Phuket

Panulirus
CR and KN Williams
Sat 3 Mar 2012 03:30

7.58N 98.23E

 

3rd March, 2012

 

Phuket is lovely; no wonder people come here and just do not carry on.

After the filth of all the Muslim countries with sewage running down the streets (even in Market places), piles of rubbish 10ft high in the streets and dust everywhere, this is like Milton Keynes.

We are in a v/nice marina with several OK restaurants, and one shocker, together with lots of mending chaps who really seem to know what they’re doing and don’t charge an arm and a leg.

The supermarkets are vast, even C managed to find some outsize knickers, and I’ve got loads of bits for the boat. They all seem to have an MK food outlet with a wok on the table where you cook your own stuff and drink the soup afterwards.  Fridge is bust again and C still refuses to accept we need a new one. We also met a nice guy who turned out to have met Troubadour (Stuart & Annabel Ingram) many years ago in Panama. I’ve hired a bicycle; C says she might even give it a try.

 

K

 

We anchored off a pretty island on the way from Langkawi and the sea was warm and blue and you could see the bottom. Bliss.

 

Clearing in at Phuket was the usual stress. People had told us ‘You just clear in at the end of the jetty in Ao Chalong’. Which jetty? There are 2. Where can you park the dinghy? Ah; beside the slippery steps with no handholds. Anyway only about an hour and 3 photocopies of passports and boat papers later all was done. We had delicious tom yum goong and singha beer and felt better.

 

The marina here has a really nice and almost empty swimming pool so it is no problem spending a couple of weeks here while we have a new sprayhood and bimini made. We have even sussed the local bus to Tesco which is an adventure in itself.

 

One of the good things about the rally last summer is that we keep meeting boats we know which is really nice. The people here meet for drinks every day but bizarrely have chosen some concrete steps in the middle of the boatyard and bring your own beer! I do prefer a nice bar with happy hour cocktails.

 

When the canvas is done we will head out to some pretty anchorages.

 

C