I think I might be spoiled by now! I walked around the skeleton of a gigantic dinosaur and took a perfunctory photograph without really taking in the significance of it all. This is a creature that roamed the Earth millions of years ago!!! Next time I visit a Natural History Museum, I shan’t take it for granted!
In my defence, I was rushing off to see the exhibition on the North West Coast Indians.
North West Coast Indians
I found this to be a fascinating exhibition. Coming from South Africa and England, I had never had first hand experience of Native American culture before and it was wonderful to see such a wide variety of differences between the different groups. I apologise for the shaky photography as the lighting was dim (for preservation purposes) in the hall and I was trying to take shots without a flash.
This is the museum’s oldest hall and contains material from the museum’s first major field exhibition, the Jesup North Pacific Exhibition between 1897 and 1902. This is considered to be one of the most important anthropological field studies ever made, according to the website.
Unfortunately, the exhibition left me with more questions than answers! How did they obtain the goods? Were they finds or where they taken from people? How do Native American people feel about ceremonial or spiritual items being on display at the museum? Are they happy to have a permanent record of their culture or do they want the items back?
Fearing reprisal from ancient Native American ancestral spirits, I made haste to the next exhibit!
The Warburg Hall of New York State Environment
Section of giant sequoia tree
I loved this section! It was really interesting. This is a section from a giant sequoia tree that began growing in 550AD and was felled in 1891. Thank goodness it is illegal to cut them down these days!
North American Forests
I really, really love forests and was quite chuffed that half of the last Harry Potter book took place in them! Couple that with my dream of driving across America on a road trip and it’s easy to see why I liked this exhibition. I won’t bore you with hundreds of photos of the various exhibits but it was great in that it showed that every part of the country has different forests and terrain.
Giant Cactus Forest, Saguaro, Tucson, AZ // Piñon-Juniper Forest, Colorado
Hall of Biodiversity
I was late for a very important date and ran past the Hall of Bioversity. I just had to take this photo though! Look at that thing!
Hayden Planetarium
Wow. How long is it since you’ve been to a planetarium? It must be at least fifteen years since I’ve been to one before this and the whole universe has changed! From worm holes to a new theory on how the moon was formed, the show at the Hayden Planetarium blew me away!
I love planetariums and I love space, stars, the universe – all of it! I certainly won’t wait another fifteen years before I go to another one!! After the show, I took a walk down the Heilbrunn Cosmic Pathway which shows you photographs dating back to the dawn of time. You read right! Because of the distances involved and the time light takes to travel, telescopes have managed to capture images dating back billions of years! Wow. I may have looked a bit silly as I walked along the pathway with my mouth hanging open in amazement. (Yes, yes. It has already been established that I’m a geek!)
That was it for the American Natural History Museum. I went in using my CityPass and that gave me free entry into the Hayden Planetarium too which was a saving. I would absolutely recommend visiting and would certainly go back again. As it is, I saw maybe 25% of the whole place!!
Earlier this month I decided to write about Mom Tri's Villa Royale, which is one of the top rated hotels in Phuket, a really nice place to stay. I tend to write hotel recommendations based on their reviews on TripAdvisor or based on talking to customers from our dive shop about their hotels. As a resident of course I don't stay in the hotels here and being that this is an honest blog, I don't take any payment or freebies for writing about hotels either.
But I am glad to know some people in the tourism industry here do read this blog! Sylvie, who is PR manage for Mom Tri's contacted me with a thanks from the management for the blog article.. and would I like to have lunch at Mom Tri's Kitchen one day? Well, sure! I hate to plead poverty, but a place like that is rather out of my normal budget. Lunch for me is normally going to cost about 60 Baht, I guessed the menu at the Kitchen would be rather pricier...
Mom tris' Kitchen is part of the Villa Royale resort overlooking Kata Noi beach. I had a quick hotel tour before lunch. Rooms are "Olde Thai" style, there are several pools, a couple of seaview bars and then the restaurant. Tables are placed next to huge windows overlooking the ocean. It was a windy day on Sunday, the waves were roaring in to the beach, quite a spectacular lunchtime view...
Menu is extensive - you can browse it on their website. Actually that shows the dinner menu, not lunch, but you'll get the idea. All sounds rather good, doesn't it! The website also has all the prices. I decided not to be TOO greedy, did not order all the most expensive items. Started with a very good salad with Feta cheese and olives... There was also a bread plate with little dips made from olives and sun dried tomatoes...
