I started going to Phuket for vacation almost 25 years ago, sometimes a few times a year even, as we had company offsites there and the bosses simply loved going there. I have seen the little island grow from a remote isolated status to a well-developed resort spot for a cosmopolitan group of people from all over the world.
We went to Phuket this week for a 6 nights holiday in 2 locations, spending equal time in 2 different locations. Originally, this was timed to allow my older son to join us for part of the trip after his army officer commisioning parade last Sat. But they changed his block leave to after Christmas, hence he could not join us.
We decided to stay at busy Patong for our first part of the holiday. Wife chose a nice resort at the northern edge called Graceland. It reminded me of one of our earliest vacations we had here, where we stayed at the same location. It was then in an old resort as we just started working and the budget was tight. Most the beach area remains the same but roads have improved. This was due to the big tsunami on boxing day in 2004 which destroyed parts of the town with waves of more than 10 to 30 meters high.
The busy main street was filled with a lot of drinking holes, bars and live bands playing very loudly. It was less seedy than what we have seen previously. It was an eye-opener for younger son as we still see so many women openly trying to prostitute themselves there. One of the live bands stood out for us and eventually, we spent 2 nights there chillaxing and enjoying the music.
Our hotel unit was wonderful as we had a balcony that connects directly with the swimming pool with a jacuzzi in front and the pool bar just less than 10 meters away. We did the usual tourist stuff, went for white water rafting and found a nice beach club called Kudo just in front of the beach to while away a whole day. Massages were cheap, so we each had 3 there (foot, facial and a Thai body massage) within the first few days.
Next, we moved to Movenpick in Karon beach. It is a more laid back and quieter place where beach life is slower and cosier. We upgraded to a bigger room that was on the 3rd floor. Had more massages and relaxing at the beach, which was one of the longest in Phuket.
There were so many Europeans there and it surprised me that there were so many Trump supporters there, aka Russians… Most spent weeks or months here to escape the winter cold for tropical weather where they can walk around in beach shorts rather than being wrapped in winter clothes in freezing cold. A lot of the restaurant menus have Russian versions. During the last evening meal we had, we were the only Asian family surrounded by other Russian families!
It was a relaxing and laid back holiday as we had planned. I am not one that can do this for long and a week was just nice. I was pretty much looking forward to going home as we will be having our annual Christmas and New Year gatherings soon.
This is shaping to be a messy ending for global financial markets which we will remember 2018 for. Stock markets are now lower than where we started. It all leads to Trump and he is unravelling fast. The desperate man is being hit from all sides and grappling at straws now. He is creating chaos to try to distract and deflect attention from himself. Flip-flopping on decisions to shut down the government after watching Fox news? Amazing but true… The sudden announcement of a pullout from Syria? Check.
It reminds me of a previous boss that was too difficult to predict. He prides himself for being able to keep everyone on their toes. But for the most powerful man in the world to do that? How can the world react to an egotistical tyrant who changes his mind by the minute??? Even all the generals have left, fed up with his insistence that he relies on his instincts alone instead of good common sense. Stable genius my foot. I can’t wait for 2019 to start – this is better than any reality TV series. Except that it has a real-world impact that touches everyone on planet earth… Stay tuned, amigos!
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