30 August, 2008

I’m posting this a day late…

Yesterday, the 29^th was spent running errands. I intended to visit a temple or two but decided to visit the US Consulate first. I should have called first. Apparently they are closed on the last Friday of every month and as Monday is a US holiday (Labor Day – which I forgot about … you know … being in a foreign country and all), the Consulate is not available until Tuesday. I fly out of Phuket Sunday. Ah well. I’ll just register online.

The day starts off with getting up, showering in the shared bathroom. Then I took an hour to play with my new hair cut. :-)

Breakfast consisted of a yummy banana pancake, a cup of coffee and a small water purchased from the bar (pancakes were 50 baht, coffee 20 baht, water 10 baht). Internet café (free) is a must stop on the way out and then it’s off to the sky train which is about a 10-15 minute walk past the vendors and a mall called C or C Square. Day pass for the sky train is 120 baht ($4). I would need it for about 4-6 rides depending on whether I went to the temples and MBK and consulate).

It was incredibly hot and muggy again and I was soaked in sweat before I even left the guesthouse. Tip – get something to dab the face so I don’t constantly look like a sweaty nasty mess! :-)

The walk and sky train to the Consulate was a bit of a detour and no where near any of the touristy stuff I wanted to see so I decided to stop back in at the MBK mall to find a phone and a few other things. I purchased a used Nokia phone and SIM card for 650 bhat. (AIS and “1 2 Call” capable for those interested). This equates to about $20. I can purchase local Thailand minutes at any 7-11 for about 5 baht a minute (300 baht per hour ~ $9). I can purchase an international calling card at 7-11 as well. Apparently I can use the calling card from my cell phone and not get charged minutes by calling the calling card number and hanging up. That number then calls you back and you can select the options as you would had you not hung up. The benefit – incoming calls are free, outgoing calls are not. Cool trick! Learned it from a Canadian traveler staying here at the hotel.

That all took me until about noon so I tried the mall food – purchased at a food court. NOT a smart choice. Food was gross and not worth the effort. Bought three tourist shirts for 400 baht, hit the local donut shop (“Mister Donut” – although they do have Dunkin Donuts) and then walked the 1/3 mile to Jim Thompson’s museum/house/store. Jim Thompson was influential in helping to sustain/revive (?) the thai silk industry. He was born in Delaware, USA and was living in Bangkok. His house is a combination of several other houses brought in from elsewhere in Thailand. It is beautiful and was opened to the public. Jim disappeared a number of years ago and his house is still maintained as a museum. Entry cost is 100 baht. I took some pics but my camera didn’t seem to work well with the lighting and the colors aren’t quite right.

I walked back to MBK and caught the sky train back towards my guesthouse. (Requires a transfer and I got on the wrong direction the first time – I can’t get this left/right thing straight and keep getting it wrong). Not that hard, but when you’re tired it’s hard to keep track.

I stopped at the C-Mall on the way back and purchased some art supplies for drawing. There is also – my favorite – a store at the top floor similar to a Fred Meyers. Yay!! No bartering and I can find things! I bought two polo shirts for volunteering and an umbrella and cheap rain coat (similar to a big plastic bag with snaps) and slippers. FINALLY!!

One of the vendors on the way back to the guesthouse had those yummy taco looking things with the coconut and marshmallow treats so I bought one (2 baht). YUM.

Back at the guesthouse I promptly showered and went downstairs for a bite. I had green curry pork for dinner. Yummy but spicy. My standard Schweppes Manao Soda (lime?) and water. The staff here is very nice and helpful. The other guests are easy to talk to and enjoyable.

There are some protests occurring so the train station appears to have cancelled several trips to Phuket from Bangkok. There was question as to whether the airport in Phuket was closed as well. Worst case I just wait a few days until the airport opens or catch a bus.

After dinner I sketched and wrote and looked at pics from the temples.