happiness in phuket

I am down in Phuket again for a few days. Kenneth and I came down here a few weeks ago, and I thought it would be nice to hit it again before heading back, since I had a little time to kill. And because it is beautiful here. It is quite a contrast to Elephant Poop Farm here. I love the beach, but I think that EPF has been the best part of my trip.

EPF later. First, stuff about Phuket. The first time I came, we came down here on the "keeping it real" second class bus and overnight train. That was fun, but epic. The whole trip, from train in Bangkok to center of town Phuket Town was about 18 hours. This time, being no fool, I took an hour and a half flight from Chiang Mai. Woo hoo!

It was way more relaxing to come to Phuket this time, because I had been here before and didn't have to figure anything out. Wow, I didn't think about that aspect of the trip here. It has been so nice knowing where the bus is and where vegetarian restaurants are and where the hostel is and what there is to do and everything. I have really been able to be on vacation. Everything is so much easier now.

The first time I came, it was Sunday and I don't think there were many people about, because the tuk tuk drivers were like flocks of ducks pecking at us, trying to make us get a ride from them. (Tuk tuk! Tuk tuk! You need tuk tuk?) Now I am used to them, and can wave them away in a much more relaxed way, and they leave me alone a lot more. (I don't really know why that is, but they do.)

One of my favorite things about Phuket is the bus from town to the beach. There is a stretch of road that acts as a bus stop, and the buses just line up there, and they leave about every half hour, give or take. Then you press a button and the driver lets you off where ever.
Since there are no bus stops, K and I were confused as to how to get the bus back into town. Turns out, you do the same thing in reverse. You go out and stand by the side of the road, and the driver goes through town really slowly honking his horn and yelling, and stops when he see someone who wants to get on the bus. It is really chill, and I love it. I wish all buses could be like that.

To experience our bus ride, go stand under a hot light for twenty minutes. (You are waiting for the bus.) Then pretend to climb into the back of a pickup truck with benches bolted to the floor and a roof. Then sit on an uncomfortable chair for a while, slowly jostling youself, making very loud noises. (The ride through town, with honking and yelling.) Then jump up and down and shake yourself for an hour, with periodic stops (for people to get on and off). Then wander around for a while under the hot light, as though you are looking for a 7-11 or a hostel. That is a bus ride in Phuket.

Besides that, I am not sure what else to say about the island. I think there is a big party scene here when it is not the off season, so I would advise not coming during the high season. There are some silly bars here, with way too loud music and girls dancing on tables.
There are a lot of tailors here. I think it must be cheaper to get clothes made here, because there is quite an industry for it. Some of the people in them are really pushy, trying to drag you in "just for a look, no buying." I have walked by more people with their hands out trying to shake my hand here than anywhere else - like, if they can engage you in conversation, they can start to try to sell you something. I did feel a little rude, just walking by, but whatever. I also feel irritated at being made to feel rude, and it is really obnoxious to bug people who just want to walk down the damn street to the beach.

There are also a lot of optomotrists and dentists, for some reason. I guess that is cheaper here too? Maybe that stuff is really expensive in Australia or something. (A lot of Australians vacation here, because it is so close.) I am not sure; I checked into getting glasses and everywhere I checked it would have been over a hundred for the lenses and one to two hundred for the frames. Forget it, I can get them cheaper in the US.

The beach here is beautiful. I want to bring it home with me. Last time I was here, it was like a paradise, white beaches, warm water, gorgeous trees. It is still fabulous here, but this time the rainy season has kicked in. The waves are twice as high and much more dangerous, and I can only go into the water about thigh high. Yesterday an official looking guy in an orange coat made people get out of the water because it was too stormy. Today I sat on the beach all day. I actually sat in the sun for a while because the wind was making me too cold. Then, around 5, it starting sprinkling. I gathered my stuff, and within 2 minutes it was pouring. Within 15 minutes it was over, but I was still walking to my hostel when it finished. Oh well. Nice and wet, from the ocean and the rain. I took a hot shower and watched "The Mummy" in Thai. I think I got the gist.

The tv is right next to the bathroom, so I got to watch tv while I showered. That was fun. Dangerous though, now I want a tv in the bathroom.