Naturally there is a big drinks list too, but since this was a working lunch, I skipped on the wine and spirits. Also skipped on the Gazpacho :)
Main course for some reason I felt like a pizza rather than anything too fancy. The pizza with smoked salmon was very tasty, though I think if you want pizza you can find better in Phuket for sure. I maybe should have gone for one of the chef's recommendations but I do like a pizza.
Oh, and there was dessert too! Wasn't going to ask for it, but dessert menu was presented and the "Giant Profiterole" sounded like something suitable for a fat panda like me. Will need to diet for a few days to lose the 3,000 calories in the profiterole...
Many thanks to Mom Tri's for the lunch and even though nobody asked for a write up, I would say if you have some money to burn, Mom Tri's Kitchen is worth a splurge for the food and views. Or I guess for some people the menu seems quite cheap! Next restaurant on this blog will be a bit lower down the food chain :)
I’m taking a look at the time stamp on my photographs to see what time I set out on my fifth day in New York and, um, it looks like it was only about noon! I guess I was pretty tired from my very long day the day before.
My first stop was the Dakota which is an absolutely exquisite old apartment building built in 1884. It can be found on the corner of 72nd Street and Central Park West.
Apart from being visually stunning, the Dakota is famous because it is where John Lennon was living in 1980 and he was killed in the 72nd Street entrance (pictured left above) on December 8 1980. I stood by that entrance looking in and I got quite a chill now as I realised that was where he was shot. I don’t remember much about that day as I was only 7 but I remember my mother being devastated and I remember not being able to fathom that such a thing could happen. Yoko Ono still has an apartment in the building.
I then went across the road to Central Park to visit Strawberry Fields, the John Lennon memorial.
It took me a very, very long time to get the top picture. There were so many people there and everybody wanted a photograph. I’m not as shy to take photos with people in as I used to be but it just seemed that this was something you needed on its own. It is an interesting atmosphere and not at all sombre; there were tour groups, John Lennon lookalike singers and people from all walks of life just milling around and trying to capture the moment.
I took a look out into the teardrop-shaped park and wondered if John would have liked to be memorialised here. The park is pristine and it was easy to lose myself in its beauty and to feel peace for a moment as I was transported away from the bustling memorial behind me. I think John would have liked it and I felt a great sense of calm and acceptance, happy in the knowledge that this memorial has done him justice.
The next World Blog Surf Day is taking place on October 31st 2009. This is an event open to all expat bloggers and it is an around-the-world blogging day. We all write on a theme or a different aspect of expat living and then link to another blog at the bottom of our post. That enables readers to take a round-the-world trip as they surf through our blogs. If you are an expat or are currently living in a country different to that in which you grew up in, then please feel free to join us by clicking on this link to participate. The theme for the next event has not been announced yet but the two previous themes (and links to my posts) were:
Well, the move took place with less bother than I had anticipated but we still have to give our old house a big spit and polish before we hand it over next week. When you are renting, it is never just enough to hand it over in the condition in which you received it. You have to really shine the place up and make a virtual show house of it if you hope to get your deposit back! We finished the upstairs last weekend and we had such a feeling of accomplishment when we finished on Saturday night! We were just in time to relax and catch up on X Factor from the week previous before watching the current X Factor episode. I was a big X Factor fan before they changed the format this year - there is no way I would have waited a week before watching it had it been last year!
Our Sky was only installed on Saturday morning which was the reason for the delay in television viewing and we received our telephone line on Monday morning. I'd advertise my home telephone number on this public blog only I hate talking on the telephone! I do it all day at work so spending my personal time on the phone is not my idea of fun. Oh, and there's that whole world of internet stalking that I'd like to avoid. (Sorry, not having internet access at home has started to make my brain go soft).
The great news is that our router arrived today and we will go live on Friday so normal programming should resume soon. A big thank you goes out to O2 Broadband who rushed our order in on Monday after we discovered that our previous provider, Be Broadband do not supply our area in Dartford. Be Broadband have absolutely super service and lightning fast internet speeds so I would absolutely recommend them. I was really sad when they confirmed that they could not supply our area but am happy to go with O2 as I am really satisfied with them being my mobile phone provider and they give three months free broadband. So smiles all round then!
