Travel : Phuket Lesson 101

When one touches down on Phuket International Airport, he would know that he will be heading for the people...people come here for two reasons :

1. the Thai girls...somehow prostitution here is legal...sadly this is where the money is for them at the moment...'tourist' will spend a month or two there...for good company...and some other things...

2. to enjoy what the beaches and the sea have to offer...beautiful corals, great ski-ing place...kayaking, canoeing among many other activities...and last but not least, a heart melting sunset...

For those opting for option #1, they are usually sun-bathing in the morning...and back in the hotel by sun down...for more intimate activities...

As for option #2, we wake up early in the morning...have a hearty breakfast, and head for the speed boat which will bring us to our destinations...

Here is Lesson 101 : Before you jump down, learn how to swim...

If you don't fancy swimming, and yet would still like to look at some corals...

Here is Lesson 101.1 for you : Before you jump down, learn to put on a life jacket...properly...or ask the locals to do so for you...

I was on my first trip to Phi Phi Island, where the activity of the day was snorkeling, swim, snorkeling...tonnes of corals to explore...and so little time...the speed boat I was in, had about 30 people in it...2 families from Hong Kong, one from Sweden, another from Australia, 2 groups from M'sia (including us) and a few singles...

Our first drop off was at Maya Bay...for snorkeling...I being too excited, I think...was the first few to jump off...goggles only, and no life jacket...(yes, I am aware of the dangers...but I wanted to touch the sea corals, and the life jacket was restricting...)...

At first, I did have some problems keeping afloat...the current was strong, and there was the sea temperature to adjust too...so I swam near to the back of the boat, where there was a rope...and I held firmly to it, while taking a breather...

When all of a sudden, there was this 300 megaton hippo grabbed me on my shoulders and pulled me under...Caught by surprise, I had a few gulps of sea water, before I struggled to reach the surface once more...I looked out for the source...and, would you believe it...one fat dude (from the Hong Kee group)...had just jumped into the water...and was also struggling to float!!..the difference was...he does not know how to swim...I understood that he was fighting for his survival...but, crap...need he hang on to a small shrimp like me??...btw, he did have a life jacket...

The local guide tried to pull him up...somehow he slipped once more...and dragged me down again...TWO-ZERO...I could not swim away in time...and besides, the under sea current was pulling me towards his direction...and yes, I had a few more gulps of sea-water...blardy hell...and this time, I wasn't in the mood to be nice...

True, it may just be my luck, that I happened to be in the right place at the wrong time...I can accept that gracefully...but what pissed me off...was the fact that when the locals got him back on the boat, he turned to the tour guide, and scolded her for life jacket malfunction!!!...I was already up on the boat, watching this scene (I quickly climbed up after him, as I was tired after the struggle)...and it was obvious that he didn't buckle the strap between his legs...which not surprisingly, didn't keep him afloat...also, erm...there wasn't any life jacket that fitted him...he was WAY too big....

Not only had he the audicity to scold the tour guide in front of us, tourists...he was so self-absorbed that he didn't apologize to me!!...and yes, I was expecting an apology...why not??...true, it was an accident...and I was an innocent bystander who got involved...but still, I would expect some courtesy...some sort of an apology for inconvenience or rather...or at least, a little concern to see if I am alright or not...

But Nooooo....he never went down...and spend the rest of the trip (till the next stop, at least)...being his egoistic self, and proclaiming to his family/friends...how he struggled...and how he nearly drowned...and no thanks to the locals for pulling him up just in time...

And with all the salt water I drank...I really wanted to puke...literally...

So, learn to swim...if not, learn to put on a life jacket...properly...its for your own safety, after all...

Travel : On things I've learned while in Phuket...

Just a few reminders for myself just so I don't repeat my mistakes :

• Shopping in Phuket isn't for the faint-hearted...Conserve your energy to barter, barter, barter...if you're not up to it (like me)...walk away...window shop, and don't hope for too much...
• Driving in Phuket or Thailand for that matter...is a dead No-No...You've got to be resolute, your senses sharpened...bold...and a jerk, at times...when it comes to confronting traffic...You can't be all four, and read the map at the same time...There are tonnes of motorcycles here...and there is no law that says you are required to wear a helmet...also, streets aren't systematic there...just as you thought you're in a one way street...you see a car heading towards you from an opposite direction...btw, the car/motorcycle that you rent there is NEVER insured...so damages are on you...
  
• Gear yourself with motion sickness pills...you'd never know when you need one...be it in one of the speed boat trips in choppy waves, or in the midst of one of the twisted roads of Phuket...or in an air-plane...it'll come in handy...if not for you...your loved one...
  
