Meanderings Abroad – Page 8 – Creative Meanderings

Summer 2012: Phuket, Thailand – Kamala Beach and Surviving…

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Jul 192012

Okay, so…most people who know me know that I’m not the most adept on two-wheels. I have balance problems and control issues (literally and figuratively), so these alone are bad characteristics when behind the controls of a motorized two-wheeled machine.

We had just had a lovely dinner a little north of Patong and decided to check out the Kamala beach area to see what kind of place it was. It was almost dead and not a place we would want to return to in the daylight. The bars on the main street were mostly empty except for the occasional old white expat and his Thai friend. Or, sometimes just Thais hoping for a customer to stop by for a drink or massage or something.

This was the only/most crowded bar in Kamala.16-Jul-2012 06:22, OLYMPUS IMAGING CORP. TG-610 , 3.9, 5.0mm, 0.002 sec, ISO 800

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The only attraction in Kamala is Phuket Fanta Sea. It’s their attempt at an amusement park like Disney Sea or something like that. I imagine in the high season it is a draw for the Asians and the Arabs. However, we did a drive-by…(again no video… :*( )

Too bad this is so dark, but it was a great display of a tribute to the King and Queen....16-Jul-2012 06:20, OLYMPUS IMAGING CORP. TG-610 , 4.5, 6.45mm, 0.002 sec, ISO 800

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Don't miss your chance to see Phuket's FantaSea!16-Jul-2012 06:20, OLYMPUS IMAGING CORP. TG-610 , 4.5, 6.45mm, 0.002 sec, ISO 800

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Everything was going grand. A few nights before, R had gotten me to try out driving the scooter and it went reasonably well. I did warn him that it might not be a good idea due to my track record on a bicycle, but it seemed okay. So, we decided to give it another go. Things seemed great and then we took a big turn, the front began to wobble, and panic set in….The next thing I know, we’re on the ground and I’m in pain….

It’s a long story (writing it up for later), but I was put into an ambulance and rushed to Patong Hospital. Thankfully, there were no broken bones and nothing majorly injured – just some pretty torn off skin…

So, we’re alive and well. It could have been so much worse and the timing is okay as we don’t leave until Saturday (the 21st) for Hong Kong and I should be able to walk normally again by then. Luckily, R got away with just a few minor injuries….

And then.... we survived me attempting to drive the scooter...16-Jul-2012 08:29, OLYMPUS IMAGING CORP. TG-610 , 3.9, 5.0mm, 0.033 sec, ISO 800

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He got a nice bulbous bump16-Jul-2012 08:30, OLYMPUS IMAGING CORP. TG-610 , 3.9, 5.0mm, 0.05 sec, ISO 800

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...with a little scratch (and soreness later... :*( )16-Jul-2012 08:30, OLYMPUS IMAGING CORP. TG-610 , 3.9, 5.0mm, 0.05 sec, ISO 800

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The morning after...oozing....16-Jul-2012 22:57, OLYMPUS IMAGING CORP. TG-610 , 3.9, 5.0mm, 0.004 sec, ISO 800

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Went in to get the dressing redone....This was the worst of it before they cleaned it again...17-Jul-2012 00:06, OLYMPUS IMAGING CORP. TG-610 , 5.3, 10.73mm, 0.01 sec, ISO 800

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My poor knee...how many times has it been battered?17-Jul-2012 00:06, OLYMPUS IMAGING CORP. TG-610 , 4.1, 5.4mm, 0.006 sec, ISO 800

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After return visit to get dressing changed16-Jul-2012 14:26, Apple iPhone 4S, 2.4, 4.28mm, 0.05 sec, ISO 160

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This was like the stretcher they took me to the hospital on.16-Jul-2012 14:26, Apple iPhone 4S, 2.4, 4.28mm, 0.025 sec, ISO 64

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This is the ER waiting area for Thais - with beds outside and all!16-Jul-2012 14:27, Apple iPhone 4S, 2.4, 4.28mm, 0.008 sec, ISO 80

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The scooter needed a few touch-ups, but overall nothing too bad.

