Oceania + SE Asia

Were at the Kee Resort in Phuket Thailand. It's the best location right next to Bangla road with its many "walking street" bars, discotheques, and go go bars. It's just a 4 minute walk to Pa Tong beach. The 2004 tsunami also hit this area causing a lot of damage and casualties.

You decide, I think you know the answer...

The famous island (pronounced P-P) was severely damaged by the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami. From my pre tsunami memory (I stayed here in 2002) the left side of the island from the ferry pier on is completely new while the right side still has the same hotels, shops, and restaurants that I remember. Unfortunately, I was still sick and the weather was also still bad here. I only had the strength to take Jan out for dinner one night and we did not go to the famous Maya Bay (movie, The Beach).

We're staying in Ao Nang, next door to the famous Railay Beach, with the intent to take a boat over for the day but Lyle has been confined to bed stricken with food poisoning and the weather is terrible. Ao Nang is a major tourist area but it has pretty much rained continuously for the three days we were here.

We arrived at the Coco Lanta Resort by speedboat via a songthaew (song tou), a covered truck with 2 long seats on each side of the truck bed. It’s a lovely beach with tons of shells, very few boats, and bars and restaurants along the entire length of the beach.

Got an x-ray at the Koh Lanta clinic and Jan's hand is not fractured as thought. Woo hoo! I’ll be glad to swim with all 4 extremities again! Lyle will remove the sutures tomorrow.