Phuket

Presented with a bit of extra time and nearly free access to the internet, I thought I'd share an exerpt from my written journal.

"May 5,

Phuket may be another Thai island, but compared to Ko Phangnan, Ko Tao, and Ko Phi Phi, Phuket feels quite the different beast.

Getting off the boat along with a mass of other travelers, we were presented with an flashflood transportation market, comprised of travelers searching for tour buses , being cornered into minibuses (all offering "best price"), or searching out friends. Ryan deftly talked an transport organizer into giving us a taxi instead of a minibus, meaning we didn't have to share vehicles, make extra stops, or worry about unreliable AC, a critical feature. In Thailand, room prices are broken down by whether or not they have AC. Beds are of secondary importance.

Driving to Patong offered us our first foray into true Thai driving. Ubiquitous scooters, often carrying 3 or more people, weave through traffic, prompting Peter to declare Thailand a "Scootsie nation" and to vow to try more group scooter driving when they get back stateside. Watch out Davis.

The streets are broad and bustling, in stark contrast to the narrow, undulating, and often less-traveled roads of the other islands, which were clsoer to paths than anything. The same tangled masses of powerlines snake over the streets, supplying power to the countless neon signs advertising restaurants, shops, massage parlors, and bars.

Ryan had already spent more than a week in Patong, and has several spots he wanted to show us. After signing in, he lead us away from the crowded beach center of town to the local fish market. Gorgeous just-caught fish, vegetables, and exotic fruits were mounded on small carts; many were being put away for the day, though some vendors were still feeling entrepreneurial. "1 Kilo, 200 baht!" About $2 per pound of the freshest, largest prawns I'd ever seen. (This, of course, could be bargained to 150 with some effort).

We left the fish market in search of food, again with Ryan leading the way to a nearby street that "no tourists knew about". As the sun fell , the vendors dotting the street sprang into action. Ryan and I stopped at a vendor, whose small cart was his scooter, equipped with a cross between a rollcage and sidecar, offering Pad Thai. We ordered Chicken Pad Thai; to our immmense pleasure he took all of the ingredients from his cart and skillfully whipped up our dinner. 95 US cents. Peter and Dom immediately followed suit. Together with the lime and pineapple shake (I will be trying to recreate at home), our $2 meal was absolutely incredible. The four of us happily sat on stairs behind the vendors, convinced this was the real Thailand, and the best meal we'd had.

Our walk back to the hostel turned out to be quite eventful. We stopped into the Patong mall, experiencing several firsts, including "doctor fish", tiny fish that would eat away dead skin (funny picture of Dom), and a very relaxed indoor gun range ($25, give you a gun and bullets - more funny/frightening pictures of the boys).

Curious because of the sheer size of a "massage" parlor, we wandered in to see what could be so successful. We walked into what we quickly realized was actually a brothel run by the mafia, who sharply surveiled the patrons' tables en masse. We felt compelled to mitigate our egregious misstep by buying some overpriced drinks and axiously averted our eyes from the enormous one-way mirror, behind which were nearly two dozen heavily made up and scantily clad "masseuses". We drank quickly and left in the same manner.

Our walk home included more of the same aggressive propositioning we've become accustomed to; arm pulling, yelling, blocking our way, and, in the case of a few cross-dressing "ladyboys", some not so subtle groping. Dom's size makes him a popular target, and we stopped many times to see him surrounded by Thai people entreating him to visit their show or shop.

In a mere 4 hours, we'd been able to fly through much of Patong, highly entertained throughout, reaping the benefits of Ryan's copious experience. This trip really wouldn't have been anywhere near as fun or educational without him, and I know we're all grateful."

Thailand continues to be a blast, we're in Chiang Mai now, we've just gotten a hotel for 250 baht each, or about $8.40/night. Off to get some food and enjoy this city that marks uncharted territory for all of us.

Also, I think I've edited the comments section so that anyone should be able to comment. Feel free, we'd be happy to hear from you all! Happy cinco de mayo to you in the states.