Time to fix up the scooter...17-Jul-2012 01:00, OLYMPUS IMAGING CORP. TG-610 , 3.9, 5.0mm, 0.006 sec, ISO 800

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Seems like it will be okay with a few touch-ups....17-Jul-2012 01:00, OLYMPUS IMAGING CORP. TG-610 , 3.9, 5.0mm, 0.008 sec, ISO 800

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The moral of this story is – Never let Tara drive a two-wheeled machine…EVER! 😛

We’re just thankful it wasn’t worse. 🙂

-T 😀

Summer 2012: Phuket, Thailand – Karon and Kata beaches

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Jul 182012

The days blur together and I rarely know what day or date it is, which is how vacation should be, right? 😉

So, sometime last week, when the weather broke (thankfully!), we went exploring the island a bit. A Thai lady recommended that we see Karon beach and others had mentioned it before. Also, one of R’s former colleagues had raved about it all the time, so we wanted to see what the fuss was about. Plus, when we were in Bali, we didn’t explore much until late in the holiday and found out that the ‘pretty’ people were staying in a whole other section of the island. We didn’t want that to happen to us again. 😉

When we first drove through Karon, we didn’t think too much of it as it’s a quiet little town. However, when we saw the beach and sand, we realized it really was much nicer than Patong. We continued on down through Kata beach, which is literally about a minute away and scooted through that town, which was also quiet, but seemed to have a lot of good restaurants and was more family-friendly. There were also more younger people and one might even say they are ‘prettier’ than the ones we see in Patong.

After a stop for lunch, we discussed and thought that perhaps we just might think about staying there for the second half of our Phuket summer. So, we started looking around at hotels and different places….

Here’re some pics:

Off to explore the island a bit...12-Jul-2012 00:40, OLYMPUS IMAGING CORP. TG-610 , 3.9, 5.0mm, 0.002 sec, ISO 100

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12-Jul-2012 01:18, OLYMPUS IMAGING CORP. TG-610 , 4.6, 6.83mm, 0.002 sec, ISO 80

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12-Jul-2012 01:22, OLYMPUS IMAGING CORP. TG-610 , 4.6, 6.83mm, 0.002 sec, ISO 100

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12-Jul-2012 01:22, OLYMPUS IMAGING CORP. TG-610 , 5.7, 13.09mm, 0.002 sec, ISO 100

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Karon beach12-Jul-2012 00:50, OLYMPUS IMAGING CORP. TG-610 , 11.0, 5.0mm, 0.002 sec, ISO 160

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12-Jul-2012 00:51, OLYMPUS IMAGING CORP. TG-610 , 11.0, 5.0mm, 0.002 sec, ISO 160

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Look at the clean sand!12-Jul-2012 00:51, OLYMPUS IMAGING CORP. TG-610 , 11.0, 5.0mm, 0.002 sec, ISO 160

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In front of Kata beach resort, which isn't far from Karon beach12-Jul-2012 01:08, OLYMPUS IMAGING CORP. TG-610 , 4.6, 6.83mm, 0.002 sec, ISO 125

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For some reason the videos that I took, which are more interesting are not appearing to be uploaded…Will check it out and add later if I can.

-T 😀

Summer 2012: Phuket, Thailand – 36 days to go!

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Jul 172012

I think I’ve sort of forgotten what pics I have posted and which ones I haven’t. So, there may be some repeats. For now, I’ll just put up the pics that aren’t related to anything in particular (mostly food and driving scenes!) to catch up. I’ll cover the ‘themes’ next!