• Red flags errected in the middle of the beach = strong waves, keep away!!...
• Go for Thai massages BEFORE joining those crazy sun-stroke activities...sun-burnt skin and Thai massages are never good combination...its heart wretchingly PAINFUL!!!...man, you've got to be there to know it...
  
• When hiring a driver/taxi/Tuk-Tuk...tell them you want to see beautiful sceneries and take pictures...not go shopping...especially in destined tourist shopping centres...insist on it...
• Swiss army knifes aren't allowed on board the plane...neither are empty shell bullets-made-into-necklace...
  
• Tiger shows...are actually lady-boys display...and other sexual fancy stuff...not to be taken literally...and they are spelled as "Thai-Girl" shows...not "Ti-Ger" shows...bleh...when I heard it the first time, I thought it would be wild Bali and Caspian tigers...heesh...gave me a thrill of the moment...all for nothin'...
  
• When in doubt, its ALWAYS a dude...that is a tip for guys out there...if you happen to be checkin' out some hot babes...and you come across one, that somehow looks slightly off the page...chances are you're lookin' at a brother...though there was ONE time, when I was wrong...
• Make friends with a local...they are extremely friendly...and they will willingly help you buy the stuff that you want...at a local price too...so you don't get ripped off that much...they will also advice you on which shop to visit or not...trust the locals to know their market...
• Remove footwear, when you approach a massage parlor...or dropping by a shop...locals always close an eye when it comes to custom such as these...but I can see that they appreciate it when they sense we know our place...and keep our shoes out of their business premises...of course, this does not apply to street vendors...
• Geographically, Phuket is situated on the west side of the shore of Thailand...so the sunset rules there...don't waste time waking up early for the sunrise...you won't get any, you nimwit!!...like...DUH!!!
• When ordering food, always order ala carte...ordering singles will come to R350 Baht per person (equivalent to RM35)...while ala carte (all seafood, mind you) will only cost R130 Baht per person at maximum (RM13) after dividing the cost among friends...
  

Travel : Phuket Island I.M.Os

Ah, I've just returned from the land of the free and booze...hehe...It was a 9 days trip altogether...though tiring (I had to return to work 10 hours after touch-down)...but all worth it...I never gave a single thought about work...didn't have a care in the world if my students passed their exam or not...Now that I am back, I am back to worrying again...the obsessed person that I am...

Am not going to go through every itty gritty detail about my trip e.g how I kept getting confused about the currency exchange...so much so, the locals there gave me 'that look'...and how I could not figure out their food menu...and all that jazz...

[Note : if you aren't into long post...scroll all the way to the bottom for the 'summary'...]

Place...
I stayed in Patong Beach...one of the many beaches of Phuket...the place was obviously built for tourist...with stalls on every corner of the street...This were one of many places that were badly affected when the Tsunami of 2004 came raging towards them...5 years later (yr 2009)...the place have been rebuilt...everything has been restored and they are back in business...

The waves are simply amazing!!...unlike the weak ones found in Batu Feringghi beach in Penang, or Port Dickson in Seremban...the winds in Phuket are strong...and it is just awesome to see two waves come together to make a great splash!!!...

One thing that stood out, as I looked around the area...was the scary electrical wires that were intertwined...like a Rastafari hair-do!!...Just check it out...man, I've never seen so many wires connected to a single pole in my life...if there were an accident, and one of the electrical poles got shot-circuited *touches wood*...the whole Patong Beach would suffer a black out for sure...


Food...
Marvelous!!...what can I say...Mamak tom yam soup in M'sia taste quite bland now...not as thick and rich in texture, as the one in Thailand...not to mention its spiciness too...I would have preferred it with less salt and MSG...but ah, it will do...tonnes of food available all night long, which suits my living style...*winks*...I am a big fan of Thai food...having visit many Thai restaurant in Kuala Lumpur...so I knew my way around the food stalls here...and had a clear idea of what I wanted...and oh...the mango sticky rice!!...Can't be missed...the glutinous rice here was much sweeter...toys with my taste buds...it will be a long time before I would succumb to tasteless, watery, pathetic tom yam soups in the mamak, that's for sure...prices are quite reasonable too...as long as you stay off the main road...and order ala carte...main dishes shared among friends, and a plate of rice for yourself...saves you $, and closes friendship ties...*grin*...

People...
Quite friendly...with a ready smile at all times...and always polite...even when conversing in their language...it almost sounds like a professor lecturing you so gently it lulls you to sleep...Their English is quite limited, though...just enough to get around their business...not quite enough to spark a conversation...

