Back in Thailand - Patong Beach

Flew back into Thailand via Kuala Lumpor yesterday and arrived at Phuket airport to SUNSHINE!!! Last time I was in Phuket, over one month ago, the sky was black with torrential rain. Amazing how sunshine can lighten a place up - now I see why people travel to this island....

Made my way to the Le Meridien resort near Patong beach by taxi - the ride was supposed to be one hour and was more like 2.5 due to a strategic pit stop where everyone was pitched on "excursions" and other tourist traps - and was promptly greeted by the hotels very own resident baby elephant that plays the harmonica and loves bananas. The little guy also likes to burp on command.

The hotel - more like resort complex - sits in a private cove about three kilometers south of Patong beach and has spectacular sunsets. Gabe found the hotel a couple hours later and the front desk girls went scattering around the hotel looking for "Mister Nick Mitchell" - apparently the girls at the front desk had been keeping track of my movements throughout the hotel since I checked in.

Patong is like Kuta but is filled with older men with their lady-boy rentals in tow - very odd and a bit appalling to have dinner and the next table a grotesque old man with a lady boy staring at you. After dinner Gabe and I went out on the town for a bit and went to a huge hall with more bars per square foot than any place I have witnessed. All pit stops have their own house game - jinga buildings, connect-four or just drink-till-the-Australian-pukes. One is even able to pour your own drink provided you pay every once and awhile and after the final flaming shots (insert joke here) that set one entire bar ablaze we were off to dancing with a new crew of Australians. All in all a good night.

Tomorrow afternoon we head to Ko Phi Phi to meet with Gabe's friends from Australia, New Zealand and South Africa and the Swedes we met in Bali. Ko Phi Phi does not know what lies in store tomorrow afternoon... Weather is supposed to be perfect for the foreseeable future and Thailand is in high season - I am looking forward to the islands.

Nice to be back in Thailand but I do miss Bali much and can't wait for the next time to return...