It was sunny for the first time we have been in Phuket! We had none of the torrential downpour or gail force winds of our first week, only mild breeze and lots of sunshine. It was really fabulous as we were beginning to feel locked in our room. In the downpour yesterday, we plodded around in our rainjackets and flip flops, like wet cats, determined to leave the room we were holed up in for 36 hours... I thought I couldn't eat room service for the 10th time in a row, watching the same shite on BBC ( the only channel in English) Alas, boredom is a far better choice while its flooding in a city combining its water drainage with the sewer system; we learned this 30 minutes into wading around ankle-deep in our sandals :-O

The picture is of sunset here in Patong Beach. As you can see there are small waves, which I have heard get better into July and August. Troy rented a boogeyboard and spent 3 hours catching the frequent waves to shore. He even used it as a skim board, which got strange looks from local Thais...I don't think they do that here :)

The other picture is the far end of the strip ( red light district) in Patong. I took a picture at only 730pm, which is why it is so empty. After about 830-900pm, this relatively small strip of bars restaurants and strip clubs turns into a crowded mix of middle-aged Western couples, Vietnam Vet-ish looking guys with tattoos and skullets ( skullet = mullet minus hair on top) sporting trim pretty Thai girls, scantily-clad and heavily face-painted lady-boys, and street vendors selling cigarettes and cheesy trinkets. Every half hour or so you'll hear blaring music ( seemingly like snake-charmer music) from trucks with megaphones advertising their Muay Thai Boxing. Oftentimes the actual fighters are riding around with their gloves in the back of the truck!

As you can imagine, this place is way too much. This is where unsavory people engage in unsavory behavior, but its like a traffic wreck....So gross, but you just end up staring.

A few times during our stroll, I wandered off from Troy( in my quest for new sunglasses) only to find a barage of young, Thai girls and lady-boys literally swarm him cooing "Hey! Where you go, sexy?" "Where you from, honey?"I guess he's had good practice fending off suit, massage, and tuk-tuk salesmen, ( who physically grab you every 2 seconds ) so he grabbed my hand and politely held it up for the girls to see, and they finally retreated. JACKALS! You can clearly see how badly they want to "work" someone who is actually attractive, compared the overweight, tattooed, balding fat men they pretend to fancy.

Walking around in Patong, you realize they need money and therefore, here, everything is for sale...

Hosts waving menus for their restaurants, bar girls ushering you into their pub, well-dressed young men shaking your hand to pull you to their tailor shop " special price for you, boss", street vendors pushing their carts of peanuts, eggs, and fruit, and I even saw 2 men selling vagina. Yes, you heard right! There, shining in the neon lights, was the laminated, computer-printed menu (listing like coffee or sandwiches) of vagina, complete with close-up pictures and descriptions written in English and Thai!!

Upon discussing our awe of this area, (and the conspicuous prostitution), I noticed a straight-laced looking fellow, probably 60-65 years old, sitting at a bar flirting with a scantily-clad young woman. He had khaki pants, a collared polo shirt and tassled leather shoes. He wasn't the typical, greasy, tattoed, sex-offender-looking type...rather your accountant on holiday. On closer inspection, it was painfully clear to Troy and I that this young Thai girl was "A MAAAN, BABY" I proclaimed it fantastic poetic justice.... at its finest...but Troy burst my bubble, saying the old guy probably knew exactly what he was buying. Oh well, either way, it was a train-wreck, and thoroughly entertaining.

We've been in a holding pattern for the past few days, waiting for my lovely mother's care package ( the second one!) So far, we've used to free time for planning the next sections of the trip. #1 on the list is cementing the final details for Nepal, which we are almost finished with. We found a wonderful guide, Puru, who will handle everything in Nepal from airport pickup to rafting, to trekking. Now we need to find a reasonable ticket! But before Nepal, we are going to Siem Reap, Cambodia to check out one of the seven wonders of the world, Angkor Wat. Thankfully, visas are issued on arrival, and we can take a bus direct from Thailand to Siem Reap. This is the next thing to plan....

Soon, we will have a firm itinerary to report!

I'm really tired, so La Kon Ka!

Until next time,

xoxoxoxo