Patong Beach

Upon arriving back in Phuket town, we charted a taxi to take us to the west side of Phuket to Patong Beach. I've found that drivers like to be extra accommodating to Americans or other westerners because as soon as we started driving he put in an extra special CD just for us. It included classics from Nelly, Brittany Spears, Backstreet Boys, and other 90's American pop moguls. He kept smiling as we sang along and I'm embarrassed to say that I actually remembered the words to most of the songs. It was a beautiful drive and we found a steal of a place for $15/night, split between the four of us. We were about two blocks from the beach.

As if we weren't beached out already, we suited up and sunblocked ourselves and spent the rest of the day at Patong. This beach is what I imagine Miami Beach to be like. A little more crowded, commercialized, and sport-oriented. The tide was high enough for the surfing to commence. We opted out of surfing, but decided to take up parasailing. I have never parasailed before, and I don't know how it's done in the states, but I got such a kick out of watching the little man that goes up into the air with you to steer the parachute. He was about 4'10" and swung around like a monkey - no harness needed. Before you're about to land, he does a flip that rivals most gymnasts and wraps his little legs around your waist. (When he did this to me, he said sorry to me in English as if I may be offended at his attempt to get me to land safely). It was an amazing rush, and a wonderful view of the beach.

That evening we had a European-style dinner with pizzas and grilled cheese sandwiches, then went to an all-american cinema at an all-american mall. The moment I'll never forget happened just after the previews but before the feature. I was introduced to the King. The screen showed a picture of the King and everyone in the theater became silent and stood up. They played an anthem and showed a video montage of the King and his family. About 10 minutes prior as we were getting situated in our big reclining seats, KayMu said, "Don't get too comfortable. We'll have to stand and pledge allegiance to the King." I thought this was a joke. It was no joke. When it comes to the King, there is no joking around. The video montage was my first interaction with the affect of the King on this country. I'm sure there will be more. I am curious about this relationship the King has with it's country. It's as close to an unconditional and blinding love as I can imagine. I can't say I didn't giggle to the point where my sister had to pinch my side. I'm sure I'll feel differently after living here for awhile.

In the morning we left the beaches behind for the chaos of Bangkok. I didn't brace myself enough, and I wasn't ready to leave those peaceful places near the water.