together. We headed downstairs to the breakfast area. Yet again very interesting choices of food. From fruit to chicken to curry soup. We grab a few bottles of water from the 7-11 and wait for our bus. I neglected to inform you that there are 7-11’s literally everywhere. You can’t turn a corner without seeing one. We have one two doors down from us, which makes it easy to pickup whatever we need.
Temples, tigers, and fun…
Today we set off early on our first full day in Phuket. Over the hotel breakfast, which was an interesting mix of food, we discussed what we wanted to see and do.
We decided to head to the Big Buddha first. So we dressed accordingly and found a tuk tuk driver for the next few hours. His tuk tuk was slightly less fancy than the previous one but it was still a wild ride. I neglected to say yesterday that you have to hold the railings or you could fall out of the windows while moving.
Riding up through the hills was amazing. Greenery, elephants, stray dogs, big houses,tiny houses and everything in between. It was quite interesting because around every curve was something different.
We get to the top of the mountain and there is was, the Big Buddha. It was glorious. We walked all around and took a million photos. There was a lookout with a thatched roof. I stepped in and this was the point it really hit me, that I was in Thailand actually seeing these sights for myself!
We hopped back into our tuk tuk and made our way to Wat Chalong. There were so many amazing buildings, most of them covered with beautifully carved decorations. In every temple you have to take your shoes off, it’s funny to see all the empty shoes outside.
It was approaching noon, so it was getting too hot to walk around. We found our tuk tuk and ventured off to the next location…Tiger Kingdom.
It was not the most ethical location, but where else in the world are they going to let you do this? Definitely not in America. Most of the tigers were obviously sedated, I felt a little twinge of sadness because I know this isn’t a life for a tiger. The guide said they were not sedated, just full. Apparently most tigers that are well fed and bred in captivity, are really chil. I’m not sure if I believe that. They were very clean and so was the enclosure. I was stuck somewhere between guilt and wonder. Tigers are majestic and it was awe inspiring to be that close to one. We were in a huge enclosed area with four large tigers, a trainer, and a photographer. Of course when Denali posed with the final tiger, it yawned and look like it was roaring. In my pictures the tigers could careless. We left with a bunch of photos on a CD and the glee of a small child.
We then headed into town to get some drinks. We had a blast. Our bartender was named Nooun and she hustled us at connect four. It was quite impressive.
After drinks we walked around, found a mall, and soaked up some much needed AC. We happened upon a 30 minute escape room. Neither one of us had ever done one, so we decided to give it a try.
We we got out with 30 seconds to spare! But we got out in time lol. After winning, we enjoyed a celebratory lunch. I chose a place in the malls atrium that said it served traditional Thai food and it had AC and free wifi. Bad idea. Denali was not pleased with the unspicy “traditional Thai” food. I was just glad to eat. I got veggie spring rolls. They had glass noodles inside. I love glass noodles. I want to know how they are made. After eating it was time to rest….
Finally getting to Phuket…
It’s been over 24 hours of travel and delayed flights, but I’m finally in Phuket. We caught a bus from the airport to our hotel near Kata. No problem getting registered and to our room. I’m so glad to be able to shower and change my clothes.
I decide it’s better to forgo a nap and use the little time we have before we try to find the hall. We chat about what we want to do and make our way outside of the hotel. We have a 7-11 right around the corner, bonus. We flag down a tuk tuk. It’s a tricked out one with faux Louis Vuitton logos everywhere. I was dying.
So we set off to check out the Trickeye Museum. It fulfilled my expectations. There was no AC inside, so we sweat to death but it was well worth it. Just a few of the many photos we took:
After leaving the museum, I realized how dehydrated I was. Major headache. So we started looking for a place to eat. My only demand was that it have AC. We came across a little place called Kodi de Phuket. No AC but it was cool inside. Denali’s only caveat was that he get real, spicy Thai food. Be careful what you wish for. I ordered a simple mixed vegetable stir fry. It was blazing but delicious. Denali ordered some sort of shrimp and basil dish. I took a photo and captured the moment of regret.
Apparently it was VERY hot. But he ate the whole thing like a champ. It wasn’t all bad because he got his first beer of the trip there too.
After eating we discovered we were not in a high tourist traffic area, so it was a struggle to find transportation. We finally got a taxi and Denali uses GPS coordinates to find the hall. When we arrived, our cab driver shouted that he knew he’d been there before. I wish he remembered the way lol. Sadly I forgot to snap a picture of the outside as it was dark, hot and we were running late. It was a miracle I even made it. No nap and dehydrated, I sat and listened the best I could. I kept falling asleep sitting up. It was a struggle but well worth it. The crazy way we got home I’ll leave for another time…
Ashley's Good Vibes 