Phuket - Patong Beach

We took a boat and bus combination to Phuket on Saturday.  It was a brutal bus ride, both Ben and I had terrible neck cramps.  The bus dropped us off on the side of a highway, literally near nothing.  It was very strange, luckily, there was a cab right there so we hopped in and negotiated 200 Baht ($6.66) for our cab ride.  When we got to our "hotel" the cab driver tried to charge us 400 Baht, and after telling him that's not what we agreed on he said he would call the police.  We said ok, paid the man, and got on our way, not a good first impression of Phuket.  Only a few minutes later did we realize that he had dropped us at the wrong hotel.  Thankfully, this hotel called "At Home Hotel" was a sister hotel of the one that we booked called "At Home Residence" so they called the owner who personally came and took us to our correct hotel.  The hotel itself is really nice, and at $17 a night, its a great deal. Just around the corner is the center of Patong Beach, the busiest and most touristy town in Phuket.  

Room

More Room

Letter in the Elevator about construction at the hotel

We were walking into the center of town the first night when I heard Ben say "OH, Watch Out!", I immediately looked where he was looking and about 10 feet in front of us was a baby elephant walking down the street being led by a Thai. The elephant was about 5 times the size of Ben, and while unusual for us, this is common practice here in Thailand. 

What we found in downtown Phuket was astonishing.  I equate it with the Thai version of Vegas.  Neon lights, go go dancers (and not the kind we have at home), and people trying to sell you everything and anything.  You cant get about 10 feet in some places without being offered a tuk tuk ride, massage, or ping pong show (yes they actually exist here).  It's also very built up.  There is a large American style mall near us, and many condo type buildings, almost all new or still being built, most likely from the Tsunami.  We spent that night walking around, and ate Subway both that night and for lunch the next day.

Bangla Road in Patong Beach

We started our first day at Patong beach.  Our $17 hotel includes a free shuttle around the town, and we arrived to the beach and saw what we wanted. It was packed from end to end with people, sunbathing, playing sports, parasailing, and jetskiing,.  Ben and I went bodysurfing then Ben found some Canadian and American friends, and ended up playing football with them and the Thais, while I sat under the cabana and read.  

Action shot of a Thai throwing the football to Ben

This is how they parasail.  A Thai jumps on top to steer and help land, and he rides the parachute holding on like a monkey and swinging around from about 10 stories up in the air.  

After this we went for some well needed shopping, and this is what we bought.

Total cost, $32

That night we went out on the town, focused on living the Phuket nightlife up, and we did.  In Thailand, Jenga and Connect 4 are very popular games at the bars.  You can play the bartender, and if they lose they buy you a round, and if they win, you have to buy a round for yourself and them.  They rarely lose as you can imagine.

My turn, if I lost, we didn't get a free round

I didn't lose this one!  Free drinks all around!  From left to right, our Bartender, 2 Australian guys we met and played with, me and Ben.

Some more Australian friends we met (Aussies are everywhere!).  The littler girl at the bottom is trying to sell us necklaces, she will throw them around your neck and then run away, only to come back and demand that you owe her 100 Baht.  As you can see I am defending myself against her impeccable necklace toss.  And yes, the guy in the background is holding up a Ping Pong show "menu."  You don't want to know what is on it. 

The next day we were pretty useless.  We went to a shopping mall by our hotel and it was like stepping back into the States.  It was a typical American shopping mall, clean, and comfortable, and it was a nice break from all of the dirtiness of Asia.  That night we discovered a night market for dinner, and got some of the best Pad See Ew and Fried Chicken I have ever had in my life.

Patong Beach Night Market

I got to choose my Fried Chicken at this stand!

Pad See Ew, sooo good!

That night it started raining harder than I have ever seen.  The monsoon rains here are intense, big rain drops that are blown in sideways.  If you step into the rain for 10 seconds you are completely soaked.  

Here is a video we took of the rain

Today, the rain has not let up.  We were going to go on an excursion, but it is raining too hard to do anything, so we just sat at a cafe and blogged and read.  We tried to order pizza, butt AGAIN we ordered it wrong.

That purple thing on the bottom right is squid!  Seriously people, why do you put seafood on pizza!?

Tomorrow we are off to Bali to continue our adventure!