Phuket day 2

Sleep-in , then skype of family and a late breakfast.  Raining when we woke up but it stopped about half an hour later, and a partly cloudy day seemed to bring the temperature down – about 31 degrees, very welcome.

We sorted out via internet  a tour for tomorrow around the Phi Phi islands, then walked along the beach below the resort, Kata Noi.  It appears that one monster resort “owns” the entire beach, but the end next to our place’s headland “belongs” to our place.  Our unit is on the top floor of the white-roofed building, directly under the 'mast' of the yellow crane:

We went for a swim then lazed on the beach until 1.15pm, then back up to the room for a shower and to catch a tuk tuk (of a much higher standard than in Bangkok) north to Patong beach.

Brother Ian, you were dead right to warn us not to stay in this area.   But it was worth the visit to see all the bars packed with Aussie bogans:

 and the sleazy night clubs:

and the older Australian gentlemen either with their pretty Thai consorts, or going into massage parlours.  We had a look at the beach packed with umbrellas.

But we soon got tired of being accosted by every street hawker pestering us to buy DVDs, massages or tuk tuk rides.  We were poring over our map wondering where a decent shopping area was when a tuk tuk driver offered help and pointed out the way to us. We gratefully said we would  take his taxi back in an hour.

Julie found some casual sandal-type shoes, while Mal got accosted while looking at properties to buy and mentally converting 7 million baht for a one bed apartment into $ (250,000).  “You wish to buy?”. “No thanks, just looking.” “You wish to rent?”. “No thanks, just looking.” “You wish to…?”, “‘bye.” 

We walked back along the beach to get some relief from the hawkers, and  found our tuk tuk man as agreed at 4.30pm and enjoyed the trip back south through the various shopping/restaurant  strips.  Cost 500 baht including tip, = $A17.  We were pleased to get back to our much quieter and up-market area.

Back into the swimming pool for a swim and read until 6.15, and then another shower before walking back up and over the hill to Kata beach for dinner at the Two Hats restaurant.  In some places on this road there is little or no footpath, so all the bikes and cars passing close by keep the adrenaline up on the there and back, at least there was plenty of street lights.