“Where do you come from?’ said the Red Queen. “And where are you going? Look up, speak nicely, and don’t twiddle your fingers all the time.’
Alice Through the Looking Glass
Oh Thailand. Land of tattoo parlors, teeth whitening and tourist shops. Where just walking down the street is a clear indication you want a taxi, a massage, thai food, tours and clothes. After the busyness of India and Nepal, I was grateful for the peace and quiet that my solo time would give me in Thailand. So much that one might consider me quite dull here, twiddling my fingers and watching the world go by. My camera and I were on a much needed Break so the ph0tos will also be rather dull!
I arrived in Phuket and taxied to Patong where I spent the first day doing horribly exciting things like laundry, bill paying and emails- all things that apparently do not go away when you go on extended vacation. I finally headed outside for dinner where I found Malin Plaza or Thai Food Heaven. Here you can get freshly cooked food and a beer for $3.50 USD. And the people watching is free! Piece of advice. When they say “would you like it spicy?” take pause. I left two layers of my lips on my chopsticks that night.
It is the end of monsoon season in Thailand which I have determined clearly means Mother Nature spends each day unsure of what she wants to do and therefore chooses as many options as possible. On day two, I packed up my beach towel, sunscreen, umbrella and rain coat and headed to the beach. And I used everything I bought! We had torrential rain and then beautiful sun.
After surviving the first monsoon of the day, I decided to skip the second and headed to the theater. My long standing relationship with all forms of Mark Fitzwilliam Darcy and the need to know just exactly who was the father of Bridget’s baby, pulled me straight inside for the afternoon. Thai theater is pretty similar to most other places with two main exceptions. The first is the popcorn. It is this delicious Cheese Corn flavored and tastes exactly like its name, corn with cheese on it. The second difference is the King’s Anthem. Thailand loves their King (don’t think about stepping on a piece of currency as his photo is on them) and just before the movie starts, all rise to pay respect to the King. This was made quite hilarious to me as the theater was filled with Western women between the ages of 25-50 (who clearly shared my passion for Mr. Darcy) and no actual Thai.
Day Three was spent at the beach. Mother Nature must have been busy twiddling her thumbs, that we got a full day of sunshine. I read an entire book on the beach, saw far too many poor swimsuit choices and said “no” to about 4,245 beach vendors. Only the ones that woke me to ask if I wanted a carved elephant bowl that also stood upright in the sand got a grumpy “no.”
That night I finally worked up the courage to try a Doctor Fish pedicure. You stick your feet in a tank filled with toothless fishies and let them nibble away at the dead skin on your feet. I am horribly ticklish so the first five minutes were nearly embarrassing. I giggled like crazy. But then, it got quite relaxing. I highly recommend it and would gladly go again.
Day Four was spent….you guessed it….sitting on the beach with what I can only assume is 90% of the Australian continent. I am pretty certain, I met at least the entire population of Melbourne.
Massages are dirt cheap in Thailand, and amazing. For less than $10, you get a 60 minute massage. So you go every day. Today I decided to try a new one and was contorted into positions I didn’t think I had in me. I am hooked.
And so I twiddled away my days in Thailand, quite grateful for the down time.
But look up and stop twiddling your thumbs! It’s me- off to Vietnam- where the jam packed adventures will resume.
Girl Seeking Wonderland 