Bangkok to Phuket

Bangkok is such a big city with so many sidestreets and shops that even the cab drivers have to constantly call to get directions. I loved seeing the Grand Palace again, taking a bike ride at night through a very extensive flower market,seeing Wat Pho at night and again during the day along with a foot massage, taking a longtail boat ride along the clongs and seeing the contrasts of dilapidated homes to those that looked nice from the outside. Unfortunately, Laura and Brian didn't like Bangkok. I wanted them to see another way of life and they did. If they didn't like this, I can only imagine their reaction to Burma (read on).

Phuket is busy also but has a different feel depending upon where you are. When Laura and Brian were here, we stayed at Karon Beach so we got the touristy feel. Our first day here we lounged at the beach, something well needed after the build and touring Bangkok. We'd not had a moment's rest. We then took a tour of Phang Nga by canoe. Two to a canoe once we got to the hong's--limestone mounds that have eroded, creating lagoons within limestone walls. We saw fisherman along the way, vast expanses of ocean with misty islands in the background, reminiscent of China in a way. The food was scrumtious and the company was wonderful. I have an invite to go to an area near Egypt, another area on my list. It may have just moved up to the top.

The next day Laura and I went to Krabi while Brian went deep sea fishing. It was a race to get back but I made it for my liveaboard dive trip. Awesome.

Today I checked into a traditional Thai hotel in Phuket town. It's downtown with no sign of a beach. I'm only here for 12 hours, so the beach was not important, plus I just got off of a liveaboard dive boat that took me up to Burma. The islands and diving were spectacular. The poverty there is immediately evidant at the border. I was reading a book about the Shan refugees in Thailand from Burma. Talking about it with those living here makes the conditions very real and unsettling--such a contrast to the beauty of the underwater world, and they don't offer much in the way of diving or tourism. We had to give up our passports at the border, a very erie feeling. I now have it back.

Tomorrow I meet up with a woman Rose and I met seven years ago on a trek in Chiang Mai. I want to hear her accounts of the sunami and how she's been able to grow her powerboat and bungalow business. She was so kind to us before, I want to support her in this small way--of taking one of her tours again.