In the meantime, I'm still trying to catch up with blogs and comments which is not easy with no home internet access! I do tend to spend my days working as unlikely as that might seem! If you visit the side of my blog, you'll see my Twitter feed. I often post links to other fantastic travel or photography blogs and websites so feel free to follow me. I follow all non-spammy, real people but do tend to shy away from people who post a hundred times a day!
I've chatted about the fabulous Evening Standard reader offers and discount card before and this special was too good not to share. Get two for one tickets to events at the London Fashion Week by visiting the Evening Standard This Is London website.
It is the 25th anniversary this year and many top fashion houses have returned to London this year to celebrate so I’d really recommend going!
On a grey and wet morning I awoke early for a visit to a temple which has suddenly become famous. Local news last week reported that the revered Monk, Luang Pu Supha could be the world's oldest living man, having just celebrated his 113th birthday. This has yet to be ratified by Guinness. Luang Pu Supha is a well traveled Monk having visited Laos, Burma, China and Europe. He returned to Phuket in his 60's and dedicated time helping the sea gypsies. The temple he resides at now was named after him by HM Queen Sirikit.
The main temple is still under construction. All activities for now take place in more modern looking buildings. The temple is not far from Wat Chalong, up a side road leading towards the hills (see location on Google Earth). There is talk that this road will one day link up with Patong.. Indeed on a mountain bike or hiking you can follow this road up and over the hill, but it might take a while before the real road actually gets built.
The main hall, where the birthday celebrations had been held just a couple of days earlier, houses a large Buddha statue and the floor is decorated with giant lotus flowers. Given the current fame of the temple, I was not surprised to see a fair number of people there at 8am on a drizzly Saturday morning. In the main hall prayers were being said...
Outside a number of mobile food and drink stalls had arrived. Passing them I headed to the other main building where the Monks were eating. A large table was piled with donations of food. The Monks were all seated as more people arrived with offerings. Just outside the hall, a row of poor people were seated waiting for their chance to eat. In fact anyone can eat the food at a temple, but must wait for the Monks to eat first. Phuket may be a relatively rich province but of course not everyone benefits from the wealth of the land.
I shall go back when the temple is complete. I have read that the decoration inside is quite special. As it was a wet morning and the sky was dark, it was not ideal for taking photos this time. I drove further up the road. The land up here is hardly built on, though there is a safari/elephant trekking company. With the low clouds and drizzle, plus some grazing cattle and the associated "country smells" it felt like England! Along the road, a small side track headed into the hills. The sign (below) attracted my interest, but just then the drizzle turned into a heavy downpour, so I will explore up this little road further sometime soon...
I feel something should be written here about this weeks big story in Phuket. Jet Skis. Actually, it's an ongoing saga, but this week has seen some very interesting developments. The "Jet Ski" scam is well known, yet people get caught all the time. Not just in Phuket, I have heard the same from Ko Pha Ngan, and read about similar operations in other countries. You rent a jet ski for a bit of adrenaline on the water, bring back the machine after an hour of fun, and lo! The guy who rented it to you finds some damage. I think you know the rest of the story.
Now, I have no problem with jet skis if they are properly operated, insured, maintained and kept outside of safe swimming areas. I am not a "jet ski hater". A lot of tourists expect this kind of watersports activity to be available at a major beach resort like Patong Beach. BUT, caveat emptor. Most jet skis have no insurance, and you can normally see this in big letters on the machine "NO INSURANCE". Not put off by this? PT Barnum would have loved you.
Are jet skis unsafe? Well, no less safe than a motorbike IF you are riding carefully. Accidents do happen. Trouble is, ANYONE can rent a jet ski. No experience needed. And that is something I don't like. Back in 2003 there were at least a couple of deaths, one of them a 13 year old whose dad had rented the jet ski for him. That's a sad story.
Back in 2003, there was a bit of a debate and the (then) governor of Phuket Udomsak Usawarangkura vowed that laws covering jet-skis would be strictly enforced from then on – and that jet-skis would vanish from Phuket beaches within seven years.
Of course it never happened. In fact there were even more jet skis registered, despite the governor saying "All jet-ski licenses will expire within seven years and we won’t issue any new ones". Now, any death is a bad thing, but every year there are quite a number of deaths by drowning at the beaches in Phuket, and you can't ban swimming. Drunken tourists crash motorbikes and die, a plane crashed in 2007. You can't ban mopeds or flights. It's a sad world sometimes. I have not read of any jet ski deaths in Phuket since 2003, please correct me if you know of any.