The pool at B-lay Tong02-Jul-2012 09:47, Apple iPhone 4S, 2.4, 4.28mm, ISO 64

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02-Jul-2012 09:48, Apple iPhone 4S, 2.4, 4.28mm, ISO 64

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The English teachers in us enjoyed the menu boo-boos16-Jul-2012 05:08, OLYMPUS IMAGING CORP. TG-610 , 3.9, 5.0mm, 0.067 sec, ISO 800

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16-Jul-2012 05:09, OLYMPUS IMAGING CORP. TG-610 , 3.9, 5.0mm, 0.067 sec, ISO 1250

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Missed the sunset, but it's still a nice view!16-Jul-2012 05:14, OLYMPUS IMAGING CORP. TG-610 , 3.9, 5.0mm, 0.769 sec, ISO 100

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View of Patong16-Jul-2012 05:14, OLYMPUS IMAGING CORP. TG-610 , 3.9, 5.0mm, 0.625 sec, ISO 100

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16-Jul-2012 05:17, OLYMPUS IMAGING CORP. TG-610 , 3.9, 5.0mm, 0.1 sec, ISO 800

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Mmmm... fried crab16-Jul-2012 05:23, OLYMPUS IMAGING CORP. TG-610 , 11.0, 5.0mm, 0.033 sec, ISO 100

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Dinner! Chicken cashew nut, prawns and curry, pork egg over steamed rice and plain steamed rice.16-Jul-2012 05:29, OLYMPUS IMAGING CORP. TG-610 , 3.9, 5.0mm, 0.5 sec, ISO 100

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Don't miss your chance to see Phuket's FantaSea!16-Jul-2012 06:20, OLYMPUS IMAGING CORP. TG-610 , 4.5, 6.45mm, 0.002 sec, ISO 800

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Too bad this is so dark, but it was a great display of a tribute to the King and Queen....16-Jul-2012 06:20, OLYMPUS IMAGING CORP. TG-610 , 4.5, 6.45mm, 0.002 sec, ISO 800

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This was the only/most crowded bar in Kamala.16-Jul-2012 06:22, OLYMPUS IMAGING CORP. TG-610 , 3.9, 5.0mm, 0.002 sec, ISO 800

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-T 😀

Summer 2012: Phuket, Thailand – 37 more days!

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Jul 162012

I’m a little behind in sharing what we’ve been up to other than our daily studying, swimming and overall enjoying of vacation.

So, I’ll try to catch up a bit.

Last week, we caught a break in the rainy weather and decided to head over to Phuket Town, which is quite close in terms of distance. It was about 5km away and took just about 20 minutes to get there by scooter. We were on our way to the Bangkok-Phuket Hospital for R to get some dermatological things taken care of.

Just as we were talking about leaving, the rain returned and so we decided to get our teeth cleaned in hopes of the rain stopping before we headed back to Patong.

Dentist visit at Bangkok-Phuket Hospital in Phuket Town09-Jul-2012 13:13, NIKON COOLPIX S51, 3.3, 6.3mm, 0.1 sec, ISO 200

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09-Jul-2012 13:14, NIKON COOLPIX S51, 4.2, 18.9mm, 0.077 sec, ISO 400

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It was a cleaning experience like none I had ever had before. Normally, I have no fears or issues with going to the dentist. They always tell me how nice my teeth are, but the lady who cleaned my teeth – old-school style – was not gentle and caused newly experienced pain. When I went to spit there was so much blood that it freaked me out. I asked her why it was so bloody and she explained that I had a lot of plaque and gingivitis. When I explained this had never happened before, she retorted by saying that most dentists don’t clean thoroughly and just scratch the surface, but it’s better to get in deep. I partially believed her and partially wanted to just not like her for the poor experience. 😉 In any case, my teeth were cleaned and though traumatized, hopefully, are a bit healthier….

Despite a slight break in the rain, it started to pick up again, so we made a pit stop at the Tesco Lotus supermarket, which seemed to be a larger mall-like center, which we didn’t get to check out saying we’d go back another time.

