Day 13 - Staying at the Marriott All Day

The picture above is the view from my pool chair. What looks like a bird cage is actually a shower for rinsing off the sand from the beach! Very nice actually, and they are scattered all along the beach front. Today was Gunilla's last full day so we really just relaxed by the pool. A little overcast today, but warm and very pleasant. Daily interaction with the elephants of course.

In the afternoon we booked a Hobie Cat (= catamaran, which is a sailboat with two hulls for those of you who are not familiar with sailboats). We had decided to have a little ceremony for Roger out at sea as we were not allowed to go out to the spirit house, as the bridge that leads out to it is in bad shape and needs repairs. I actually think that Roger would prefer the sailboat anyway so it was nice. He loved sailing and he loved Thailand. We were out for about an hour and it was a great sail. Kim is a great skipper! Back at shore we spent some time in the pool, which now almost felt like going into a bathtub!

We decided to have our last dinner together at the Italian restaurant. We dressed a little nicer for the occasion and it was a very pleasant evening.

Day 12 - Poolside Day and Patong Beach at Night



After our visit to Phuket yesterday, we decided to try Patong Beach this evening. We spent the day at the pool with the elephants doing our usual things around the resort. After showers we called for a taxi and started on the long ride to Patong Beach It takes about an hour and the traffic is OMG, kind of scary. Once we arrived, Patong Beach seems to be the Las Vegas of Phuket. Blinking neon lights, tons of open air restaurants along the streets and lots of shops and lots and lots of people. I have been there before but the others had not. I actually saw my first Starbucks sign since Hong Kong. Unfortunately, nobody was in the mood for coffee as we had already consumed that on the ride down to Patong. Instead we went to an outdoors huge bar where there was a live band with three girls in net stockings singing ABBA tunes!

Feeling fortified we attacked the shopping streets down by the beach. We actually did not by a lot. I only bought a beach cover/dress-thing to wear around the house when summer arrives back home. While walking around we passed lots of restaurants. We started to look at the menus and imaging my surprise when a good  number of them had the menu in English and Swedish! Complete with Swedish specialities on the menu!! We ended up at an Indian restaurant. And now it started to rain! You know, the kind of tropical rain that comes down in buckets and is warm. We managed to find a taxi to take us back to Mai Kao. This taxi had entertainment - a video screen and we were treated to a Bee Gees concert that lasted all the way home!

Day 11 - Phuket Town

We started the day with breakfast on our balcony. Today we had company of a bird. I don't know what kind it is, but there are quite a few of them here. They are fun to watch down at the beach. We gave him some bread and he seemed happy. Our plan today was to make it down to Phuket Town which is almost an hour's drive from here. We went to the pool for a few hours, had our visit with the elphants and gave them bananas. We were given kisses by Tonkow who seems to recognize us now.

After showers we went to the lobby to meet our taxi driver. It was an uneventful drive and we were let off downtown Phuket. Our intensions were to shop and have dinner. The first street we started on was not good at all. Just cheap and ugly. We managed to find a map and stopped to try to figure out where we were and where we might want to go. So this little old man came up and helped us find where we were and of course offered us a ride in his tuc-tuc to where we should go to find better quality on Thai clothing and souvenirs.

The little guy was right and we found some things to buy right away. Now we remembered that we had not had lunch so we decided to have linner (lunch and dinner combined). We found a nice little place and figured it would be OK because there was a table full of local police (they are not very respected we were told by our guide yesterday, because there is a lot of corruption). The food was really good and now we were ready for more shopping. We felt we made out all right with heavy bargaining going on. There were a couple of things I regretted that I didn't get, but I am sure I didn't really need them anyway!

When we had had enough of shopping we found a nice bar and had some beer (even I had a beer!) There was a cab driver who had been following us for quite some time and whenever we saw him we just said "not yet". He did not give up and eventually after almost 2 hours at the bar, we found him parked nearby so we agreed to take his cab back to the hotel. He was a very interesting young man who knew a lot about America and american history. That was not expected. We gave him a good tip and he was really happy!

