I am sure you thought our ship sailed off the edge of a flat Earth into oblivion, hence the reason of no new posts over the past several days. We had a series of land hoping: Singapore, Phuket Thailand, Sabang Indonesia & Sri Lanka in the midst of the 2024 World Cruise Olympics (yes.. we are both athletes) and more on that in the upcoming posts. Add to that I had a head cold for a few days, so I was directing what little energy I had into drinking and eating…….

Phuket is a small island, split off from the the mainland in the southwestern region of Thailand. It was moving to see this mountainous silhouette arise with the sun as we sailed into the Patong Bay and drop anchor, the heavy chains resinating through the hull as they rattled downwards.

While waiting for the ship to be cleared by local customs and the tenders dropped into the water we sat out on the back deck for breakfast taking in yet another beautiful day–– not to jinx ourselves, but we have had some gorgeous sunshine since the onset of this trip.

The true essence of cruising lies in the simplicity of unpacking just once, then awakening each morning to the exhilarating sensation of exploring a new wonder the world has to offer, reminiscent of the wonders a child must experience being let loose in a Toys-R-Us…. except that none of us move very quickly down the ramp to the tender in an orchestra of popping joints.. Ouch.. Ouch…Ouch..

As of late, we have not made wise decisions in our excursions and Thailand covers a large area. The island of Phuket is a tourist Mecca and Patong Beach, as beautiful as it looks from the ship, reminds me of the opening scene to the movie Blue Velvet where the setting seems idyllic until things begin to unravel.

The 2004 Earthquake/Tsunami was devastating and I’m sure has scared this region of the world. Yes, there are some gorgeous rain forests and sheltered coves with unique rock striations that balance delicately on a limestone stem above tourqouise waters, but the main town of Patong reveals another side.

We set out from the ship’s pier and wandered into town hoping to find temples, quaint streets adorned with shops selling local fare, but all we encountered were massage parlors, cannabis and tattoo shops and stands selling wares mass produced by places other than Thailand.

Wandering over a bridge we thought was a water treatment plant turned out to be a stream collecting human excrement and garbage that meandered through town and out into the Patong bay adjacent to the beach.

We could not imagine swimming anywhere near these waters. And then there are the tourists who flock here– tough to declare adjectives that are flattering.

We spoke to friends on the ship who ventured out farther than we did and their feedback was paused and less than impressive. I’m sure there are hidden gems and resorts that are beautiful, but why go to a closed in resort when the land around it looks so inviting.

My suggestion is, if you plan to visit Phuket, then you hopefully noticed how this post started off and how it ended– much like the opening scene to Blue Velvet.

Do not go on what we have experienced on this day, just do not follow in the footsteps we chose to walk. Go far from the town of Patong.

I did pick up a cool Tee shirt and Meredith found two open pant skirts. The locals we encountered were charming and you can’t help feel a little sorry in this potential of Paradise.

Thailand is a big place, but this little piece of it needs a makeover.

Fortunately for this day, there is the dress.