The Ordinary versus the Extraordinary – A year of travelling with three children: 19 December 2014a - Patong Beach or hair braiding-jetski day.

As yesterday was a “rest” day, today was an “exploring” day…after the now mandatory egg and banana pancakes from our special lady. We saw the Aquarium bus go past at 8.40AM, so we now know it goes earlier. There are very few who speak English here so it is quite difficult to get local information. After we were ready with day packs and water organised for the day, we caught a smaller version of the Aquarium bus which was about the size of a Ute. Karl couldn’t really sit upright to give you an idea of the height of the roof. We remarked on the fact that you need to be quite fit and nimble to get on and off buses. There are no prams or strollers for babies. They seem to be carried until they can walk and then sat on their parents’ laps on mopeds or standing precariously (and loving it!) in a little sidecar.

"Pancake Lady"

Back of ute type of bus!

Our bus driver drove up a country lane, delivered a parcel and re-joined the main road! Our journeys are always full of surprises, full of the extraordinary! He dropped us at the corner before the market which served to disorient us a little.

We were still unsure about our journey to Bangkok and so we finally found the official government Tourist Bureau in the Old Town. We wandered down some really lovely old streets with some quaint buildings and architecture. The pavements were tiled with traditional tiles and I, for one, really did love the morning’s walk. At this stage I should add that our walks are often the source of complaints and arguments about being too hot and too boring from the older kids but as they reflect on their days, they realise that despite the MILD discomfort, there is actually lots of enjoy. As it turned out, the tourist bureau was of no help regarding train travel and their English was also limited. The head lady offered to take us with her friends on a private boat to a quieter island (LaWa) the next day which I was really keen to do. Karl, on the other hand, saw it as another chance to make money from foreigners and so we didn’t take up her offer.


Beautiful painted doors in Phuket Old Town

Next to the Tourist Bureau is a huge gold dragon which Luke in particular loved as he is in a very “Train your Dragon” phase. It was great to talk about how dragons have a big role in some cultures. There are also lots of gold Buddhas and little shrines as well as temples and mosques. The ethnic origins of Thai people seems diverse, with 30 different ethnic groups making up the population. They seem to live harmoniously in the same neighbourhood. While I think of it, the Thais seem to be a patriotic group who adore their king. There are banners and monuments everywhere displaying the king.


Luke's favourite golden dragon

We decided to take the bus back to Patong Beach which is a pleasant ride to fulfil Annika’s dream of having her hair braided. She had researched the cheapest options on Trip Advisor and I helped her haggle for a good price. She was using her own money so it is good to learn how to spend wisely, especially on something she “had always wanted”. So from 1000 Baht she secured her braiding for 700 Baht and the two ladies took over an hour to braid her hair. While I waited, I also decided to partake in a little pampering: a foot massage and also a pedicure under the shade of a large leafed tree. Dreamy!! These Thai masseuses are so skilled and gentle and I so appreciated every second of my hour of luxury. Karl and the boys traipsed around searching for some lunch. I was more than happy to forgo lunch and lie in the shade. Annika was delighted with the outcome of her longed for braiding. Tim, also eager for a bit of fun, decided to spend some of his spending money on a Jet Ski ride out on the Andaman Sea. Good on him. He absolutely loved it. Meanwhile, Luke had found a beach friend from Qatar and happily caught some little crabs with him. Last port of call was one of the street markets in search of a resin scorpion on a key ring Luke had spotted. To his GREAT disappointment the stall holder wasn’t there this time. However, Tim bought some genuine Thai boxing shorts to use as boxer shorts and Annika bargained away for some elephant shorts. As for me, not much time to look around but I did grab some sticky rice with coconut and mango to eat on the bus.