In Phuket I made an observation that there were quite a few rather large (chubby to fat) locals which I have never seen before. However, I soon figured out why. Right across the street from the bar where we sat there was a McDonald's and a Kentucky Fried Chicken! No wonder! It is too bad though. I have heard from friends that the same thing is happening in Japan. This is an export we really should not have!

Day 10 - Full Day Tour of Phuket Island

Today we had booked a private tour of Phuket island. We had a very knowledgeable guide who taught us quite a bit. Thailand was previously known as Siam and the country changed names several times. The word Siam means brown and the word Thailand stands for freedom. In 1939 the name was changed from Siam to Thailand, but in 1945 it was changed back to Siam. In 1949 it was once again changed back to Thailand. When the country was called Siam the flag was red with a white elephant and now when it is Thailand the flag is striped with a red, a blue and a white stripe. The king of Thailand is the longest reigning monarch in the world. He became king at the age of 19 and has now been on the throne for 66 years.

Thailand has 77 provinces and Phuket is one of them. The province consists of 49 islands, the largest being Phuket which is 48.7 km from top to bottom. Malaysian sea gypsies were the first people in Phuket. They called it "bukit" which stands for mountain and it has then become Phuket. There are around 550 000 inhabitants in Phuket. The tourism started about 35 years ago and last year 5 million tourists visited here. There are only 2 seasons May - October is the rainy season and November - April is summer. The hottest month is April. All this we found out while travelling to our first stop. We had a short ride on elephants and the we said hello to the Thai python.

After this stop we drove to Karon View Point, which as the name suggests is high up with a beautiful view. Apart from the view there was another attraction - 2 big eagles. I had to get a photo with one of those creatures! They had put rubber on their claws so they could not hurt you. Lovely birds! Next stop was the Big Buddha of Phuket. Work on the Big Buddha statue  has been going on for many years. The main Buddha image is 45 meters high and sits over 400m above sea level on a hilltop in the south of Phuket island. He is still not completed because they depend solely on donations. He is made of white marble, his eyes of mother of pearl with black jade for pupils.

One note about the traffic - it is wild. Lots of mopeds carrying whole families, some with sidecars, some not. They drive on the left side in Thailand and I thought it was because of the English influence but according to the guide it is because the first car that came to Thailand was a Japanese car and the Japanese drive on the left side. Needless to say, with all these mopeds and cars mixed there are a lot of traffic accidents. Two people die in traffic accidents every 3 days.

Next stop - the cashew nut factory. Here they demonstrate how the nut is taken out of its shell one at a time by hand. Each cashew fruit only produce one nut and it sits on the outside of the fruit. While visiting here you are allowed to sample everything and there are really some yummy flavors. They also make toffees here that are very good. We purchased quite a lot of nuts and toffees!

On the minibus again to visit a Chinese shrine (its like a temple) and also a visit to the Chinpracha Chinese House. This house has been in the hands of the same family for 4 generations. The bottom floor is now a museum, but members of the family still live on the top floor which is off limits for the tourists. This elegant mansion was built by Phitak Chinpracha, also known as Tan Ma Siang (1883-1949). Today, it is run as a private house museum by Khun Pracha Tandavanitj. In the 1990s, it won a Conservation Award from the Thailand authorities. The house and compound was used as a location for several movies, including ‘The Killing Fields’.

25 minutes ride and then we were served a Thai lunch. It was quite delicious, except for the spicy beef, which was so spicy that we couldn't eat it. I only tasted one tiny bit and my mouth was burning up! After lunch followed a visit to a temple. This was the temple with the half buried Buddha. The story goes that in 1785 a boy tied his buffalo to something sticking up from the ground and he died. The father became upset of course and realized that the boy had tied the buffalo to a Buddha that was buried. He tried to dig it up, but was attacked by bees and hornets and had to give up. They tried this 3 times and each time they were attacked by the bees and the hornets. Then they decided that it was not possible to dig up the Buddha but instead they built a temple around him.