Actually, the jet ski had a bit of a revival after the tsunami. There was even a round of the Asian jet ski championship at Patong in 2006, see video below:
In 2007, the new governor backed down from the total removal of jet skis and allowed owners of registered jet-skis to replace old or inoperable vessels with new ones, but still there was mention of a total ban by 2011:
But the scams continued, or maybe got worse, or maybe just got reported more. If you are a reader of travel forums, you will probably have read warnings. But nothing has ever been done. Here's another video, from 2008:
Suddenly, in the last week or so, jet skis have been big news again. It started on September 1st. There was a story in the Phuket Wan website about a Chinese tourist who, when confronted with jet ski operators demanding 50,000 Baht for "damage". She called the Chinese honorary consul who called the Phuket governor. The word had reached the ears of the right person:
It seems word then spread to other influential figures such as the deputy prime minister of Thailand and the Phuket provincial police commander. The story below is from 4th September.
At the same time, the Phuket Gazette ran a readers poll. What should be done with jet skis? Ban them, was the majority answer, though quite a few people would be happy with strict enforcement of the regulations. I personally believe, that if jet skis are properly run, are insured, kept to certain areas and there are no rip offs, then we can all live happily.
Oh dear, then this happens. Now the sh*t has hit the fan, no hiding any more. It's on TV. Lots of people will see it, bad for Thailand's image, so suddenly it's a big deal again. There was this story on 7th September:
A TV show on the "Bravo" channel in the UK called "Trouble in Tourist Thailand" aired last week. Part of the program shows the jet ski operators confronting some British navy boys on shore leave. Things get heated, they call in an MP Sergeant who accuses the jet ski boys of being crooks. One of them has a gun. And of course, the whole show was on Youtube a day later. I have not watched the whole thing yet. (Update 2010 - can't find these on Youtube now - anyone know where I can find them?)
On the 10th, the guy called "JJ" who was brandishing the gun was arrested, though has now been released on bail. We will see where this leads. Will he be a scapegoat? Will anything actually be done to regulate the jet ski industry? The report in Phuket Wan below says that Phuket's Governor, Wichai Praisa-nob, has been urged by the Deputy Prime Minister and senior diplomats from Australia and Britain to crack down on the scams. Oh, and then there's the Chinese too...
On the 11th, there was a "crisis meeting" in Patong with jet ski operators, the governor of Phuket, local municipality leaders, members of the navy and police... now, Thailand is well known for face saving measures, and the outcome of the meeting seems (for now) to be that jet skis MUST have insurance for damage. With insurance, there would be no scams. The story is not over yet... some of the operators said their businesses would not be economic if they had to get insurance. So.. hey, charge a bit more for rental, then! There is said to be another meeting due on the 18th to work out details for an insurance scheme.
Meanwhile, with some people saying the TV show was a set-up, the Big Trouble in Tourist Thailand, the producer of the show tells his side of the story:
The story will go on, a compromise will be reached, but it does seem that the current governor of Phuket, Wichai Praisa-nob, seems determined to clean up the island in more ways than one. We don't need rip offs, we don't need bad press. Unfortunately it's the bad press that people here tend to worry about more. I would hope that everyone can get their heads together and work something out. I will add more links to news stories here as they come.
Update 14th September - there are plenty more videos appearing on Youtube with uncut footage from the TV series "Big Trouble in Tourist Thailand" inluding a full interview with "JJ" and raw footage of the confrontation with British marines on shore leave. The Phuket Gazette reports that is now a new vid showing US marines also being fleeced.
A few links... (open YouTube in new window).. there are al kinds of uncut bits of video on Youtube now posted by the producer of the TV program.
Update 2: 14th September. I don't believe what I am reading here. Hide the truth? Phuket Wan reports the following:
The second episode in the controversial 'Big Trouble' television series is set to screen in Britain on Monday night - but Thai authorities are now preventing the eight-part series from being completed.
Producer-director Gavin Hill says the Thailand Film Office has sent a letter asking the British production company, Bravo, not to screen any more episodes.
My jaw dropped at that one. I'm sorry, did you want the TV to only show smiling faces, leelawadee blossoms and sparkling blue seas?
Phuket Wan writes "The Thailand Film Office has pulled all the releases and permissions that are required to complete the series.
So, when you signed all the releases, the name of the program "Big Trouble in Tourist Thailand" was not a hint as to it's content?
