On Saturday we awoke early to catch our flight to Phuket. We made it through the lines at the airport in good time, and spent an hour and half relaxing in the Bangkok Airways lounge. Not long after we arrived, a British family of 5 came in and sat across from us. Their three children were incredibly darling and entertaining! The depth with which they were able to carry on very conversations with one another, coupled with their very proper accents, made them sound like miniature adults. The oldest child, a son, was generously running back and forth from the snack table, bringing his younger sisters popcorn, which they thanked him for and commented on at length. We both couldn’t help but get caught up in their delightful interactions, and soon the very precocious middle child began to take notice of us. Eyeing us warily over her thick spectacles, she leaned in towards her little sister and said, “There’s something strange about these strangers… I smile, and they smile back.” Really?! Could she get ANY cuter?! As we left we stopped and said hello, and the middle sister motioned for me to come closer and mumbled shyly, “Bon boyage.” So close, and so cute!
When we arrived in Phuket we made our way outside and, not knowing the best travel option, allowed ourselves to be talked into hopping in a mini-bus headed for Kata Beach. Luckily, we were the last to board, so we sat up front with the driver. The ride was much longer than it would have been had we taken a private taxi, but the a/c was blasting and the sights were interesting, so we rode along without complaint. After numerous stops, we finally arrived in Kata at the Sawasdee Village. We inquired about a room for the night, but the price was considerably higher than we’d expected. We were given a price sheet, showing a dramatic drop in prices beginning April 1 (the next day), and directed across the street for more affordable accommodations for the night.
The Color Kata Hotel, part of the Sawasdee Village, was unlike any hotel we’ve come across in Thailand before. Modern and eccentric, the hotel boasted an astroturf entryway and colorful retro decor. Our room had an enormous suspended bed, bright pleather pillows, and neon lights. The room was clean and the staff was incredibly friendly, although it was not quite what we had envisioned for our tropical Thai getaway. Still, the price was good so we took the room. We dropped off our bags quickly and headed out into the rising heat- pad thai was calling! Choosing a seat under a fan and enjoying some frosty Singhas, soon had us feeling cooler. After a yummy lunch we went back to the hotel, changed into our swim suits and hopped on the shuttle down to the beach.
The beach was packed! Countless happy vacationers bobbed in the waves, frolicked in the surf, and lounged in the sand. Within moments we had encountered more portly wearers of thongs and speedos than we’d care to see in a lifetime! The overwhelming heat and humidity pushed me towards abandoning any patience or decision making skills. We came upon 2 open lawn chairs and perched ourselves comfortably under the shade of an umbrella. There we relaxed for about a half an hour until a man came over and informed us that the chairs were 100 Baht a piece (saw what?!), so we moved ourselves onto the FREE sand. At this point we found ourselves overheated, sticky, and covered with gazillions of teeny tiny grains of sand… needless to say we were not feeling overly thrilled with our choice of beach. We discussed the option of moving up to Khao Lak or even Railay Beach, two of our favorite, quieter beaches, but once a light breeze had picked up and enjoyed little cat naps, we were feeling better about Kata Beach. We remained reclined on our towels for several hours, watching the occasional parasailer squeal with delight as they lifted off the sand and rose high into the azure sky. A leisurely walk down the beach and happy conversation wrapped up the afternoon. We returned to the spot where we’d been dropped off to wait for the shuttle, but after 15 minutes it had still not arrived. As we stood up to leave, we thought we caught a glimpse of it down the road, and leaving. We weren’t too bothered. The air was cooler and we enjoyed the 10 minute walk back to the hotel.
Once showered and feeling human again, we set back out for a busier stretch of town to find dinner. We wandered quite a ways and settled on a cozy expat restaurant, Cafe Opera. Dark walls, low lighting and Nora Jones gave the place a real jazzy feel. We nestled into our wicker bench seat, facing the street so we could take in all the sights. Tiger balm hung in the air from nearby massage parlors. As we ate, we were interrupted occasionally by vendors trying to sell us glow in the dark toys, rubber masks, and roses, but other than that the meal was lovely. Penang curry and prawns, mussels, and chorizo in a spicy tomato sauce were all downed quickly, leaving our mouths with nothing to do but smile with satisfaction. Before heading back towards the hotel, we stopped by several painters stalls, and watched the men work skillfully with oils and canvas.
Our little street is lined with massage parlors, outside of which, all of the employees gather and call out loudly to passers-by. After finally selecting a parlor we settled in for foot massages. A tiny 4 month old pomeranian named Foo Foo pranced around the shop, with bells jingling from her collar. She was too adorable for words! The massages were lovely, and we were both prepared to slip into a deep sleep the moment we returned to our retro room.
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