Our last stop was at a farm where we saw how rubber is made. First how the rubber tree is cut and the rubber drips into a bowl. It is then mixed with water and some acid. After drying for a while it is flattened several times by rolling it through a contraption resembling a pasta maker. It then become large sheets which are sold to manufacturers. The price of rubber is fluctuating widely. From a low of 12 baht to a high of 180 bath for a kilo! Right now the price is around 90. The biggest users are the car manufacturers and especially Japan, and after the tsunami there last year the rubber prices took a dive because the Japanese car makers were not buying any rubber. For me the highlight of the farm was visiting with the coconut picking monkey called Linda. We met her in 2010 when we were here and she still has a very sweet tooth. She likes fruit, but loves sweets. I brought her toffees from the cashew factury and she really likes those, She takes the paper off herself. This time she also drank water from a bottle. She insisted on getting the guide's water and he let her have it. We also saw fighting fish. They are kept one each in a glass jar with a paper between the jars. If the fish can see each othere they fight to death. Keeping the paper beteween the jars stops the fish from seeing each other. It was interesting to see.

I have posted videos of Linda and of the fighting fish on YouTube.

http://www.youtube.com/maggsimm

Day 9 - Marriott Phuket Beach Club

Saturday - another lazy day by the pool. Today we stayed by the big pool that has elephants spraying water. These elephants are of course not the live ones, but made of clay. The pool is beautiful as everything else here at the resort. When I get back I will post more pictures from the hotel and the resort. Tonkow came by at lunch time, and as we do every day, we bought bananas for her. Every day before she wanted her bananas peeled, but today for some reason she wanted them with the peel on! If she was given a "naked" banana she took it with her trunk but then tossed it to the ground and even stepped on them! I suppose a girl has the right to change her mind - variety is the spice of life and obviously even elephants learn this early. When she had had her fill of bananas it was time for her swim in the ocean.

I haven't mentioned before that when you are by the pool there are some very nice little surprises. Every now and then the staff comes by with ice cold wet wash cloths scented with lemongrass. It is a lovely smell and that cold towel feels like heaven on a hot day! They are also presented very nicely rolled to look like a lotus blossom. Your glass is continuously filled with ice water and during the day you are offered (at no extra cost), little drinks like pina colada and other exotic fruit drinks (all ice cold of course), little baskets with freshly cut tropical fruits and even some little tidbits from the restaurants on the premises. In other words, we really are in the lap of luxury!

When we had had enough of the pool it was already after 5 pm so we decided to go up to the lobby and once again watch the sunset dance at the infinity pool while having a large glass of pomelo juice. If you ever have a chance - try it! It is soo good!

From the lobby infinity pool we continued to Happy Hour at the blue pool where there is a guy singing and playing the guitar really well. He mixes new and old tunes and the guests often join in. Here we were also treated to a nice sunset. I have posted the last song and the sunset on http://www.youtube.com/maggsimm tonight. By this time we were really in need of a shower so we returned to our apartment, showered and changed and went to dinner at La Cuicina, an Italian restaurant here at the resort. We all enjoyed our meals!

Tomorrow we're out on new adventures!

Day 8 - Andaman Sea Kayak trip

Today we spent our day in Phang Nga and Andaman Sea. This is probably my favorite trip while visiting out here. Today was my 4th time with this company. We were picked up at the hotel by a minibus at 10 am. It was probably a half hour ride to the pier where our boat was. We basically drove across the island to the other side, so it was not very far. We travelled on the boat for maybe an hour and could see the fascinating limestone rock formations. It is very beautiful and when you get up close you see lots of colors and the formations of the limestone hanging down are magnificent.

Today we could not start with the kayaking because the tide was coming up and if we had entered the "hong" (which is like a room inside a limestone mountain) we would not be able to get out again for 6 hours because the tunnels would be filled with water. So instead we went to a small beach for maybe an hour. It was time for some swimming and a drink. Even I had a Pina Colada!

Back to the boat for a delicious lunch and then we took off for the kayaking. 2 persons + a paddler in each kayak. You do not have to paddle yourself.

First we went into a rather small hong and the tunnel was quite roomy. You could actually sit up in the kayak. In here we found a lot of little monkeys. They were not afraid at all. I guess they see so many tourists coming in these kayaks that they believe it is part of nature!

