The second day was more relaxing and enjoyable, a complete foil from the intense first day. Bangkok is the shopping heaven, but other Thai tourist towns are not far off. Needless to say, a lot of shopping was done, filling the travel bag to the brim. For once, thousands seemed to disappear without a moment's bother. That I already had a closset full of T-shirts didn't seem to matter. And the shopping stretches and malls seemed to go on and on. Strangely though, it doesnt take a toll on the body, even after roaming about a dozen streets and a two-mile long beach road to and fro, going in and out of shoe shops at every corner in search of that elusive pair, visiting a T-shirt centre, a cashewnut factory, honey preparation centre and a local handicraft showroom. At Phuket, its all in a day's work! Where else in the world would you find a sound and light laser show based on a water fountain (akin to the one at Sentosa, Singapore and Petronas Towers, KL) to describe the rich history of... a shopping mall! Visit Jungceylon and you would even find an art and culture show in the midst!
That brings me to the other highlight of the day, the cultural awareness of Thailand's rich heritage. Having a non-stop chatterbox as a guide helps. The ties with India and China is unmistakeable in this pristine city. The culture is a rich blend of Chinese acumen and Indian exotism, intricately fabricated with local flavour. The King's name (Rama IX) reflects the Indian touch. Yellow colour that is associated with his birth on a Monday revolves around Chinese beliefs. That the whole of Thailand wears yellow on every monday is the local spice. Beautiful!
Buddha is a common deity here, and the famous monks are waxed in memories and memorials. Even Brahma and Vishnu are worshipped here, although they are also called "Buddha" in local households. The architecture is a mix of Indian "viharas" and Chinese "dragon" toppings and Srilankan interiors. The gardens outside the temple resembled the grandeur of Budh Gaya, while the garlanded elephants and continuous burst of firecrackers almost brought me back home. Folklore associated with the temple are distinctively Chinese, with anti-black magic and immortalising inscriptions on a white cloth tied to the forehead of the local villagers gave them the might to fight off the invading Chinese. Exhillarating stuff!
Back to food. Jubiliant from yesterday's dinner, I was bolder to try out some other Indian joint. There are a heck of a lot of Indian food options here at the beach road at Patong. After vain attempts at locating one led to a dead-end (literally), and some rather "interesting" paintings and sculptures of the human body, I got lured into an Indian joint at a fog end of a lane of restaurants. Seeing beautiful looking scantilly dressed women all day long does affect the cognitive abilities of a man. Although I did notice that there were no other customers there, I didn't turn back. Half an hour later, I came out of there with a nauseating feeling and desperately drowned a McCafe and an icecream to mask it. Worst spend of the day. There are definitely two sides to the coin that you toss over at the food joints. Seafood and Thaifood is everywhere on the streets, with every possible sea creature on display. Today, I saw culture amongst chaos. Heritage couldn't hide more old caucasian men with beer on one hand and young asian woman on the other!
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Showing posts with label thailand. Show all posts
Showing posts with label thailand. Show all posts
Tuesday, January 01, 2008
Monday, December 31, 2007
A vegetarian honeymoon in Phuket - Day 1
The title might sound like a pun in more than one sense. But this is going to be the crux of what I am going to narrate. Its a story of the places that formed a part of the honeymoon of a vegetarian couple; of how the emotions of the places themselves blended with the most memorable moments of my life; the constant conflict of personal joy and inner agony...
It all began even before I started on this journey. The day I left my sweet little island that I called home for a third of my life was Dec 26, three years from the fateful day when an unheralded wave sung an orchestra of its own, and made mankind sit up and take notice. I was travelling to the very place which was one of the first hit by the Tsunami, a japanese term that resounded across the Indian Ocean.
I know it was going to be a journey with a difference right from the start. Being greeted by a Scandinavian in Singlish was strange enough, and I laughed my way to the cabin when he started courting a Japanese stewardess. I know I was gonna see lot of this over the next five days - caucasian guys drooling over asian gals.
The plane was probably 90% caucasians. I did spot a couple of Indians, and a couple of Indonesian maids accompanying expats in Singapore, who hardly spoke a word or two in English. Before I realised, the plane landed, with the captain beaming "Welcome to Phuket!".
Once on the ground, the fun started. Thai on arrival visa guy was bewildered by guys forgetting two simple instructions in English on the airport counter. Have Baht, and ticket! Irate Indian guys shouting at the counter guy in Hindi as if that guy was at fault didnt help!