Let's just sweep it under the carpet. Let's make JJ Mayor of Patong, eh! Guess it will all be on YouTube anyway... How can the Thailand Film Office have any say over what is on TV in the UK? Ok, let's see how this develops...
Update 15th September:
Phuket Wan reports "The governor of Phuket, Wichai Praisa-nob, wants the Department of Special Investigations to probe major corruption on the holiday island.
He has also asked the Foreign Ministry and the Tourism Authority of Thailand to investigate widespread crimes and rip-offs."
"TALKS are underway among Phuket jet-ski operators to change their methods and eliminate scams from their businesses.
Insurance is not possible because under Thai law, the jet-skis are for sport only and cannot be rented to others, the president of the Bang Tao Jet-Ski Association, Anusorn Sale, told Phuketwan today.
The operators were given a week by the Governor, Wichai Praisa-nob, to reach their own agreement on how to operate legitimately and to put suggestions to him."
I have highlighted that section - Under Thai law jet skis cannot be rented to others. Let's repeat that.. Under Thai law jet skis cannot be rented to others. I am now shaking my head and wondering what is going on here. The LAW says that you can't rent a jet ski? So surely, surely they should not be at the beaches at all... or am I missing something?
Update 18th September. And this is a good one! I mean how DARE the TV show footage that might show Thailand in a bad light? It must be all made up, right?
Phuket Gazette Reports:
"The Thai television company responsible for producing the Big Trouble in Tourist Thailand series, which featured footage of an alleged jet-ski scam on Phuket, is to be prosecuted... Director-general of the Office of Tourism Development, Seksan Nakawong, reportedly said the film-makers had violated Article 23 of the same law for making a film damaging to Thailand’s reputation"
The Phuket Gazette reports "Phuket jet-ski operators will have to get accident insurance for their vehicles or cease doing business on Phuket's beaches, it was agreed at the key ‘jet-ski summit’ in Patong today.
Inside the packed meeting hall at Patong Municipality today were Vice Governor Smith Palawatvichai, Phuket Provincial Police Commander Pekad Tantipong, Kathu Police Superintendent Grissak Songmoonnark, Deputy Mayor of Patong Chairat Sukhabaan, Director of Phuket Provincial Insurance Office Suwimon Saelim, and around 50 jet-ski operators – including the island’s now infamous Winai ‘JJ’ Naiman."
To be continued I am sure!
... Updated on 23rd September:
Phuket Wan reports "Patong Jet-Ski operator Winai 'JJ' Naiman went to court in Phuket City today and found his case has been rescheduled for October 5.
The island's jet-ski operators and local authorities are to meet on Wednesday afternoon to try to find a solution that will restore Phuket's reputation as a hospitable tourist haven."
It's official. Following a deal signed at Phuket Provincial Hall today, Phuket jet-ski operators will now be required to get mandatory insurance for their machines.
Phuket Jet-ski Association President Anusorn Sahreh signed the deal with Saiwalee Sakornjit of Ayudhya Insurance Public Company Limited just before noon.
The event was witnessed by around 15 jet-ski operators.
Phuket Governor Wichai Phraisa-ngop was also present at the signing.
The deal will be a relief to Gov Wichai, who has been told by the Deputy Prime Minister to end the island’s infamous jet-ski scam, in which tourists who rent out jet-skis are forced to pay out large amounts of cash in compensation for alleged damages to the machines.
The island’s 219 legally registered jet-skis now have until November 15 to sign up to one of two insurance schemes....
A jet ski operator was arrested at Patong today and his vehicle was impounded and taken to Kathu police station. The operator was accused of hiring out his vehicle without registration or insurance.
His arrest and the confiscation of the jet-ski was the clearest indication so far that the bad old days of scamming by jet-ski operators may finally be over.
"A number of jet-skis continue to operate in Phuket uninsured, despite a scheme launched last year aimed at having every jet-ski in Phuket covered by accident insurance. Of the island’s 219 registered jet-skis, 43 still have not joined the scheme."
Ok, Governator - your personal promise was given. Sort it out!
---
April 2010 - more bad Jet Ski news - a Singaporean visitor had a nasty accident and died 11 days later - full story at Phuket Wan.
It had been quite a day so far! I’d woken up in Manhattan, spent the morning at the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island, the afternoon on both sides of Brooklyn Bridge and in the early evening, I made my way to Queens to Citi Field, the new world class home of the New York Mets. One of my biggest dreams had been to see live games of the major American sports - baseball, basketball, ice hockey and football and I am happy to say that I achieved one of those dreams that night!
