On Sunday morning I flew down to Phuket, one of the islands off the southwest coast of Thailand in the Andaman Sea. My uncle was there on business and I had not seen him in nine years, so I figured that was a good enough excuse to check out this tropical paradise. Going to Phuket and the other islands in that vicinity has been a dream of mine since I was ten and saw a music video that was shot on the beaches of Thailand. I couldn't believe the landscape in the video. A few years ago I saw the movie "The Beach" - and how could that film NOT make you at least THINK of going to the islands?

    My uncle picked me up at the airport and drove me around the island in his pickup truck. Densely forested hills sloped off to white sandy beaches and green water. It truly was paradise. We checked into a hotel in the main tourist strip called Patong Beach, but then we drove far away from the tourists for lunch and went to a "local" beach called Surin. We bought food from the local stalls and at them on the beach, watching the waves crash. "Have you ever had a traditional Thai massage?" I asked my uncle.

    "Have I ever? Ha!" he scoffed, and before I knew it, we were at a cool and pristine massage parlor called The Leisure Corner, wearing pajamas and sipping Chinese tea while we waited for the masseuses!

    The massage took TWO HOURS, but it flew by. The massage was rough, painful at times, but it felt wonderful. I swear the woman had a hidden wealth of strength that you would never ever guess just from looking at her!

    Dinner was on the water, by the marina, and it consisted of loads of seafood - huge prawns, crabs, fish. Great meal and very peaceful. After we ate, my uncle thought it would be good to go out for a couple of drinks - hey, why not, I hardly ever see him! I got a taste of the Thai nightlife. This is what I saw:

    Scene 1 - Imagine the biggest middle-aged Caucasian pervert you can, balding head, tacky tropical shirt and beer belly, dancing drunkenly with five tiny and gorgeous Thai women. Each woman is hoping that this creature is going to carry her off into the Western world and give her a better life. Or, she's just waiting for him to pay her for her services. It's gross. The men are such losers but then they come to Southeast Asia and pretend that they're on par with Brad Pitt.

    Scene 2 - Katoeys. This is the Thai word for transvestite, or "lady man." Lots of them! I couldn't even tell that some of the women dancing on tables with huge boobs and shapely bodies were men! I'm sure many an unsuspecting westerner has been sorely disappointed when the gorgeous woman who follows him back to his hotel turns out to be a man. I got to take a picture with one. hehe.

    But, overall, Thailand is a fanstastic country - at least what I've seen of it. The people are incredibly friendly - they smile all the time and they are so easygoing and eager to please! 95% of the Tahi population is Buddhist. It's definitely a place that I would like to come back to explore again.

~Hope