A bubbly girl with a charming smile was the tour agent, who took pains to explain the intricacies of travelling in Phuket, and trying to strike some tour-deals. Looking around the streets, it doesnt take long to realise whats driving this desolated hilly island into a vacation town. It did seem wise to shake hands with a person I knew, albeit for 30 mins. Having quickly arranged something for a day and half, I had blown away half the money I had! When your mind wants to scream, having your loving wife by your side helps :) After all, its my honeymoon!
Having had a nice dinner at a nearby Indian restaurant advertising hot curry, I was actually pleased I was only 750 baht lighter!
It was midnight, and I was in two minds whether to hazard a stroll by the beach. Hardly ten yards from my hotel was the shore, just across the road. The sky, rather than the beach, took my breath away! A hundred lanterns made of a simple plastic cover and some cotton threads made its way up into the night sky, and then more and more. I was touched by the people's gesture for the departed souls on the third anniversary.
Then I realised how the locals here had turned this day into a thriving business. Tens of them thronged me within a kilometer, making my heart sink deeper and deeper. The quotes ranged from 100 to 500 baht, giving me a sense of how much I could bargain on the Thai streets. Suddenly, I stopped. I noticed a boy about 6-7 yrs building a mini castle of sand right next to the waves, and lighted a dozen candles inside. He stood in silence, watching over the flickering lights and scanning the lights flying high above. Barely 100 feet away was a busy road jammed with vehicles and shops with bright lights, and partying people everywhere, so much that it was hard to believe it was 12.30am!
Today, amidst all the chaos called the world, I found humanity in a dark corner.
Random Access
The search has just begun !!!
It all began even before I started on this journey. The day I left my sweet little island that I called home for a third of my life was Dec 26, three years from the fateful day when an unheralded wave sung an orchestra of its own, and made mankind sit up and take notice. I was travelling to the very place which was one of the first hit by the Tsunami, a japanese term that resounded across the Indian Ocean.
I know it was going to be a journey with a difference right from the start. Being greeted by a Scandinavian in Singlish was strange enough, and I laughed my way to the cabin when he started courting a Japanese stewardess. I know I was gonna see lot of this over the next five days - caucasian guys drooling over asian gals.
The plane was probably 90% caucasians. I did spot a couple of Indians, and a couple of Indonesian maids accompanying expats in Singapore, who hardly spoke a word or two in English. Before I realised, the plane landed, with the captain beaming "Welcome to Phuket!".
Once on the ground, the fun started. Thai on arrival visa guy was bewildered by guys forgetting two simple instructions in English on the airport counter. Have Baht, and ticket! Irate Indian guys shouting at the counter guy in Hindi as if that guy was at fault didnt help!
A bubbly girl with a charming smile was the tour agent, who took pains to explain the intricacies of travelling in Phuket, and trying to strike some tour-deals. Looking around the streets, it doesnt take long to realise whats driving this desolated hilly island into a vacation town. It did seem wise to shake hands with a person I knew, albeit for 30 mins. Having quickly arranged something for a day and half, I had blown away half the money I had! When your mind wants to scream, having your loving wife by your side helps :) After all, its my honeymoon!
Having had a nice dinner at a nearby Indian restaurant advertising hot curry, I was actually pleased I was only 750 baht lighter!
It was midnight, and I was in two minds whether to hazard a stroll by the beach. Hardly ten yards from my hotel was the shore, just across the road. The sky, rather than the beach, took my breath away! A hundred lanterns made of a simple plastic cover and some cotton threads made its way up into the night sky, and then more and more. I was touched by the people's gesture for the departed souls on the third anniversary.
Then I realised how the locals here had turned this day into a thriving business. Tens of them thronged me within a kilometer, making my heart sink deeper and deeper. The quotes ranged from 100 to 500 baht, giving me a sense of how much I could bargain on the Thai streets. Suddenly, I stopped. I noticed a boy about 6-7 yrs building a mini castle of sand right next to the waves, and lighted a dozen candles inside. He stood in silence, watching over the flickering lights and scanning the lights flying high above. Barely 100 feet away was a busy road jammed with vehicles and shops with bright lights, and partying people everywhere, so much that it was hard to believe it was 12.30am!
Today, amidst all the chaos called the world, I found humanity in a dark corner.
Random Access
The search has just begun !!!
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