New York Mets vs. St Louis Cardinals, 24 June 2009
The new Citi Field stadium is absolutely gorgeous and so classy inside! I was absolutely in awe and so obviously a tourist as I stood there taking photos!
I took my seat and hauled out my trusty notebook as I waited for the game to begin.
Well here I am, sitting in a slight drizzle at Citi Field, home of the New York Mets (sorry, that should be “New World-Class Home). I did a LOT today. In fact, I’ve done a lot this trip and I’m only half way through. Thank goodness I have an extra week to blog, read, sleep and rest next week!
Oh man, I hope this game goes ahead! They just took the ground cover off and put it back on again. Then again, it is raining again. I may just become cold and miserable soon!
I got here early as I skipped out the Lower East Side Tenement Museum. I had the chance to really relax for a while at Grimaldi’s and stayed a little while longer. Then there was the whole drowned rat Emm experience which took the better half of thirty minutes. The Tenement Museum sounds interesting but I’m getting a little weary of paying to get in everywhere and didn’t want to pay to get in and not have at least 90 minutes to go around there.
Thank heavens most of the museums and art galleries in London are free!
I’m seriously wavering about going to DC tomorrow. On the one hand, I could use the bus money to go to the Tenement Museum. I could also relax and take an afternoon off. On the other hand, I could use a change of scenery and I would LOVE to see the sights there.
I must say, if it weren't for my precious little notebook and the chronological order of photos on my camera, I would never have remembered everything I did, thought and felt on my trip!
Finally, it was time for the game to begin!
I’d obtained tickets high up on the third tier for about $15 if I remember correctly. I’d really wanted to see the Mets vs. Yankees game on the Friday evening but the only tickets available were going to cost hundreds of dollars! Mostly, I was just pleased at the chance to see a real, live game.
Now I’ve been to live football games in England and cricket and rugby matches in South Africa but I have never experienced such a huge thrill before as I experienced that night. The atmosphere was absolutely electric and yes, in answer to Stephen’s first question, it was complete with the organ and the horns too. I had loads of fun shouting “Let’s Go Mets!” with the crowd and have to declare that I am now officially a New York Mets fan.
The one thing I had never really appreciated about baseball before is how short the innings are. Runs are few and far between but I was lucky enough to see a home run by Evans in the fourth innings. Unfortunately, my photo of the home run has a man standing in the middle of it as he shot into the air as I took it!
I eventually had to leave during the 8th innings though. I was absolutely freezing and wasn’t sure if Stephen would appreciate me charging a New York Mets sweater to his credit card. I’d like to say for the record how deeply I regret the decision not to buy one and I will certainly do so next time I am in New York!
The final score was Mets 11, Cardinals 0. This is the scoring summary for those of you who are interested.
I caught the subway home from Citi Field all the way to West 110th Street for the princely sum of $2. Take that London! What you lose in new York on admission fees, you certainly make up in the cost of transport!
As I came to the end of the fourth day in New York, I found myself insanely gleeful to be be in bed after spending at least fifteen minutes defrosting under a steaming hot shower. I was more tired than I could remember being before but I was pleased with everything I had done so far.
Hiking is not a popular activity in Phuket. Yes, you have places where people go to exercise such as Suan Luang Park or Bang Wad Reservoir, but in general Phuket is not a hikers paradise. There are few footpaths, too much land is privately owned and .. it's really really hot most of the time!
I had never given much thought to hiking up the hills in Phuket. Most of the big hills are accesible by road anyway (Buddha Mountain and Radar Hill for example), although I have been thinking of a hike up Buddha mountain for a while since a friend told me you can hike it from Karon Beach. I got more interested when I read a blog by an American expat who lives in Phuket. Glenn used to do lots of long distance hikes, and has been exploring the trails in the hills in Phuket. There are in fact more than I realised, many used by rubber plantation workers. Rubber is still big business here, most of the bigger hills are covered in rubber trees. Glenn has been working on a "High Trail" through Phuket, connecting all the hilltops. He writes about this on his blog "Fiddlehead in Phuket".
Now, like most people I always assumed that Radar Hill (Khao Mai Tao Sip Song), the hill with the radar dome on top, was the highest point in Phuket, but no! In fact, a hill behind Kathu Waterfall is higher, quite a bit higher actually. Glenn found this out a few months ago and wrote about the hike on his blog : Highest Point in Phuket. Now that rather caught my interest, I contacted Glenn about doing a hike with him (an easy one preferably!)...
