Day 23 Patong beach - briefly
Friday, December 28th.
I was up at 4:30am – my dreams were mostly about work so I got up and started working.
Also I was able to get some blogging done. Last night I discovered that when a VPN connection was available the internet here seemed to work much better – but the connection this morning has been very spotty. I thought about taking the notebook downstairs but ended up working in the dark.
Aria occasionally cries out in her sleep.
Not sure what is on the agenda today – I need to do some of our finances, check on bills etc. and have a work deliverable I need to complete this week.
Hopefully the car is where we left sit. I cannot believe Allysha is going to be 10 in a couple days – I am trying to think of something very nice for her birthday.
She has been a real trooper on this trip – hardly a complaint escapes her lips – very open to new ideas and experiences – very independent. I think she is a little homesick. I am so impressed by her.
Aria too is hanging in there – I can tell she really misses her friends as she spends every opportunity trying to communicate with them. I just hope she is getting as much out of this trip as possible. I actually think Allysha this might be more impactful to Allysha than Aria – not what I expected.
So we are rapidly approaching the ¼ mark of our journey - and we have so many adventures ahead of us. This extended stay in Phuket has been good for us. We have been able to slow down – not feel rushed to see as much as possible every day – and being in Phuket – a resort area has actually let us just relax and sit on the beach.
I am relieved as I have been able to get some quality work done without feeling like I am missing something or should be somewhere else. Many times I take my paper notebook with me and write outlines which I then type while the family is sleeping.
Although convenient the two big blisters on the inside of my big toes remind me why I do not wear thongs. Ouch… I wish the sandals I brought with me were easier to slip on and off.
Other than that and some slight pain in my joints my body has been holding up very well. I thought I would have lost more weight than I have given the miles of walking and what I assume is healthier food. The last couple days I have felt fatigued and my stomach has been a little nauseous – nothing debilitating - I just don't feel "right". I hope it passes – it might also just be road fatigue.
The girls finished their reports on Thailand and Buddhism – I need to do some more research on Thai history – I also want to read about the rules of cricket – especially the scoring.
We ended up heading to Patong – thinking we would stay there for the day and possibly have dinner before returning. Patong is the major tourist beach about 2 km's long and right next to numerous resorts – including a club med – and a thriving town. We also wanted find a dive shop to explore the snorkeling and dive options. We made it to the town but finding parking took quite a while – circling and circling in traffic was not fun. Eventually we parked and hit the dive shop – all4diving I think it was. All of the diving seems to be at islands – there were numerous boats with various process and destinations. If we wanted to dive it would have to be tomorrow to allow the requisite 24 hours before flying. The person working in the shop was from London and frankly not very helpful or friendly. We decided to head to te beach to consider, I was worried that with it being the high season we would decide on a trip only to find it to be full.
We walked down to the beach and went for a swim. The beach was very crowded, the water got deep very quickly, the ocean was rough and there was a lot of algae in the area. Not nearly as nice as Kata or Surin – the beach 200meters from our room. We tried to discuss the diving options but really could not seem to be able to decide on anything and the topic just slipped away. We decided to leave the beach as I felt our own beach was much nicer and would not require me to drive after the day. So off we go but Pam wants to see the beach south of here – I reluctantly agree and we start driving – get lost – and I end up driving for about 3.5 hours all the way around the island. Not fun and I start to get very weary and light headed – not my idea of a good time.
Eventually we arrive back at Suring beach – about 4:30 pm – we have some drinks – we swim and I head back to the room to rest. I am very fatigued. The girls show up a short time later and we decide to get dressed. We check out the rooftop bar and then walk to a restaurant recommended in our guide book called Silk.
When we arrive at the restaurant they ask if we have reservations – no – but they still seat us anyway. There are a lot of people here – many dressed quite nicely. The menu has the same options as most other places and I order for the family. It is quite good food, pretty good service but 3 times as much as the same meal at another restaurant down the street. Pam and the girls seem to enjoy it.
We head back and hit the rooftop bar where we let a flying lantern loose – basically a 3 foot tall hot air balloon. The girls enjoy it and we watch it fly into the sky turning into a small red star before eventually winking out.
Back to the room and to bed – I think this is the latest I have been up.
