Once we had had our fill of Krabi, the three of us boarded the longtail boat back off the secluded peninsula and on to one of Thaliand's National Highways. From there, we squished into a “not so mini-van” (complete with a broken AC system) and rode the road around the bay and finally onto Koh Phuket (although you'd barely realize that it was an island considering its distance from the mainland). After arriving in Phuket Town, we fanangled ourselves a taxi ride to a hotel just off Patong Beach that other Canadian travelers had recommended to us.
Once we were settled in we got to enjoy the overall atmosphere of Phuket's most vibrant city. The beaches were filled with sunbathers from all over the globe and the waves that broke onto the shore were enough to sweep you away. We were entertained for hours just getting tossed around by the heavy duty waves which could literally pull your bathing suits right off you (I know from experience)!
Patong's night-life however, was a little bit of a culture shock to us (to say the least). The main drag consisted of nearly 100 bars/pubs/nighclubs who had all hired “hawkers” to try and get you to come in. Intermingled throughout the throngs of tourists were the entrepreneurs who were selling photos with one of several wild animals they had turned into a source of revenue (parrots, monkeys, gibbons, iguanas, snakes, etc.) but the most startling in the crowds were the dozens of “Ladyboys” (you can figure it out). The real disorienting part of it was not knowing who was... who. Posing for pictures, creating public spectacles, the Patong strip was an eye-opener to say the least.
On one of our evenings we decided to catch a “Muay Thai” (Thai Boxing) match down at the local stadium. The first couple of matches we were set back by the sheer age of the competitors (they mustn't have been more than 10). While these matches were not as brutal as the ones to come, it was a little unsettling for us sheltered Canadians. The Main Event of the evening was when a fighter from Brazil entered the ring. This match was the most energetic and action pact. Despite all of his effort & support from the crowd, his tiny yet ferocious native opponent stole the day. We were lucky enough to hang around after the fight and chat it up with the Brazilians who were very nice to us.
While Amanda had to take her first “sick-day”, Aimee & Jono went to the Phuket Zoo. While it may have been one of the most poorly set-up and maintained “Zoos” I've ever been to, there were a couple of “advantages” to the menagerie. For a couple of bucks you could get “up close & personal” with the animal of your choice. Seeing the huge Tiger with a chain around it's neck was naturally the first choice. The unsettling part of this was that the main animal wrangler had only one arm. Aimee cautiously sat herself down beside the tiger and once she felt confident the trainer WHAPPED a wooden stick in front of the beast so that it would “Smile” for the camera. To be honest, I had second thoughts at that moment myself. The Phuket Zoo... It had it's pros & cons, let's leave it at that.
The next night we found ourselves wandering around town when we stopped in at a more modern & high-tech looking mall which seemed to be having some sort of celebration. By the looks of it (not entirely finished, yet still lacking any wear or tear) the evening seemed to be a “christening” of sorts. As it would turn out, the Jungceylon complex was receiving a visit from the Royal Family of Thailand. We were lucky enough to catch fleeting glances at both the King & Queen as well as the Royal Princess. Way cool.
Patong, Phuket was a whirlwind of the senses and is definitely a must see for anyone visiting Southern Thailand.
Once we had had our fill of Krabi, the three of us boarded the longtail boat back off the secluded peninsula and on to one of Thaliand's National Highways. From there, we squished into a “not so mini-van” (complete with a broken AC system) and rode the road around the bay and finally onto Koh Phuket (although you'd barely realize that it was an island considering its distance from the mainland). After arriving in Phuket Town, we fanangled ourselves a taxi ride to a hotel just off Patong Beach that other Canadian travelers had recommended to us.
Once we were settled in we got to enjoy the overall atmosphere of Phuket's most vibrant city. The beaches were filled with sunbathers from all over the globe and the waves that broke onto the shore were enough to sweep you away. We were entertained for hours just getting tossed around by the heavy duty waves which could literally pull your bathing suits right off you (I know from experience)!
Patong's night-life however, was a little bit of a culture shock to us (to say the least). The main drag consisted of nearly 100 bars/pubs/nighclubs who had all hired “hawkers” to try and get you to come in. Intermingled throughout the throngs of tourists were the entrepreneurs who were selling photos with one of several wild animals they had turned into a source of revenue (parrots, monkeys, gibbons, iguanas, snakes, etc.) but the most startling in the crowds were the dozens of “Ladyboys” (you can figure it out). The real disorienting part of it was not knowing who was... who. Posing for pictures, creating public spectacles, the Patong strip was an eye-opener to say the least.
On one of our evenings we decided to catch a “Muay Thai” (Thai Boxing) match down at the local stadium. The first couple of matches we were set back by the sheer age of the competitors (they mustn't have been more than 10). While these matches were not as brutal as the ones to come, it was a little unsettling for us sheltered Canadians. The Main Event of the evening was when a fighter from Brazil entered the ring. This match was the most energetic and action pact. Despite all of his effort & support from the crowd, his tiny yet ferocious native opponent stole the day. We were lucky enough to hang around after the fight and chat it up with the Brazilians who were very nice to us.
While Amanda had to take her first “sick-day”, Aimee & Jono went to the Phuket Zoo. While it may have been one of the most poorly set-up and maintained “Zoos” I've ever been to, there were a couple of “advantages” to the menagerie. For a couple of bucks you could get “up close & personal” with the animal of your choice. Seeing the huge Tiger with a chain around it's neck was naturally the first choice. The unsettling part of this was that the main animal wrangler had only one arm. Aimee cautiously sat herself down beside the tiger and once she felt confident the trainer WHAPPED a wooden stick in front of the beast so that it would “Smile” for the camera. To be honest, I had second thoughts at that moment myself. The Phuket Zoo... It had it's pros & cons, let's leave it at that.
The next night we found ourselves wandering around town when we stopped in at a more modern & high-tech looking mall which seemed to be having some sort of celebration. By the looks of it (not entirely finished, yet still lacking any wear or tear) the evening seemed to be a “christening” of sorts. As it would turn out, the Jungceylon complex was receiving a visit from the Royal Family of Thailand. We were lucky enough to catch fleeting glances at both the King & Queen as well as the Royal Princess. Way cool.
Patong, Phuket was a whirlwind of the senses and is definitely a must see for anyone visiting Southern Thailand.
No comments:
Post a Comment