July 17, 2007
04 PM
With Thailand just next door in travel terms, we took advantage of an opportunity to meet Bronwyn, Jeff and Bree (and a big group of their friends) in Patong Beach in Phuket for an extended weekend. Up before dark but with Changi Airport's slick efficiency we were driving to the resort within a few hours. The trip would be a real eye opener for Matt, given he had holidayed at Patong Beach as a kid living in Malaysia, some twenty-five years before.
This was a beach holiday after all, and by 10am local time we were sipping cocktails at the in-pool bar. We weren't focused on cultural pursuits as part of this trip, but we were both pretty excited about an elephant ride through the jungle. The logging industry in Phuket traditionally employed a large number of these animals, but with its demise the few remaining are now being employed in more sedate activities carting tourists around the forest paths.
At this particular establishment, the animals looks very well looked after and enjoyed a refreshing shower afterward and some local delicacies (bananas!) from the appreciate guests as thank you. It's pretty hair raising on the back of an elephant when they are walking down a steep hill, especially when your "seat belt" is a thin single knot rope.
Despite the ever-encroaching development, we found some nice spots and really enjoyed the beach which is ironically something that we don't get much of in our tropical island city-state. Two evenings were particularly memorable - the first we sat overlooking a stunning sunset sipping a selection of award winnng wines at Ma Tri's Boathouse on the beach. Our last night we spent perched above the cliffs with friends and family eating delicious local Royal Thai a meal watching a soft dusk and listening to hundreds of birds around us.