That was the excitement for our day. Below are some random pics:

Very cute orange rain jacket09-Jul-2012 14:07, NIKON COOLPIX S51, 3.3, 6.3mm, 0.033 sec, ISO 200

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this truck was loaded with people and they unloaded here09-Jul-2012 15:16, NIKON COOLPIX S51, 4.2, 18.9mm, 0.02 sec, ISO 200

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Even in Patong, we can't escape the Arabs!09-Jul-2012 15:16, NIKON COOLPIX S51, 4.2, 26.4mm, 0.017 sec, ISO 200

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Juxtaposition of covered woman checking out the VW Bug drinking bus09-Jul-2012 15:32, NIKON COOLPIX S51, 3.8, 12.6mm, 0.077 sec, ISO 200

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Yummy, bird's nest drinks!09-Jul-2012 19:03, NIKON COOLPIX S51, 3.3, 6.3mm, 0.025 sec, ISO 100

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Summer 2012: Phuket, Thailand – The Wine Connection

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Jul 132012

One of our discoveries in the JungCeylong mall in Patong is The Wine Connection. When we discovered it, we thought it looked like a chain, but thought the menu looked good especially with their deal of being able to pick a bottle of wine from the shelf and drink it with your meal.

When I found a bottle of Cotes-du-Rhone there, we decided to try it out. This happens to be one of my favorite types of wine, but it is quite difficult to find, for some reason. It has a very light flavor, thus making it quite easy to drink. 😉 However, R wasn’t as much of a fan…more for me!

Anyway, we also enjoyed some of the food and have been back. In our explorations of the island, we’ve found more branches, which means that it seems to be doing well. 🙂

Here’s our first visit:

I've been wanting to drink this wine since I discovered it in NY many years ago07-Jul-2012 05:43, OLYMPUS IMAGING CORP. TG-610 , 3.9, 5.0mm, 0.4 sec, ISO 100

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It's as I remembered...easy to drink (too easy!)07-Jul-2012 05:43, OLYMPUS IMAGING CORP. TG-610 , 3.9, 5.0mm, 0.333 sec, ISO 100

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Arugula pizza07-Jul-2012 05:44, OLYMPUS IMAGING CORP. TG-610 , 3.9, 5.0mm, 0.333 sec, ISO 100

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Salmon-filled ravioli07-Jul-2012 06:39, OLYMPUS IMAGING CORP. TG-610 , 3.9, 5.0mm, 0.167 sec, ISO 100

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Bottle 2 - new white wine for me (Voignier), which was pretty good07-Jul-2012 06:40, OLYMPUS IMAGING CORP. TG-610 , 3.9, 5.0mm, 0.4 sec, ISO 100

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07-Jul-2012 06:40, OLYMPUS IMAGING CORP. TG-610 , 3.9, 5.0mm, 0.5 sec, ISO 125

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Someone might be a little bit 'happy'07-Jul-2012 06:40, OLYMPUS IMAGING CORP. TG-610 , 3.9, 5.0mm, 0.4 sec, ISO 100

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The Wine Collection Deli & Bistro07-Jul-2012 07:26, OLYMPUS IMAGING CORP. TG-610 , 3.9, 5.0mm, 0.4 sec, ISO 100

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The Wine Collection07-Jul-2012 07:26, OLYMPUS IMAGING CORP. TG-610 , 3.9, 5.0mm, 0.2 sec, ISO 100

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The Wine Collection Deli & Bistro07-Jul-2012 07:27, OLYMPUS IMAGING CORP. TG-610 , 3.9, 5.0mm, 0.333 sec, ISO 100

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Dessert - yum!07-Jul-2012 07:33, OLYMPUS IMAGING CORP. TG-610 , 3.9, 5.0mm, 0.167 sec, ISO 100

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07-Jul-2012 07:34, OLYMPUS IMAGING CORP. TG-610 , 3.9, 5.0mm, 0.333 sec, ISO 100

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And, our second one:

Post tattoo drinks10-Jul-2012 16:49, NIKON COOLPIX S51, 3.3, 6.3mm, 0.067 sec, ISO 1600

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and dinner10-Jul-2012 16:52, NIKON COOLPIX S51, 3.3, 6.3mm, 0.04 sec, ISO 1600

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Summer 2012: Phuket, Thailand – 46 days to go!

