The southern Thailand intense sun has turned my face a very dark brown. The sun emerged today for the longest stretch since my arrival in Phuket two days ago. I took advantage by settling in on the long piece of sand that is Karon Beach. The surf is incredibly rough and there is only a small block of the entire beach that is open for swimming, but it is a very risky enterprise to venture far out as successive waves pummel the shore relentlessly. I waded out to waste deep and couldn't take it for more than 10 minutes. Each time I surfaced from a crashing wave, another was waiting for me a few seconds behind it. Exhausting.
I rented a scooter yesterday and took advantage of my mobility by driving up the western coast of Phuket all the way to Surin Beach, about 10 miles or so north of Karon Beach. As I buzzed my way through Karon beach, up a windup coastal road and into Patong Beach, I was somewhat dissapointed at the the extent to which this piece of paradise has been totally exploited by the tourist industry. There is a definite sleaze factor to Phuket--with "massage parlors" seemingly outnumbering the available clients to solicit them. A westerner walking the boulevard at any time of day will not go more than a block before hearing the chants of the Thai women, "Massage, sir...massage?"
There is little available free space for the Phuket jungle interior to glisten as the concrete hotels, shops, pubs, and minimarts present an impenetrable tangle of modernity and extent all the way to the base of the hills and sometimes encroach upon the lush, green hillsides as well.
I plan to do some scuba diving next week in the nearby Phi Phi islands and hope to get a lot of reading done as well...just relaxing and enjoying the trip.
Cheers,
Keith
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