Phuket III: Island Magic (and Speedo-clad Russians)

Traveling well is an art and I think I’m getting better at it. A fulfilling vacation is a combination of searching out and discovering what thrills and fascinates you…and being receptive to what chances upon your path…the magic of the unknown and unexpected. One of the things Phuket is famous for is diving. We decided that a snorkeling trip would be a great way to finish our vacation.

Snorkeling the Similian Islands. We selected the Similan islands as our destination of choice, which are in the Andaman sea to the north-west of Phuket. We left our hotel early in the morning, traveling to the Similan Prodive Company in Phang Nga. There, we met Ekk: a Thai lady-boy that could not resist trying to flirtatiously confiscate Tariq’s cowboy hat while he issued us snorkeling gear. Tariq fixed him with an indescribable look that basically shut down any further advances. It was hilarious. Ekk corralled our group of tourists onto a 36 ft, 500 hp speed boat for a 1.5 hour journey to our first snorkel spot. The ride gave us a chance to get to know our “mates” on the boat. There was a Russian-speaking Siberian family, a nice young German couple, a young Australian army guy desperate to impress us with tales of his invisible “mates”, drinking exploits and muai thai boxing skills, and a young Russian couple. The male component of the latter was an atrociously arrogant stud-monkey (probably on cheap steroids) with bad teeth and a speedo. Our companions nicknamed him “Hero” after he dove off the boat in the middle of nowhere and the tour staff had to turn the boat around to pick him up. I commented that I wished a shark would polish him off and his girlfriend wasn’t too warm to me after that.

The snorkeling was fabulous. We dove off the boat into 20-30 ft. azure crystal-clear water, amidst fish of every color and description “swimming stylishly”. Floating quietly, I was surrounded by a massive school of lime and pink iridescent fish and bypassed by a gang of squid. I wish I could catalogue every amazing fish I saw: black & yellow striped, golden orange, green-purple, iridescent “glow-in-the-dark” fish. The fungal and brain-shaped coral wasn’t colorful, but was home to many bright anemones. It was so much fun to search and discover something new and spectacular around every corner. Tariq got a look underwater while resting on the boat’s ladder, but was a little sad he couldn’t swim with me (he did have fun playing in the surf, though). It was his first time seeing tropical fish and he was impressed by the depth of the water. I think the trip has sufficiently motivated him to learn how to swim when we return to Canada. We stopped at a few beaches for lunch and lounging on sand as white and fine as talcum powder. We actually got very fond of Ekk as the day wore on and made sure he sat with us at lunch. I can only think that it must be lonely and hard sometimes to be in-between genders and conventional norms. Ekk wasn’t treated very well by many on our boat, which encouraged us to go out of our way to be kind to him. We were treated to a fiery red sunset on the sleepy ride back to our hotel.

Thai Gardens. One thing I adored about the island was the natural, enchanted gardens that seemed to embrace every local home. In between bright strings of clothes was a horticulturalist’s paradise of bonsai trees, jasmine, hibiscus, bird of paradise, and orchids - purple, white, yellow, orange. Every Buddhist home had a tall, narrow shrine on stilts, with offerings of water, fruit, and other snacks. The gardens always flashed us a welcoming perfume as we drove by. Late in the week, we could pick out shelters we had taken refuge under the night of the deluge and return from Patong Beach. The winding country road with its rubber farms and fields of buffalo to Nai Yang beach and our hotel felt so homey and familiar. Snug on our motorbike with the wind in our hair and a scenic sunset view, what not to love?

Reflections on Tourism and our Holiday. My brief research tells me that Phuket’s western shores have been heavily developed for tourism since the 80s. I found myself wondering how local Phuketians feel about how tourism has impacted their island. Most people that live here must be enjoined in working for the tourism industry in one way or another. The Thais we’ve met were without exception sweet - as warm and fresh as if we were with the first round of tourists to land on their beach. How can this be in the typical disparity between simple homes and even informal shacks and the many luxury resorts? I’m glad we’ve chosen a simple, low-key place to stay. The morning of our flight, I woke up early so I could walk to Nai Yang beach, say good bye to Ayme our helper, traverse the sand and surf one last time, and get a traditional Thai massage. It was the first time I stopped to think of new year’s resolutions. Listening to Mary J. Blige’s song “Just Fine” on my ipod, I decided that 2008 should be a year of creativity, beauty, and calm. I feel very blessed that we could have such a great vacation in Thailand.