April couldn't get here fast enough as we were all looking forward to our holiday in Phuket, Thailand. Bags were packed a week in advance, kitty sitters had been lined up, and alarms were set for a three a.m. wake up call. Mr. Liu arrived at 3:45 and off we went. The plane was packed; the twins with me, and Katie sat with Larry. We had a quick connection in Bangkok, but time enough for Larry to pick up a half dozen Dunkin Donuts.
When we arrived in Phuket, we kind of walked around like deers in headlights. Eventually, we found a taxi service. We thought we were headed straight to the hotel, but of course, we had to stop at his tour business, where we were treated to the high pressure sales pitches. The girls working there were quite taken with Larry and his southern accent. Who knows if we got the great deal they said they gave us, but we left the place with two of our eight days planned with tours.
Driving over the hills, through hairpin turns, and seeing the ocean was nauseously breathtaking. We drove through the bustling town of Patong and I immediately thought of Myrtle Beach. Bars, hotels, restaurants, and souvenir shops galore lined either side of the streets.
As we headed back up the hills, the girls squealed with delight when they saw some elephants. The curvy road was almost enough to make me lose my donuts, but soon Karon Beach came into view. We tried to guess which hotel was ours. I was pleased to see Karon was not as crowded as Patong. It reminded me of Key West, laid back with minimal cheesiness. Our hotel, the Movenpick, was beautiful and huge. Unlike the place we stayed in Vietnam, we were not alone. I overheard one of the managers say there were over seven hundred guests. However, the place never felt crowded.
Our days started early. We were usually at breakfast by seven and at the pool or beach by eight. The girls met new kids everyday. By now, we are used to being the only 'westerners'. We found ourselves, once again, standing out. The place was crawling with Aussies, Russians and Swiss. No other US folks in sight. We explored the streets of the Karon Monday afternoon. Syd spotted a girl at the hotel, who had her hair braided like Bo Derek, and she did not let up until her hair was done. Sarah decided to have hers done as well. Katie opted for three on each side. While they were getting braided, Larry and I went the massage route. I had a unique facial, complete with cold cucumbers. Larry had a foot massage that he swears was the best one he's ever had. Strolling the streets, the Thai people would shout out "Aussie, Aussie, Aussie!" to us. "U.S., U.S., U.S." is hard to chant, but we did our best to set them straight.
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