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Jul 072012

I gotta say I’ve had enough of the down pouring rain. This Oregon-girl left it behind because of the rain…. For the first couple of days I was staying positive about the change of pace and climate, but four days straight of this nonsense is starting to give me a little cabin fever and grey skies blues.

It doesn’t seem to look promising in terms of clearing up, though…guess that’s the risk of being in this area during the low season (aka rainy season). 😉 At least it has been reasonably quiet in the evenings so that we are still able to go out and enjoy dinner out and riding around.

So, here are some videos and pics of nightlife:

Main street along Patong Beach

Main street along Patong Beach03-Jul-2012 06:50, OLYMPUS IMAGING CORP. TG-610 , 3.9, 5.0mm, 0.067 sec, ISO 800

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Main street along Patong Beach

Main street along Patong Beach03-Jul-2012 06:50, OLYMPUS IMAGING CORP. TG-610 , 4.6, 6.83mm, 0.1 sec, ISO 800

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There are always scooters or cars for rent

There are always scooters or cars for rent03-Jul-2012 06:50, OLYMPUS IMAGING CORP. TG-610 , 4.8, 17.22mm, 0.125 sec, ISO 800

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Our wheels

Our wheels03-Jul-2012 06:51, OLYMPUS IMAGING CORP. TG-610 , 4.4, 6.07mm, 0.125 sec, ISO 800

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Bangla Street - Tiger land

Bangla Street - Tiger land03-Jul-2012 07:15, OLYMPUS IMAGING CORP. TG-610 , 3.9, 5.0mm, 0.067 sec, ISO 800

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Smacking Ass fun in Suzy Wong's (there's even a Suzy Wong's II!)

Smacking Ass fun in Suzy Wong's (there's even a Suzy Wong's II!)03-Jul-2012 07:26, OLYMPUS IMAGING CORP. TG-610 , 3.9, 5.0mm, 0.033 sec, ISO 640

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Scooters everywhere!

Scooters everywhere!03-Jul-2012 07:36, OLYMPUS IMAGING CORP. TG-610 , 4.7, 7.28mm, 0.1 sec, ISO 800

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Banana - perhaps the only real discotheque in town

Banana - perhaps the only real discotheque in town03-Jul-2012 07:38, OLYMPUS IMAGING CORP. TG-610 , 3.9, 5.0mm, 0.067 sec, ISO 800

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Summer 2012: Phuket, Thailand – Weissbier & Wine Restaurant

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Jul 062012

R is always on the lookout for good food and good beer. So, we had passed a sign for Weissbier (Wheat beer) a few times on our nightly rides. The other day, R decided to check out the menu and see if it was any good. Well, Weissbier and Wine Restaurant is a cute little place hidden back off the main road. The food is a delicious German/Austrian fare and both the beer and wine is up to our standards. R was quite pleased to be reminded of eating and drinking in Munich and I love a good meal any day!

For the past week, they have been having a 2 for 1 deal and so we’ve been twice. I did put my foot down to going three days in a row, but I know that we shall be back again in no time at all!

First meal at Wiessbier restaurant

First meal at Wiessbier restaurant03-Jul-2012 05:46, OLYMPUS IMAGING CORP. TG-610 , 3.9, 5.0mm, 0.5 sec, ISO 100

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Rabbit companion at Weissbier

Rabbit companion at Weissbier03-Jul-2012 06:05, OLYMPUS IMAGING CORP. TG-610 , 4.4, 15.06mm, 0.5 sec, ISO 200

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Second meal at Weissbier (two for one until the 8th and delicious food!)

Second meal at Weissbier (two for one until the 8th and delicious food!)04-Jul-2012 06:15, OLYMPUS IMAGING CORP. TG-610 , 3.9, 5.0mm, 0.4 sec, ISO 100

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Next time, I’ll try to get some photos of the place as well.