Not to forget...the street vendors can be quite a shark when it comes to quoting a price, though...I saw some thongs that were quite pretty and nicely decorated...factory-made, obviously...but the cutting was neat, and it fitted me perfectly...when I asked this man, Bangladeshi if I had a guess...how much it would cost me...he quoted me R600 Baht!!!...that is equivalent to RM60 in Malaysia!!...Daylight robbery, I tell ya...why, thongs/slippers at a night market in Kuala Lumpur would cost me only RM10....So I walked away...only for that same guy, to grab me in the arm...and give me another price...R350 Baht...for the same thong, I was once so keen on...

Wrong move, buddy...haha...man, this is starting to feel like a game of chess!!...to see who gets the better of whom...I was then absolutely convinced that he saw us tourist like squealing pigs being led to the slaughter house...so I refused...for 3 reasons...One: I hate bargaining...though I'd love bargains...and no, I am not confused at all...I hate negotiation of these sort...but I love price-drop sales...Two: I felt that man has no business ethics at all...and I am turned off by that...anyone would...I mean, sure, he needed to put food on the table, but I as a customer would like to be sure I got my money worth as well...wouldn't you agree?...Three: I am no shopacholic, and I can do with/without the thongs...so that was that...

One day trips...
Visited Phi Phi islands, and James Bond island...it was rainy season, so the sun was out only in the morning...and by afternoon, cool showers followed...It went quite well...and we got it at a very good price, I think...we paid about R1000 Baht for each trip...which is equivalent to RM100 in Malaysia...there was this nice lady agent who saw to it that we were well taken care of...I could see that she didn't take advantage of us as many other agents would...a friend we got to know there, also a tourist from Japan...paid R1700 Baht for the same trip that we went...

Travelling on a speed boat was quite a pain in the arse (LITERALLY!!)...especially when the seas are quite rough, during the rainy season...I'd find myself in mid-air...close my eyes, hold my breath and embrace myself for th-....owwww, shit...my butt feels sore and numb...ah, could have been worse...thank you, God...for my tonnes of fat!!...For once, I didn't mind that I wasn't skin and bones...

And oh...to anyone who plans to go on day trips such as these...do remember to wear casual e.g, three quarter pants, shirt, swim-suit, etc...it doesn't make sense to come in a beautiful, sexy dress with exposed lingerie, thick make-up and mascara...and lingering perfume...pay R1700 Baht for trip, and not join in any of the activities...and to add insult to injury...squeal at any drop of water that hits you!!...

Another note...there is one thing that I fail to understand, nor show compassion for...is why there are some people who will complain and scream bloody Mary, whenever a slight shower befalls upon them (due to the breaking current of a wave...or someone wet passing by them...or a drizzle) while on the speedboat...and yet, when we reach one of our stop points, they will eagerly jump off the boat, into the sea...and happily bobbed around with a life jacket as the sea current brings them...I mean, when we sign up for this trip, or even in any activity near a beach, we would already expect to get wet, wouldn't we??...then why all the fuss before??...so excuse me, for sneering...and not offering a helping hand...until I can fully comprehend, only then can I sincerely sympathize and hand over my towel...otherwise, heesh...

Conclusion...
So, would I go back to Phuket again?...Yes, definitely...it ain't a shopping paradise, but that's alright...I am no shopping diva either...but yes, because I was so busy visiting that outskirt islands off shore of Phuket, I forgot to visit Phuket itself!!...so I missed Karon beach, Kata Beach, Phuket town...well, not really...I used my last day to drive through all of them...and spent 30 minutes in each place...but that is hardly sufficient...

Scenery was beautiful and breath taking...though it was cloudy, so we couldn't see any sunset...wasn't good time for the camera...can't imagine how it would look like on a good weather!!...plus...the cost is cheap...provided you stay off the tourist shopping area...back-pack and stay in budget hotels...my stay only cost me RM35 per night...comfortable bed, and good service!!...

Travel : Perhentian Island

My group of friends and I met in the airport last Friday to make a trip to Perhentian Island where we planned to do a little snorkeling...Perhentian Island is situated offshore on the coast of north eastern Malaysia, south of Thai border...

The speed boat ride towards the island, was quite bumpy, I must say...yes, the seas were quite rough and choppy...but I'm sure the driver was speeding as well...I literally had to fight the wind, because I could feel the wind trying to push me off my seat!!...my friends too was struggling to stick their arse on the plank...it seems to be on mid-air more than half the time, that I was really fearful they may fall off the boat...my butt felt bruised and raw when we finally reached our destination...the bumpy ride did come with advantages...for one, my friends was so occupied with self-balancing, that they totally forgot to be seasick...not bad...

