Phuket is next

Burasari Hotel, Patong Beach

Bye-Bye Hanoi

We will not come back, and our experience at the airport put in the final bolt in the decision. The check in hall was more chaotic than the old quarters. People pushing their carts in all directions, ladies and children squatting in corners to eating down their vietnamese subs, and people waiting in lines that seemed to lead to nowhere. It was impossible to move from point A to point B without behaving like the locals, ie, pushing hard on our carts until the people around us felt uncomfortable enough to step out of our way. It was a miracle that the airport in this disorganized state and inefficiencies could operate. I would call it a world wonder, at least more so than the Halong Bay.

So many beaches, so little time.

Phuket, according to Sachin was supposed to be a highlight of the trip. We abandoned our money-saving practices used in our two previous trips, and got our accommodation in a luxurious boutique hotel for 5 nights. The package included a fanstastic buffet breakfast I had yet to see, dinner and lots of perks like free pick up from hotel to airport, free internet, complimentary mini bar, and very helpful staff, etc.

Our bedroom was lovely. It was named orchid, and smelt faintly of orchid. There were two sinks in the bathroom, and our bed was super king size, if there was such a thing.

It was late afternoon when we started out to venture around Patong Beach. It was a very commercialized place, but in comparison to Hanoi it was refreshing to be in a much cleaner area. A lot of hawkers, but by then we have become very used to saying no guiltlessly. We took a stroll along the Patong Beach. The beach was nice but it was not picture perfect, as expected. The sand was not white but it was quite fine. It was not the beach itself that we were going for anyways, but the convenience that the bustling area would bring to us. There were myraids of shops and restaurants catered to the travelers. And it would take days, if not weeks to visit all of them.

We went back to our hotel for our complimentary dinner, and it was our first time seeing a ladyboy. She was a very elegant looking lady, tall and a stunning slim body. Her face would be considered beautiful even with the strong jaw line. Her skin was silky smooth and every movement of hers told us that she was anything but masculine.

Then she started speaking and the adam apple and the voice gave it away. I supposed she was used to seeing shocked looks in travellers, because she continued serving us as if nothing happened.

After dinner we roamed around patong beach area, and came to Bangla Road. It was Roppongi on steroids. We saw a group of guys all wearing T-shirts saying "Same, same" taking a picture together, and we wondered what that meant. High heels, short skirts, long hair was everywhere, except in the darkness and with the skills of the beholders it was impossible to distinguish which were female and which were not, or does it matter? Maybe it was all "same, same" afterall?

Along many streets there were massage girls in sarongs asking "massa? anyone?", drivers with cigarettes hanging down from their lips touting "tuk tuk? my friend?". Then we saw these shops selling T-shirts saying "I dont want a tuk tuk, or a massage so please leave me alone". I started to say the words out loud, only to find that the shop owner completed the rest of it for me, of course adding a few of his own embellishments of coarse language to the verse. Commericalism aside, Phuket had all the potential to be a fun-filled place to be.

We gave in to a clean looking massage parlor. 200 Bhat for one hour full body mssage. Sounded like a good deal we thought. We got what we paid for. It was not a great massage, but not bad either, I fell asleep to mine.

We went back to our hotel very late that night and slept away like two tired babies in their mother's arms.