-T 😀

Summer 2012: Phuket, Thailand – Days 2 & 3

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Jun 272012

I think I’m going to have to stop counting the days that I am here because I can’t really keep track of them anymore. It’s great when the days finally start to blend together as it means that ‘vacation-mode’ is finally setting in. Mostly, I do the days in the title to differentiate the posts and give them some order, but I suppose the date of publication will do that for me…. 🙂

Anyway, my sleeping patterns have changed, thus also changing my exercise pattern. Usually, I prefer to get up and off for a run on the treadmill right away so as to get my day going quickly. I generally don’t enjoy running in the afternoons, but I could…. I am rather keen to try a run on the beach with no shoes, but am a little concerned about the sloped terrain, so maybe I will have to save that for walking. In any case, in a few days we are moving to a different hotel that has a gym and pool, so I should be able to return to a more regular routine then. In the meantime, I’ll do what I can with our swimming.

We’ve been chilling in the mornings and then going to the beach for a swim in the early afternoons. That is usually followed by some food and afternoon relaxing before we go out for dinner and ride around the town.

Although I have been doing well in keeping with my ‘no work for two weeks’ rule, I am exploring other areas of interest such as writing. My post tomorrow will explain that in more detail.

So, most of my days are being filled with playing games, reading, writing, eating and sleeping. Sounds like vacation, right?! It’s still a bit weird for me as I feel as if I should be more productive and exercise more, but I need to learn to give myself a break. It’s only been three days after all! Need more practice. 😉

Here are some pics:

Sunset view (June 26th)26-Jun-2012 15:49, NIKON COOLPIX S51, 4.1, 15.7mm, 0.04 sec, ISO 200

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VW Bus bar26-Jun-2012 17:36, NIKON COOLPIX S51, 3.3, 6.3mm, 0.077 sec, ISO 200

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VW Bus bar menu26-Jun-2012 17:54, NIKON COOLPIX S51, 3.3, 6.3mm, 0.033 sec, ISO 100

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White Russian #126-Jun-2012 17:53, NIKON COOLPIX S51, 3.3, 6.3mm, 0.2 sec, ISO 400

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Let's see...26-Jun-2012 17:54, NIKON COOLPIX S51, 3.3, 6.3mm, 0.333 sec, ISO 400

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Yep! Tasty!!!26-Jun-2012 17:54, NIKON COOLPIX S51, 3.3, 6.3mm, 0.333 sec, ISO 400

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White Russian #...4???26-Jun-2012 18:33, NIKON COOLPIX S51, 4.1, 15.7mm, 0.2 sec, ISO 400

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Didn't get a pic of the food as I was a little bit too buzzed for that, but took a picture of the sign ensuring quality food!26-Jun-2012 18:47, NIKON COOLPIX S51, 3.4, 7.9mm, 0.125 sec, ISO 200

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In memory of...26-Jun-2012 17:36, NIKON COOLPIX S51, 4.0, 14.1mm, 0.5 sec, ISO 400

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Summer 2012: Phuket, Thailand – Day 1

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Jun 252012

There’s nothing quite like waking up and realizing that you’re on vacation with absolutely nothing to do. If you’re like me, then on a normal day your mind might start racing with making a mental list of what needs to be done. So, when you remember that, in fact, you have nothing that ‘has’ to be done, a smile is all that is left to be had! 😀

Still, I haven’t quite fully accepted that I should be in relax mode, so I decided to check out the beach and mark the distance if I were to go for a run. With my running shoes and Nike+ ready to go, I went for a healthy beach walk.

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After sorting out that it is about a 5.8km roundtrip route on the sand, I came back to enjoy some coffee on the balcony, which is one of my favorite things to do on holiday. For some reason, coffee on the balcony feels like holiday. 🙂

Although we may end up moving from our ideal location due to noise issues (though most of the area has noise issues), the accommodations here at The Front Apartments is pretty sweet.