The next hong we were going to enter was the challenging one. It was literally no headroom so you have to lie flat on your back in the kayak. It is pitch black in the tunnel and there are hundreds, maybe even thousands, of bats hanging above you. And they stink! The paddler has a headlamp and shines his light on the bats. Not really for the squeamish people! In this hong there are trees growing in the water and they look interesting with their big root systems. Here you can also see the strange walking fish.

After maybe another half hour of kayaking we once again borded the boat and started the trip back. We saw another lovely sunset and by the time we made landfall it was dark. We were not back at the hotel until 7.30 pm.

I have tried to add videos here in the blog, but it seems to take forever and ultimaltely it fails to upload. Therefore I have now started my own channel on YouTube where I will post my videos. I will put some there now from this trip and probably add more later when I get back to the US.
The URL is http://www.youtube.com/maggsimm The long ones take a while to download, especially the sunset dance by the infinitypool.

Day 7 - Phuket

Today there was a lot of interaction with the 2 elephants at the resort. First we had Tonkow coming by for her daily interaction with the guests and to be fed bananas. She is too cute to be true. She had just had her swim i the ocean and was just about to be rinsed off with fresh water.

I tried to upload a video of the baby elephant's shower here, but it failed. I will try some other time though.

Later on the bigger  elephant, Jumbo, came and it was time for his bath. But first he needed to sell some bananas and cucumbers so that he could have a snack and also make some money. Today it was Kim's day to ride him. First just for a while while he still was wearing his "coat". When it was time for the bath she was allowed to ride him down to the beach in out into the ocean. At first it was just Kim and Gunilla swimming with Jumbo, but more people joined in later. All were having a great time and I got some really good movies of it as well.

Day 6 - Phuket

Another lazy day. Breakfast on the balcony and the only thing on our agenda today was a Marriott presentation which gives me 20 000 points to use in the future. The presentation these days for me, is telling Marriott how great they are! If you have ever entertained the idea of wonderful vacations for years to come, talk to me.

We arrived late to the pool and could not find any free chairs. So we ventured away to the other end of the resort to a new (for us) pool. Smaller than the one we usually go to but still very nice.

We had a great visit of Jumboo the elephant. We bought him bananas and he was very eager to eat them of course. very grateful, posed for thank yous and Gunilla even got to ride him! Later on the baby also came by. We learned that her name is Tonkow and she is so loving. She gives kisses and hugs!

Day 5 - Pangna Province

Today was a full day of adventures. It started with us being an hour early for our tour, which made it possible for us to have a coffee and relax a bit before the adventures started. We were picked up at the hotel by a minibus. Our group was the four of us plus 5 young japaneese girls. We drove across the bridge to the mainland and arrived in Phangna after about an hour. We had the worst guide - we probably didn't even understand half of what he was saying. Usually the guides speak very good English, but not this guy. He was actually quite annoying!

Our first challenge was elephant trekking through the jungle and a water stream. I was delighted to see that the elephant Gunilla and I got to ride was "Jampee" the very same elephant Kim and I rode last time we were here (2010)! It is an elephant with a mind of her own. She does not walk exactly where the other elephants walk but chooses her own routes and appears to love to pose for pictures. She does that by wrapping her trunk around a tree and none of the other elephants do this! It is actually quite a challenge to hang on because the terraine is quite steep and it gives your arms a really good workout. I opted not to ride on the elephant itself because of my legs but Gunilla got to sit where the mahut usually sits and he was instead walking alongside taking pictures. After the ride we bought bananas for the elephants. Jumpee got 8 baskets full of bananas and she was quite insistent on getting every last one. When all the baskets were empty she did not beg anymore.

Next on the program was white water rafting. Unfortunately I cannot post a picture from this as it was impossible to bring a camera. Instead they did have a crew of photographers strategically posted along the way and they took our pictures. When I get home I can scan and include it in my album. This was also a workout, I had to use all my strength just to hold on. Forget the paddling! We had 2 young Thai men to do most of the work and we had waterfights with other tourist groups! Lots of screams and laughter! The rapids are about 3 miles long and man made, but quite challenging for tourists not used to this type of activity. We got a ride back to the base camp where we were served lunch.

