More time off in Phuket

(Rich's 3rd post)

Another recovery day in Phuket (ask Jack if that rhymes with bucket).

With my cold still brewing, we call off the scheduled 2-tank dive with Marsha. It's hopefully a wise investment in getting better faster. Mostly a chest cold, but threatening to go nasal.

We sleep late and rise slowly. I discover that tiny Thai ants have invaded our 3rd story guestroom and attacked my revered tamarind candies, and so I throw out the remainder, determined to buy some more if I can find them.

The three of us meet downstairs and decide to simply lounge at the open air tables and have the bar staff fix up some breakfast. Linda and Janel are already working on iced coffees. I go for a packaged breakfast of eggs, bacon, toast, orange juice and coffee. Linda and Janel opt for a pancake, which turns out to be a tasty yellow-cake sort of thing, Linda's stuffed with bananas.

Got to love those iced coffees

Solving local and global issues

Linda leaves to catch up on the blog for a while. Janel and I, jacked up on caffeine (not to mention antibiotics, vitamins, and decongestants), spend a luxurious 2 hours discussing world events and personal goals while the day heats up.

In a quest for my tamarind candies, we visit the next door 7 Eleven. There is a very small can of a beverage called "White Malt" that I buy and try. Tastes like 1 minute old bread dough, liquidy and yeasty, with a hint of vanilla. Not very good but I down it anyway. We continue a stroll down our street to the next "7" but again strike out on the candy.

As we walk, Janel and I pass what now goes for the worst dressed farang tourist we've seen. Janel's term of "offensively uncool" is on full display here. This guy has mismatched shorts and sloppy shirt, a dour unshaven face, and sizable beer gut. The topper is an idiotic bucket hat. Janel says with laugh that this guy has "imposed himself on her reality." We have fun poking fun at the farang, of which we are elements.

We pass a third 7 and instead go into a larger supermarket off the main street. It's a long search, but I finally find nice big containers of my favorite tamarind. This leads us to serious momentum buying, reasoning that we'll need plenty of snacks for the dive boat. Score. We also find a six-pack of the white malt beverage with a more complete description - apparently it is a health drink to benefit women's bodies in some way. In what way I do not know, but I'll keep you updated if I feel anything unusual.

Pretz, sugar crackers, Pocky, Lush, tarmarind, and other goodies

We return to the guesthouse to find Linda antsy for activity. We decide to hit the beach, maybe take a swim and do some reading. Unfortunately, we have only the 1 Kindle, plus 2 stale paperbacks. However, I recall that a Kindle Reader is also available for the PC, download it, and soon we've got Linda's purchased Kindle books available on the laptop as well. Sweet. We grab our camera, electronics, sunscreen, etc. etc. and are soon trekking the 1/2 mile to the beach at the height of the 3pm swelter.

We're a bit dismayed to pay 300 baht just to lean back in a beach chair, but no big deal. There are big umbrellas as well to ward off the intense sun. Linda and I hit the water. It's great! I'd say around 84F - refreshing and cooling with no shock factor. The waves are tiny, but every once in a while a set of three big ones crashes in. Water color is fabulously blue-green, and there is a curious lack of any sealife on the beach (no shells, no wood, no bubbling holes, no shore birds, just wonderfully sugar-y cream-colored sand).

The people watching is excellent. The scene is dominated by leathery ex-pats, and the average body size is considerably above average. Big tanned beer guts, tanned hairy shoulders, tanned droopy breasts, and tanned bald heads everywhere. The hair color (when present) is predominantly white.

While I read, the girls decide that a massage on the beach wouldn't be bad. Prices are a little higher here in Phuket, and an hour goes for a whopping 400 baht ($13). I read and roast in the sun. When they're fully loose and oiled, they return and Janel is ready for a fruit shake.

A younger bare breasted women strolls by, and I'm pretty sure that maybe they make fruit shakes over where she lays down. I start to go investigate but Linda redirects me to a nearby stand.

It's after 5pm already, and they've cleaned up their machinery. Janel pleads a while and eventually they agree to make us a couple shakes. However, after I learn they have no limes, I decline. Janel ends up with a delicious slushy concoction of orange and mango.

The fruit shakes are here,but might be over there

Linda returns to the hotel to clean up and wait for Marsha. She's bringing our dive gear (some ours and some rental) and we know she'll probably want to visit for a while. Janel and I decide to linger on the beach, and end up staying past 6:30 for the sunset. The clouds don't quite coorperate, but the reflections on the water are lovely. One final dip at dusk, and we're strolling our way back to the hotel.

Very chilled out time on Karon Beach

Marsha and Linda are sharing a beer, talking travel and diving. Janel and I join in with beer and a lemon (that's Thai English for lime) smoothie for me. A half hour later, our conversations and business done, we bid Marsha goodbye and head down the road in search of another dinner adventure. We settle on the Red Onion again, because Linda and Janel enjoyed it so much before, and because I haven't been yet.

Singha and Tigers later, we again revert to a favorite pasttime - tourist watching. We're noticing again how so many of the tourists here appear listless, rarely smiling and sometimes not even talking to each other. Interesting observation - maybe it is the oppressive heat. Phuket is a strange place we haven't quite grasped yet.

We order fried duck in red curry, a vegetable and prawn dish, and one "big fish." I am appointed to go with our waitress to pick out the fish, so I ask her which kind is the best. She points out a nice white snapper, weighs it, and announces five hundred fifty, it's OK? I think 550 bhat (about $17) is pretty much for a single fish, but in the States that would be fine, and it's vacation, so I nod in agreement.

This one is the best

L-R: Fish, Janel, Prawns, Linda, Duck, Singha, Tiger

The dishes come out and the duck is outstanding. But when the fish arrives, it steals the show. Succulent and tender, served with a good chile sauce and an outstanding garlic sauce. A touch of salt and it might be the best thing we've eaten in Thailand yet. Maybe. Our thought that perhaps we've ordered too much food quickly vanishes as we attack the plates. With everyone concentrating on the fish, we're soon picking out the cheeks, the tongue (we discuss whether fish have tongues?), the brains, and every other vaguely white piece of flesh.

I think there are brains left

Nibbling at the forehead meat

The smoldering remains

Our 550 bhat fish turns out to be 550g and actually costs 195 bhat (about $6). Worth every penny for sure. A great meal.

And a very laid back day - I certainly needed and enjoyed it. We stroll back to the guesthouse. But we can't help but stop at a 7 where Janel finds authentic Wall's Magnum Classic ice cream treats (Janel discovered these on her camino in Spain), and we of course all have to have one.

It's about 10pm and Linda crashes quickly. Janel takes the laptop to her room and blogs yesterday's adventures while I try to stay up and wait my turn for it (got to check the stock prices as the market open, for no particular reason). However, I'm asleep well before Janel enters our room.