Down and dirty in Patong?

Island stop number one – Phuket, the largest of all the Thai islands (that large – 25 miles long – that it dropped the ‘koh’ from its name). I was going to give Phuket a wide berth, it’s one of those places whose reputation proceeds it, but Jo spent some time south of Patong and said it was worth a visit, so I booked a £30 flight (beats the night bus!) and within a hour we had touch down.

I’d decided it was wise to join hostel life so I could get the low down on the islands, so I booked into. ‘Lupta’, a very trendy hostel, by all accounts, for the pricely sum of about £10 a night for a four bed female dorm. On arrival, I was given a map and went out searching for some dinner.

The location of the hostel is just terrific – about three mins and you are on the main drag ‘Bang-La’ road, likewise and you’re on the beach front. So it wasn’t long until I experienced my first Patong moment.

Well, hello there Patong! Bang-la road is everything I thought it would be and yet more. It’s basically a pedestrianised street crammed with bars, flashing lights, loud music and lots of scantily clad ladies dancing on bars – a bit like the Bigg Market on acid! To add to this you have the obligatory touts, hassling every tourist within an inch of their life. This pix sums it up…

But, despite all the chaos and overt sexuality, as a female solo traveller, I felt the safest I’d ever been anywhere on my travels and completely invisible – less than an hour here and, I must admit, I’m getting a soft spot for Patong 🙂

I digress – my mission was food and I was en route to BaanZaan – a local market. To access it I went via JungCeylon. If Bang-la road was the Bigg Market, this was the MetroCentre – a shinny, westernised and huge shopping complex complete with smiley happy families. This did not fit my preconceived idea of down and dirty Patong.

I reached what seemed the remnants of the market, the store holders were getting packed up but there was a few food stalls. I took my seat in a tent and ordered some fish and an obligatory large Chang.

Oh mamma mia, or the Thai equivalent, that was one tasty piece of fish! I later realised, that what I should have done was select my fish myself – hey, they choose well on my behalf 😉

I couldn’t fail to notice swarms of Chinese tourists coming in by the bus load and queuing for a club opposite – mmmm, it was only 8pm; I thought it was a little early to party, maybe a karaoke club? I asked my friendly Thai waiter… ‘sexy show – ping pong’… Aha, the penny dropped!

But, again, the demographics weren’t what I had quite imagined – just seemed like the last stop on a day trip of the Island.

Next morning, I headed for Patong beach. Surely this was going to be under par – we are in Patong! I’ll let the photos talk for themselves.

Yes, cheeky little Phuket, you have hidden charms – I may need to add a few extra days onto my vist x

Water under the bridge?

Oh dear, I’m just knocking the idioms out like there’s no tomorrow!

I didn’t get the opportunity to visit the bridge over the river Kwai on my last visit, so was determined that I would do so this time around. I deliberated spending a couple of days up at Kanchanaburi and taking the ‘death train’ down its perilous route, but time somehow ran out; nearly end of week 1 of 4, and beaches were a calling. Plus, Jo fancied it too and we could visit as part of our market trip. Sometimes the easy choices are what they are as they say on the tin – easy!

Aside from watching the British epic war movie on the tele countless times growing up (it was one of my my mam’s favs), the fact that I couldn’t recall the plot meant I had a blank slate on which the history books could be written.

Our first port of call was Jeath War Museum. We were told to head downstairs to the exhibit and then venture back up to the main deck.

I was perplexed. The museum was old school and didn’t chronologically take me by the hand and lead me through the horrific events. There was a jeep with Japanese soldiers in, wooden life size carvings of malnourished POWs – yep, those bits I got – but among them there was some Japanese dental chairs – was this a torture technique? Perhaps it was down to my level of ignorance, but something was a little lost in translation?

We wandered up the road to cross the bridge, but that was a feat in itself – trying to battle through the hordes of tourists trying to the get the right smiling selfie angle. This felt decidedly wrong…

Running increasingly behind our allotted schedule, we were herded up to the cemetery – this obviously didn’t need any explanation. But again, the smiling selfie brigade were out in force. My disdain somehow seems a bit of a contradiction in terms, since I was there too trying to get the best angle to share with you all – but I was feeling increasingly annoyed with humanity.

To add to my levels of irritation, a few members of our group were late and the guide spent another 15 minutes searching for them. Typically they were English – there’s nothing worse than group culprits sharing the same nationality as you. Harrumph! But I was soon silenced and my perspective on the world put sharply into focus when I overheard one of the late comers…

He was visiting the crematory to find someone, who I don’t know, but given the time pressures (we only had 15 minute stop), he became increasingly stressed as he searched row by row of memorials. It is with a huge lump in my chest and tear in my eye I can confirm he did find who he was looking for. For that chap, hopefully, it was water under the bridge 🙂

To lighten the mood a little, I think I’ll end with this photo. Think there’s a ‘o’ missing… X

BTW: I did return from my trip and was somewhat compelled to do some research – the history bit…

As part of the Japanese WW2 military efforts and its bid to create a supply line for the movement of troops and equipment to the Burma frontline and the eventual attack on India – in 1942 the construction of what was later to become ‘death railway’ commenced.

Spanning 250 miles, from Ban Pong (Thailand) to Thanbyuzayat (Burma / Myramar), 1,000s of POWs and Asian slave labourers lost their lives during the year long build – it’s estimated that a life was lost for each sleeper laid in the track.

The difficult terrain, combined with lack of provisions, overworking, dismal sanitary conditions and the individual viciousness of Japanese and Korean engineers and guards took it’s toll and official figures state 7,000 POWs sacrificed their lives and were laid at rest at Kanchanaburi war cemetery and another 2,000 buried at Chungka cemetery – although I’ve found figures exceeding 16,000.

And, on a final note the Alex Guiness 1957 epic was based fiction, although somewhat inspired by the actual events.

Like a fish out of water

There’s a bit of a water theme going on for the next couple of posts – starting with thunderstorm Thursday and ending with fishy friday and a visit to the River Kwai. This post is my mosey back to the fabulous floating market.

There’s not too much say about Thursday, so I’ll be brief. Jo and I decided to visit the Khlomg Lay Mayom floating market which was at the end of the Sky Train line followed by about a two quid taxi ride – simple! And it was, aside from arriving to find it’s only open on a Friday and Saturday… Grrrr! To top it off the heavens opened and our day became a complete wash out – well not totally, we ended up going to watch Matt Damon in The Martian at MBK 🙂

As a result we were adamant Friday was going to be productive. We’d muted visiting the bridge on the river Kwai, so off we popped to visit our friendly travel agent to see what we could book for the following day.

We decided on a dual trip to the floating markets (Jo hadn’t been before and your know me, water and shopping – two of my favourite things!) combined with a visit the the River Kwai. Sorted – the biggest challenge of the day was to up and ready for 6.30! Don’t worry, we were up and ready.

I love visiting the floating markets, yeh, it’s not real life and so much is staged for the tourists, but still I just love imagining what it must have been like back in the day and you do get the the voyeuristic pleasure of nosing in back gardens. Enjoy the shopping snaps x

Boom! Back in Bangkok.

So here begins a mini House of Wendy travel blog as I hit Thailand for the next 30 days. The plan, so far, includes plenty of R&R and sunshine, yet as I sit with my first can of Chang – …