Phuket - Day 4

Day 4

Today started just like every other, with a stop in Karon for breakfast followed by a few hours spent lounging on the southern tip of Patong Beach reading, splashing in the waves and soaking in the sun. After that we decided to check out Phuket Town on the other side of the island so we mounted up and rolled up and through the mountains. We found Phuket Town quite easily and then drove around randomly trying to find somewhere to eat. I was leading the way and just following the main flow of traffic. I'm notoriously bad at making decisions and I'm sure we passed up plenty of good places before I was running on E and had to stop for gas. Ben then took the lead and we again began racing around Phuket. After a while we finally found an outdoor sea food place, had a nice meal, and mounted up to head back towards Karon. We stopped along the way at Phuket Bay and several other breathtaking places. On the east side of the island the bays are all perfectly calm and fisherman could be seen several hundred yards out in the water and only calf-deep in water. I've commented several times that if you can't find happiness, peace, and serenity here, you won't find it anywhere. This place is the most beautiful, peaceful, awe-inspiring place I can imagine. I can't wait to call it home for a few months this time next year.

On the way home the road signs again proved to be problematic and we had to back-track a bit to eventually find our way home. Riding in the dark is always slightly more of an adventure and it can make spotting the few road signs more difficult. We arrived back in Karon and decided to head back to Patong to dip our feet in the water and get something to eat. The ride between Karon and Patong, probably 10 minutes, is one of the most scenic stretches on the island and it also is one of the most fun rides on the bikes with lots of tight turns and big hills. We enjoyed the water/sand for awhile and then had a meal at an upscale place along the shore. We were probably the only two people on a 5 mile long beach, and although it was after dark, I'm still amazed how empty this place seems in the summer. I had the "Taste of Thailand" which was a sampling of 5 different Thai dishes and it was very tasty. We're now back in the hotel taking showers, watching CNN, blogging, and getting ready for tomorrow's adventures.

Take it easy, but take it.