After starting in Bangkok and then traveling south to the islands near Koh Samui, Koh Phangnan and Ko Tao, Marianna and I packed our bags to head from the lower western golf coast to the upper Andaman Coast. We stopped at Holiday Travel Agency in Ko Tao and were informed of the various ferry departure times and bus options to go to Phuket. A night boat to bus seemed to be an economical option – pay for “accommodations” and transport for 810 Baht – mistakes were made, lessons were learned. We piled onto the night boat after buying a kebab from a street vendor and a savory pancake (a crepe-like food with various delicious fillings) from “The Best and the Best Pancake” vendor near our hotel. Though difficult to pick between the two carts across from one another, both claiming to be “The Best and the Best,” we decided on one and chose an onion, tomato, egg and cheese pancake for dinner.
Arriving at the night boat we were escorted down a rickety wooden ramp and then claimed our “beds” on the upper deck. On the boat were rows and rows of mats, about the size and thickness of a yoga mat, lined up one closely next to the other. I had the opportunity to cuddle with a german gal on my left and Marianna on my close right, hugging my purse and sweating on the pillow covered by a sheet that was hopefully changed from the previous sweaty traveler before me. The boat violently rocked pushing the hot, sweaty bodies of my new friends against me. I calculated the possibility of survival in the event the ferry sunk- one life jacket for every five people gave me about a 20% chance. The squat toilet on the ferry was particularly hard to maneuver around given the violent rocking of the boat and the wet floor around it.
We arrived in Surat Thani at 4:30 a.m. and jumped on a taxi truck which drove us to an office/restaurant travel agency. They threw on a Fast and the Furious Six to keep us entertained while waiting for our bus and charged us for bathroom use and plugging something into the wall. The rest of our fellow boat-friends left to their various destinations while Marianna and I were transported to yet another travel agency. Upon our arrival two plastic chairs were placed on the sidewalk, suggestively far away from the interior of the office, insulating our Thai stewards from question about why we were being moved from one office to another instead of to Phuket. A car then arrived to take us to the “Big Bus.” The car indeed carried us to a “Big Bus” or the city bus. Decorated with royal blue curtains and rose pink valances, Marianna and I were clearly the only foreigners sitting on the plastic sticky seats. Our journey was long, the bus stopped frequently picking up travelers on the side of the road headed to Phuket or another destination along the way. Comically, a german family piled on at one of the stops and asked the driver if the route was direct. “Direct, yes” said the driver. We couldn’t help but laugh as the four hour bus ride was slowly turning into seven hours. Thai direct. After a few hours, the bus stopped at a rest stop with various food vendors and no english menus. We ordered Pad Thai from a sweet woman who lightened the spicy heat for Marianna’s delicate palate and our white skin. It was hot and absolutely delicious – only 40 baht or one dollar and 30 cents. It turns out we had lunch and then entertainment… After climbing on the bus again for the last leg of our journey the driver turned on a karaoke CD. We practiced our Thai, singing along to sappy love stories illustrated by Thai pop stars with long hair singing about unrequited love.
Arriving in Phuket we found a Chilean pair who shared our taxi. The driver could not find our hotel, and angrily drove around the busy, smoggy city streets until we stopped, called the number of the hotel and finally arrived.
A very nice Indian/Thai family greeted us at the Star Guesthouse (600 Baht/night) and showed us to our air conditioned room – a sweet haven following a long, tiring journey. The bathroom was typical of most bathrooms in Thailand with the shower, toilet, and sink crowded in one open space. We made it to Phuket.
Phuket is the Atlantic City of Thailand. The Beach is busy. Parasails and jet skis weave among beach swimmers and vendors attempt to sell Henna Tattoos and beers along the sand. Risky tourists strapped their small children into life jackets and sent them to the sky accompanied by a man who swung himself up on the cables of the sail, unattached by any security device except his tight grip on the lines. This was a sharp contrast to the tranquil, easy beaches of Ko Tao we had just left.
We left the beach and walked through the red light district back to our hotel accosted by “pet my lemur” vendors and the infamous “Ping Pong Show” advertisers. The street was lined with western music and irish pubs. The food here is more expensive than that of the other islands. Phuket has an unattractive, counterfeit feel. Though clad with western restaurants like Starbucks and a Sizzlers, it was surprisingly hard to find amenities like free wifi.
Marianna and I walked through the maze of vendors, bargaining for swimsuits and sarongs. We ate meat and corn from street vendors and found a shake lady who combined mango with ice and other mysterious ingredients for a delicious concoction for only 30 Baht. I had my first Thai massage for only 250 Baht (around 8 dollars) for one hour. The best thing about Phuket was its tourists hailing from a wide variety of places like Japan, China, and Spain. We met no other Americans, but enjoyed chatting with other travelers from unusual parts of the world.
Day two of Phuket I woke up and went for a cleansing run through its hot hills. I needed to leave this place. It was stifling. The taste of an Irish Bar with a good internet connection, blasting sappy break-up songs and a stingy waitress, left an unwelcome residue on my skin and a bitter taste in my mouth. Cut off from the home that I had, the comfort I knew, time to leave this place as a distant memory. Time to heal, explore, find the real Thailand again, find the real me again. Marianna and I headed to Koh Phi Phi.
– Katy
girlsguidetotheglobe 