The last challenge was swimming at a waterfall. We had to walk maybe 10 - 15 minutes up a hill to reach the falls. I did not go into the water as the rocks are very slippery and I would break, should I fall! The others went in and the water is quite cold.

The minibus took us back to the hotel by 4 pm. At 6 pm there was an owners cocktail party by one of the pools. Free drinks and some little snacks. The party only lasted for an hour so then we walked to Turtle Village and went to an Irish pub for dinner.

Day 4 in Phuket - Sunset Dinner Cruise

Gunilla arrived safely this morning. She had no problems whatsoever with her trip which was great. After unpacking we went to the pool. Kim had gone to a yoga class and some other thing and joined us at the pool later. The only thing on our schedule today was a Sunset Dinner Cruise. It was really nothing to write about. The food was not great and neither was the boat. It was supposed to be a Chinese Junk but didn't look anything that I had imagined. So I think it was a waste of time and money. We have nicer sunsets right here at the hotel where the sun sets into the ocean.

We are all getting a bit too much sun and are taking on a rather red hue. Even I am red sitting under the umbrella. Tomorrow we will be out all day on an Ecco Tour. It will be a full day to report about tomorrow.

Day 3 in Phuket

Another lazy day in paradise! We started with breakfast on our balcony and had a lazy start. But - I messed up this morning, because I thought Gunilla was arriving today and I sat in the lobby waiting for quite some time. Finally decided to call her only to find out that she was still in Stockholm and thus not arriving until tomorrow! How could I make such a stupid mistake!~

There was a lot of interaction with the elephants today. Kim had the opportunity to swim with the smallest elephant living here at Marriott. He is about a year old and adorable. Then of course Jumbo came by twice and we fed him bananas. Later on in the afternoon the baby came back and I took a short movie of him that I will include here.

Shortly before sunset we went to the large mirror pool by the lobby where a sunset dance is performed every eveing. I did film the whole ceremony this time and will include that too. However, the sunset movie is about 12 minutes long, but quite nice.

After the sunset ceremony we went back to the apartment to shower and change. We had made reservations to eat dinner at the Thai restaurant here at the resort. Being out in the hot weather and basically doing nothing is tiring! We were all yawning and went back home to go to bed.

The upload of the movies failed. I have to try another day.

Day 2 in Phuket - a Lazy Day

During the night there was a tremendous thunderstorm. When the first crack came it was so loud and so sharp that I thought that someone had been shot! But when it then started to flash and thunder plus rain I did realize that it was a storm. We didn't get to sleep in in the morning, because at 7 am first the phone rang and then the door bell. My suitcases had arrived! Yay!

We went to the Siam Deli for breakfast and then we went to the tour desk and booked some excursions. I will be writing about them as they happen. Other than that we stayed by the pool and just relaxed. I am happy that Jumbo, the baby elephant, is back. Last time we were here (2010) they did not have an elephant on the premises. Back in 2007, the last time Roger and I were here, they had a baby elephant less than a year old and also a big one. People missed the elephants so now they are back. Jumbo has grown quite a bit and has also learned some tricks so that he really poses for pictures! He walks up and down the beach twice a day and you can also swim in the ocean with him! He is so funny - he loves to get fed bananas and other fruit. The bananas he eats with the skin, but he likes his oranges peeled. If you give him money he gives it to his mahut (the guy who takes care of him). I will take pictures of him maybe tomorrow.

After the pool we had a late lunch at the Deli and then Kim bought a dress in one of the little beach shacks. After that it was time for Happy Hour at Out of the Blue Bar. Unfortunately it was cloudy so no pretty sunset tonight.

We are now back at the apartment and it is thundering a bit. We are soon going back to Turtle Village for dinner and also do a food shopping at the supermarket there. Much cheaper than the Siam Deli. We will be having breakfast at the apartment so that's the kind of stuff we need to get plus some snacks.