Last Wednesday, I had a contact on Facebook - would I like to do a hike up to the high point on Friday? You bet! I arranged for a half day off work, prayed for no rain and met Glenn near Kathu Waterfall at 8:30am on Friday... Now, Glenn is 59, so I have 19 years on him, but he's a very fit guy, while over the last few years I have started to look like the Kung Fu Panda, only without the Kung Fu. Years ago I was a runner, cyclist, did lots of exercise, lots of traveling and could have handled a little hike easily. Glenn assured me it was not a really tough hike, but if you ever considered a hike like this, you better be in good shape. I made it, but it was not easy...
The start point, up a side road just before the waterfall, was just over 100m above sea level, meaning we had over 400m to climb vertically. Weather was good, rain had held off, but a bit more cloud cover would have been nice. The opening section of the trail was easy to follow and not too hard, but we then reached some very very steep sections, some was surfaced with concrete, some was dirt and rocks, some had water running down it. My legs did not like that steep section! I was soon drenched in sweat and had to take several little rest stops. Glenn would read off the altitude as we got higher. I think the opening half hour we climbed about 180m, and that was the hardest. I did think about abandoning, but the trail then got a little easier and my (ahem) "ex-athlete's" body maybe got used to the idea of hard exercise!
A couple of views near the bottom of the trail, looking back into Kathu...
Once the path flattened a little, I decided the top was a reachable target. Things became more enjoyable. The peace and quiet up in the hills is fantastic. We did pass a couple of rubber plantation workers huts and saw a couple of workers, but otherwise, the mountain was ours. Not many places in Phuket where you can be quite so peaceful, and yet where we started the hike is only 4km as the crow flies from Patong Beach! We had a 10 minute rest at a cabin where Glenn had stopped before. The owner was not around, though. He has great views from his cabin over the east of Phuket. The photo below looks NE, you can see the Naka islands and Koh Yao Yai in the distance. Would be about 20km in a straight line to the islands.
The path after the cabin was not so steep, but more overgrown. Not that far from the top, at around 470m altitude I think.. we lost the trail. Although Glenn had been up a couple of times, it was before low season, and the jungle can grow quickly! We were close to giving it up, when Glenn had a "hey! how come I didn't see that before" moment and the path was found. I mean, it's not obvious, not a well trodden hikers path at all, just used by rubber workers. We passed lots of rubber trees which grow in among the jungly trees. It's green and wild up here. The rubber trees here are not in neat rows like in the plantations in parts of Phuket, must be hard work collecting rubber up in these hills.
The last 40m of ascent were on a more open piece of land and we were surprised to find 2 guys working there, one of whom said he was the land owner and seemed to think we might want to buy the land. Well, views or no views, building regulations don't allow you to build a house at 400m above sea level! There is supposed to be a law in Phuket to prohibit building abover 80m, but ... No, unless you are a hermit, the roof of Phuket would not be an ideal spot to live. The views from the open land were great. Hard to get the feeling in a photo. Lots of trees around, so you don't have unobscured views, but hey, this is 500m above sea level!
The 2 guys had come up from Kalim beach (just north of Patong), by motorbike most of the way, they said. You can see a track on Google Earth leading to a point not too far from their land. Maybe try it that way next time! Now, Google Earth is a great tool, it even has an altitude reading, although it's not quite accurate. We topped out at 542 meters above sea level, though last time Glenn had recorded 545 meters.
And so, photos taken for the record books, we headed downhill again. Going down is hard on my poor knees. I used a big stick of wood for some support, and headed down at my own pace. Looked like rain might come, dark clouds were around. Rain would have made some of the path dangerous and slippery. Luckily, no rain came. I got very thirsty towards the bottom, and hungry, it had been a very hard morning. The steep sections were just as hard going down as going up! If I try this again, will carry more water, and some energy bars too. By the time we reached the road again, I was gagging for a Gatorade! The total hike had been about 6km (3km each way), with a total ascent of 440m (1,440 feet). Ouch! Fat Panda found that hard, but what doesn't kill you makes you stronger, right? I hope to do some more hikes in the future. I think the next will be up to the Big Buddha from Karon, an easier one I think.. after all, the top of that hill is only 400m above sea level. For now, I think next blog page should involve a beach and a cold beer :)