24-Jun-2012 09:00, NIKON COOLPIX S51, 6.6, 6.3mm, 0.002 sec, ISO 100

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24-Jun-2012 09:01, NIKON COOLPIX S51, 3.3, 6.3mm, 0.02 sec, ISO 100

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24-Jun-2012 09:02, NIKON COOLPIX S51, 3.3, 6.3mm, 0.006 sec, ISO 100

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24-Jun-2012 09:02, NIKON COOLPIX S51, 3.3, 6.3mm, 0.033 sec, ISO 100

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24-Jun-2012 09:03, NIKON COOLPIX S51, 3.3, 6.3mm, 0.033 sec, ISO 100

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24-Jun-2012 09:03, NIKON COOLPIX S51, 3.3, 6.3mm, 0.02 sec, ISO 100

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24-Jun-2012 09:03, NIKON COOLPIX S51, 3.3, 6.3mm, 0.033 sec, ISO 125

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24-Jun-2012 09:04, NIKON COOLPIX S51, 3.3, 6.3mm, 0.077 sec, ISO 200

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24-Jun-2012 09:04, NIKON COOLPIX S51, 3.3, 6.3mm, 0.125 sec, ISO 250

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We have a one-bedroom apartment with a fully equipped kitchen, two bathrooms, free wifi and a large living space. The couch isn’t very comfortable, but everything else is quite nice and more than I had expected from a place in Phuket. Not sure what I expected to be honest, but when you have low expectations it’s much easier to be impressed. 😉

Our main quest for the day was to find a scooter and explore. R’s favorite thing on holiday is to get a little set of wheels and ride around. His feet don’t go well with a lot of walking, so the scooter is a great option. He drives, I ride and watch the scenery. 🙂 We found one for a pretty good deal for 25 days (25 days!) and were off.

The Patong Beach town is reasonably spread out with lots of typical touristy beach shops, but also has its own character. I didn’t get many pictures on our first day of riding around the town, but they will come.

Of course, a day and a post is not complete without a few pics of the evening gastronomical pleasures! 😀

24-Jun-2012 17:22, NIKON COOLPIX S51, 3.3, 6.3mm, 0.067 sec, ISO 200

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24-Jun-2012 17:32, NIKON COOLPIX S51, 3.3, 6.3mm, 0.125 sec, ISO 400

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24-Jun-2012 17:32, NIKON COOLPIX S51, 3.3, 6.3mm, 0.125 sec, ISO 200

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More to come…

-T

Summer 2012: Abu Dhabi to Phuket, Thailand – The Flight

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Jun 242012

Let me just start with – It’s fantastic to be on vacation at last! 😀

We embarked in the early morning from Abu Dhabi on Etihad’s partner airline – AirBerlin. First, a few comments about this flight.

This was the first time I’d been on an AirBerlin flight as I’ve hardly been to Europe and not at all to Germany. There are a few important points to make note of. The seats reminded me of the good ol’ days of flying when I was small and more flexible so I never noticed the cramped leg space. Now, I’m less so and took note that when the ever-so-kind Arab passenger in front of me pushed his seat completely back I had almost no space to even hold my book. However, I think that the width of the seats was slightly larger, which would be good news to someone wider than myself. Next, the flight attendants were really lovely. Unfortunately, they had to deal with chauvinistic and peasant Arabs…, but I admired their professionalism and ability to stay polite. Most especially, I appreciated their uniforms,which were nicely fitted shirts and slacks. It is nice to see a more comfortable and realistically attractive uniform that doesn’t require skirts or other ‘sexist’ styles of the female flight attendants. Finally, I must comment on the food. Airline food is rarely expected to be good, but this was…barely acceptable to me. The breakfast was a choice of pancake or omelet. I chose the omelet and am disappointed I didn’t think to take a picture…. It left much to be desired. The only other food offered was a two or four-bite (depending on your bite) sized sandwiches of either turkey or cheese. It was edible, but nothing to write home about. So, while the flight was pretty smooth and luckily it was not a full flight, so R and I had our own space, I’m not yet a fan of AirBerlin.

In any case, Phuket International Airport is nice and small, so we were able to get on our way to the hotel in no time at all. After about a 40-minute taxi ride, we made it to our digs for at least the next week – The Front Apartments. It’s a nice and spacious apartment overlooking the beach. The beach is a mere 10 steps away!

So, R&R begins! 😀

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