Hong Kong to Phuket

Well, even my computer is acting up now. I had written everything about today and before I had a chance to click save, the damn thing turned itself off to make updates! Grrrr! Anyhow, we finally took off from Chicago an hour late. 14 hours 45 minutes in the air. There is nothing good to write about the food and the comfy level in the seat was not great either. I did, however, watch 6 movies: Footloose, Contagion (where the bug originated in Hong Kong and was maybe not the greatest choice), Ides of March, The Debt, In Time and London Boulevard. They were all decent films. The last hour or so I played solitaire mahong because my ears were hurting from the headset watching all those movies.

Finally arrived in Hong Kong. I had to check in at Dragon Air for my flight to Phuket. First the lady said I should go to Hong Kong Air. I told her that my boarding pass said Dragon and she said OH! Now they could not find my luggage. I was told to wait 30 minutes and she would again call for my luggage. After waiting 30 minutes she came running and said I had to hurry to my gate because it was a long way away at the other end of the airport! and for those of you who know, this is a very big airport. So it was down the elevator, take the train, up an escalator, running through the terminal, then security (which of course had a long line), running again, down an escalator and on to a bus! Then up an escalator again - passing by a Starbucks (boy did it smell great, but I had no time to stop) and on to the plane as one of the last passengers. Phuh! After that the flight was uneventful.

At arrival in Phuket I was met by a sign with my name on it and led to the counter for lost luggage! My suitcases never left Hong Kong. They are supposed to deliver them sometime after midnight. Now I REALLY need a vacation!

We walked over to Turtle Village for a bite to eat. Bedtime!

Chicago to Hong Kong (hopefully)

Good morning! Well here I am back in the same chair as yesterday. Thought they would have a nice breakfast for us here but no! It is the same damn food as yesterday - looks like it really IS the same. Stale rolls, dried up cheese and crappy ham some watermelon and cookies. As I mentioned yesterday - not impressed at all! American is much better and the best is Cathay Pacific if you are going to travel to Asia! Well, those are the other airlines I have used and I am in no way fond of United. I hope I will not have to travel with them again. I am somewhat restricted as I am travelling on miles.

I hope that next time I write something it will be from Hong Kong!

Stuck in Chicago

Well, what seemed to be a positive thing turned out to be a disaster. I was sitting in the first class lounge waiting for the flight to be called. When it was 15 minutes to takeoff I went to the desk to ask if they hadn't started boarding yet. The girl at the desk was busy playing with her telephone and had forgotten to call me! Now she had to call the gate to wait for me and I had to run 10 gates down the concourse. Crap! So I did get onboard and we pulled away from the gate and stopped. And we waited and waited. After maybe 30 minutes the captain told us we had a faulty switch so we couldn't change fuel tanks when needed. On a flight to Hong Kong you definitely need that. So they changed the switch. Still didn't work. They changed the switch again . . . still didn't work so after 2 hours (!) they said we had to go back to the gate and deplane. We would not go until the morning. Luckily I was given a hotel room at the Hilton and some food vouchers. I was lucky - I got 2 food voucers of $15 each. But dinner still costed me another $30 for a sallad and a steak. Later found out that they should only have given me one voucer! Hopefully all will work out in the end.

Boston to Chicago

Finally found a connection! The trip didn't start so great. My flight from Chicago to Tokyo was going to be delayed by 5 hours and I would miss my connections. So the whole trip had to be re-booked. The plan now is to fly via Hong Kong which is fine with me, because I will get a direct flight from Hong Kong to Phuket and eliminate the stop in Bangkok. The only drawback being that I will arrive in Phuket at 2 am! Oh well, it will still be paradise and a night in the hotel lobby isn't really that bad. I might get a room, who cares!

I was not very impressed with United's first class. Lousy food - something like an Egg McMuffin, a soggy croissant and some fruit. Now I am in the lounge and the food here is not great either. It looks as if it has been sitting out for quite some time. Hopefully the long flight to Hong Kong will have better food.

Next post from Hong Kong!

New Year

Just brushing up on my skills updating this blog as I am leaving on a trip to Thailand in a few days. I will start reporting on Wednesday February 15. I hope there will not be any weather related delays. The trip is long enough!