On the 30th, we walked down to the beach from our bungalow (hotel was a bungalo built into the side of the mountain/hill overlooking the water. We walked along the beach and then in the town of karon before we found a place to ride a motor bike (cross between a Vespa and motorcycle). We wanted to explore Phuket and figured this was the easiest way. We first tried to go to the Big Buddha but about 1/3 of the way up the hill our bike crapped out. We definitely got a lemon - while we were less than thrilled being stradded far away with a useless bike, we were surprised by how many people offered to help along the way back to town. Walking along the opposite side of the highway was definitely a new experience! We made it back to the place that rented us the bike and switched it out for a new one.
After our failed motor bike experience, we grabbed lunch. I know I have posted a lot about food but thai food is my favorite. We ate at a random little restaurant and had the best papaya salad and pad thai ever. I literally think it was my favorite pad thai to date.
We decided we were exhausted from a day of restarting the motorbike so we spent the next few hours laying on the beach.
Later that night we went it simon cabaret. Definitely a unique experience wig the ladyboys. They did numbers from every country around the world - I guess catering to tourists but it was pretty terrible watching them lip sync to songs in various languages. After the show we headed to Karon beach as there was a beach party there with live DJs and drinks. We took a tuktuk there which had music blaring and colored lights in the back if the open air truck bed. It was fun but we were tired so we didn't stay super late.
On the 31st we took the motorbike out to explore more of the island. We first went to patong, probably the most touristy as the beach was covered in beach chairs and umbrellas. Then we headed to Phuket town which is where locals live. Not sure if we actually made it there or just next to it, but it was nice seeing something new.
We decided to brave the hill back to the Big Buddha. When they say big, they mean it. The Buddha was huge. We bought a bell there as we thought they were cool. They sold them to raise money to finish construction on the Buddha. After visiting the Buddha we received a blessing from a monk complete with a friendship bracelet (we are friends with a monk!) and putting some oil/water thing in iur head while speaking a foreign language.
After Buddha time, I took a turn driving the motorbike. It was fun until we hit traffic close to the roundabout. The motorbikes swerve between cars where there is little to no room. Very stressful.
On the way back to town we stopped at the pad thai shop. One of the guidebooks said it was the best pad thai in the world. It was delicious but I think the place we went to the day before was better. We also got pad see ew there and that was amazing.
Before heading back to the hotel for New Years, we grabbed a drink at a sidewalk bar which was really an old VW bus converted into a bar...pretty cool!
That night we met up with Wharton friends for a New Years party. We didn't go to the original place we intended to go, but instead ended up back at Karon beach at the place we went to the night before. It was fun seeing classmates and hanging out. There ,were tons of fireworks at the beach and a bunch of lanterns released into the sky. Basically they are paper lanterns that have a place you light in fire in the middle and let them catch air and then release, kinda like a hot air balloon. It was beautiful! I really enjoyed releasing one and seeing all of them in the air.
The next morning (New Years day) we headed to the airport for our flight to chiang mai.
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