Doing What I Do Best in Patong
Leave me alone for one day and I’ll find some way to have an adventure, by accident.
Leave it to me to turn a short walk to the post office into a hours-long sweaty, thirsty ordeal.
[sigh]
Yesterday we took a bus from Ao Nang to Patong in Phuket Province, yuo know, the super famous cheesy beach area. First we are PACKED onto a tiny, tiny minivan. A tall Indian guy couldn’t even sit up all the way. It was “air-conditioned,” which meant a tiny stream of warm air blowing at you. It was horrible. I couldn’t imagine being in there 3 hours. And to top it off, the driver seemed pretty surly and just chucked my bag on top of the van and I totally thought it was gonna fall. Then suddenly we stop and switch to a big ol’ luxury bus. Thank goodness right? I can’t believe that a big luxury bus could have MORE narrow seats. And the A/C was such that you wree on the verge of sweating, but your butt and thighs were sweating through your pants, practically. Jim kept crossing the line over my seat area so I have to keep my arm there and push him over occasionally. But it was ok. Better than the other bus.
Then we got off again and stood around for a while not knowing what was going on (no one ever tells you what is going on here.) Then we split into buses going to Patong and Phuket City. So we got to Patong and took a room for 800 baht at the second place we tried. No problems there mate!! And it had A/C, hot water, fridge, and even a nice pool. However, today we moved into a different hotel more in the middle of things.
So Jim is taking a 3-4 day Scuba diving class so I’ve got plenty of time to explore Patong here in Phuket by my lonesome. I was pretty excited to have some time to wander alone and do what I want, although I have no idea what I want to do here.
Jim scuba diving!
I am happy we will finally be staying somewhere for a few days because today I went to the grocery store and got sandwich meat, bread, milk, corn flakes, bananas, water, 2 forks and 2 spoons, and [cough]PringlesandaCornetto[cough]. I started to happily walk home but the bag was SUPER heavy, what with all that water and milk. I have to carry it in one hand while I ate the Cornetto, which turned out to be a bad idea since walking with a super heavy bag in hot weather makes you not appreciate the Cornetto.
So of course I was lost and a guy showed me where I was on the map and I got back to the hotel and all was good. I lounged around in naked air-conditioned goodness and was sitting on the perfectly white bed eating Pringles watching BCC World thinking how Jim would yell about me eating on the bed, when the open pringles fell all over the floor. I was so sad, but scooped most up and ate them. Ha ha. I do think, though, that Pringles are the devil’s work since I almost ate the WHOLE container. Pizza flavored. They have seaweed flavored chips here too.
But before that, I had cereal with my new spoon and out of a hotel glass. It was good, although it is hard to pour flakes into a small glass. I also discovered that ash trays make good toothbrush holders. I watched the news for a while and I think I know more about the world news now than when I lived at home. Why does the Red Cross or anyone give a crap if Saddam is treated nicely? Would you care if Hitler got pushed around a little in jail? No matter what you think about the Iraq war, NO ONE thinks Saddam is innocent or a nice guy. Sheesh. And I saw that it is like 36 degrees C in Brisbane…. WHAT!?
Anywho. After a long while of lounging I decided to go to the Post Office and FINALLY mail my post cards. I look at the map and see the P.O. isn’t far away. I plan my route which is very simple.
I think you know where this is going.
I start walking and GOD, is it hot. I walk and see the name of the street I want, which should lead to the beach, and I start walking. Walking, walking, walking. It is starting to not look as tourist-y. Then I see a sizeable hill coming up, and the buildings next to me are turning into shoddy huts between a few bars and occasional resort. There isn’t a sidewalk, but only the side of the street and when I got to the hill, piles of sand and hard dirt that I trekked on. Snow-white me, with my fake Burberry fisherman’s hat and clashing plaid purse, sunglassioed, sweating like a pig and walking on sandy and crusty dirt past putridly smelly garbage cans and holes in the ground and people sitting around wondering what the hell I am doing. But I won’t give up and turn around because (1) I’ve come so far, (2) I *know* the beach is in this direction. I walk and walk and walk, and finally see a sign that says something in Thai and then, “Please Come See Us Again” or something. I say out loud, What? I look at the back of the sign and it says, Welcome to Patong. Ok, so I guess I was on the edge of Patong or something? I walk to a business and ask a lady where I am, she shows me, and says, do you want a taxi? It was 100 Baht. I totally did NOT want to pay that much, but I couldn’t imagine walking back. I was so thirsty and sweaty. So I accepted and the taxi ride took a whole 3 minutes back. Whoopdeedo.
So I ask someone where the Post office is and I can’t find it, finally I find it, and the lady says it is closed because it is a holiday. And I’m like, “Oh… a holiday??” ANd she says, yeah, Sunday.
Oh. It’s Sunday? I’m a backpacker, Miss.
There goes my whole purpose of going out. I am dying for some pineapple so I buy some for an outrageous 50 baht and it wasn’t even ripe enough yet. I was so thirsty that my tongue burned after the pineapple so I bought a diet coke for 18 baht. Look, 168 baht for a taxi ride and refreshments. Ugh.
And that brings me to this nice internet cafe. I’ve seen some here for 3 baht a minute!!!!!!! They cost 1/2 baht a minute in Chiang Mai. Crazy inflation here.
I did walk out to the beach, and it is literally COVERED with big beach chairs that are always there and you pay to sit there I think. I don’t know that the big deal is since I don’t think this beach is any nicer than Ao Nang.
After the taxi I was so hot I walked in the water a little and it was so warm it didn’t even cool me down. Then I had sand caked all over my feet and sandals. Ha ha.
Well, that is all for today.
Tags: Thailand
Kelly
Yea, I’ve learned never to judge distances by looking at maps here in Thailand. They’re soooo misleading. You look at maps of Bangkok and you think, oh Khao San isn’t that far away from Sukhumvit. But oh, how wrong you can be.