We didn't waste much time that two days...I went for a round of photography while the boys sorted out their stuff...we were issued our snorkeling gear right after lunch...where we headed straight for the snorkeling sites...the boatman dropped us at the first destination...but we saw NOTHING...the water wasn't very clear as expected...and I gather it was because of the heavy rain the day before...it was only at our third destination that we managed to finally see some spectacular coral reefs...and it turned out to be fantastic!!...The place seems to be teeming with life...and curious fishes...

One of my friends brought an Olympus camera, which was waterproof and weather-proof (I forgot the model name, though)...we took a good lot of pictures on the coral reefs, but many of them turned out to be quite disappointing...*grin*...well, we still keep the pictures...but it was either blurred pictures of coral reefs...or the colours were not strong and striking...

The second day of snorkeling turned out to be the most eventful comparatively...we paid a visit to Redang island...and on our way there...we saw what I thought was a fat, dark man enjoying his swim off the shore...but hey, hey...what do you know...it was THREE turtles mating together!!...one male, another female...talk about being horny...that lucky bastard had 2 partners to keep himself busy!!...

The sea in Redang was much clearer...hence, visibility was much better...there was a larger variety of coral reefs and tiny sharks too...I attended to the coral reefs...but I kept away from the sharks...I'm uncomfortable about nibbling fishes...but sharks...are much worse, I think...

So these are a couple of things I've learn so far...

1. Fish absolutely LOVES dead skin...if you recall in my previous post, I fell down three days prior to this vacation...injured my left leg, bruised my right...scraped my left arm and bruised my right as well...so the wound was in the midst of healing...of course, it didn't heal instantly...so some dead skin was still hanging off my wound...and the fishes happily nibbled at it...and it felt SO ITCHY!!!...

2. Soaking an infected and injured leg on salty sea water may not be the best idea after all...it wasn't the soaking that hurt...it was the after effect!!...Walking on the beach or anywhere else after the hours of snorkeling was painful...not to mention stingy as well...though I am aware that salty water could help kill germs...so the boatman says...

3. The snorkel is created to help you breathe...it is not meant to stand in your way...I had my goggles with me, so I did without the mask...but as I was so used to letting my breathe out through my nose, the snorkel was pretty much useless to me..."You don't trust the snorkel to help you breathe"...was the comment a friend of mine gave...he is right, I suppose...but I'm not going to waste time telling my brain that...I snorkeled without the snorkel...

4. Life-jackets could be a nuisance at times...but you still have to put them on...as a rule, it was compulsory for us to put on the life-jackets while we snorkel...but it was getting so annoying!!...For one, I couldn't dive and touch the coral reefs that I was so itching to...(I finally did, btw...ditched the stupid jacket and just went in)...and it made swimming almost impossible!!...in fact, if anything...when you wear a life-jacket, where you go is dictated by where the waves bring you...but I wanted to go against the wave...and I wanted to go to the coral reefs pronto!!...Not wade and dwaddle like a duck...with so much to see, there just isn't time!!...

5. As long as there is food, be happy...food where we were staying, weren't that great...but at least we were fed...it was Malay food all the way, except for the last night where we had BBQ...but cool...we managed to stuff ourselves quite well...

6. The sea is an awesome being...I've spent more than half my day on the sea...have been through calm seas...and choppy ones...the most choppy of course, was a wave of half a metre high at max...I can't imagine how it feels like to face a 48 metre high wave!!...I have come to understand that it is a different set of rules altogether, when we go to the sea...and we have got to play by theirs in order to survive...I love to observe how the waves go in different directions, as the wind and current brings them...I am fascinated to hear about how boatman tells the storm by the movement of trees and fishes...I love the salty air, and cool wind the sea brings...but I am just not prepared to mess with them...in fact, after this trip, I feel a deeper respect for the sea...and will leave them at peace to do as they will...

7. Being away from the modern world is good...the yearning for technology is hefty too...there, in the beach...a 100 PLUS drink is RM3...while Internet access...is 30 cents/minute...that makes a freaking RM9 for just half an hour!!...a normal meal is no less than RM15...ah, the price we pay to stay away from the rat race...

Nevertheless, it was a good holiday...I was lifted from my depression...and I am feeling better about myself...I am photograph crazy once more...taking photos of "nonsensical stuffs" as my friends would call it...but I don't care...

Now, if you will excuse me, I need to tend to my sun-burnt skin...

A Dash to the Airport

It is 11:43pm now...and at the strike of 3am, I will have to be up and going, to catch a taxi to the airport, for my long awaited vacation...Me and 7 others will be flying to a local island, where I really hope to take my mind off my stuff for a while...and just enjoy the scenery there...This will be my last chance to blog for a few days...will be back Sunday!!...