After the weekly Sunday expat brunch, I decided to hit a few beaches and see what was going on. James and Rebecca told me about a new part of town that I had never been to before so I added that onto my agenda and took off after eating an excellent chicken parm.
The expat crew from last week’s brunch. A great group shot I thought I would share.
I first stopped at Banana Beach. I climbed down and sat in the jungle to admire the views, until eventually I was eaten alive by mosquitos and decided I need to throw the bug spray into my everyday bag now that it’s rainy season.
The beach had a few local fishermen trying to snatch dinner.
And some local kids enjoying the crashing tide.
Never forgetting to look up, I was glad I did.
I then drove further north and stopped a Nai Thon Beach which was disappointedly very polluted with trash that had washed ashore with nobody attending to it. The view was not worth staying for so I meandered up the road only to stumble across this gem of a place called The Hill Bar.
Had a tiki hut feel to the place.
Some great Instagram shot opportunities.
It had a walkway out over the jungle which turned my stomach just a little bit wondering how supportive their structures really were. But it would be a great way to exit the world I suppose if it did collapse.
The views spectacular. The horizon line of the sea literally looked fake, like someone penciled it in.
Since this place was off the beaten path, I asked if they were serving alcohol, assuming they were not in any tourist district, and they were. SCORE!
The bar was adorable.
I took these steps to check out the upper level. The view up there was not any better.
It was a little bit like the 3 Monkeys restaurant in Kathu, but cheaper and more casual.
Such a refreshing summer drink.
I sat on a pillow on the floor, sipping my mojito and watching the sea. This may be a great place in the future to take in the sunset. But tonight I still had to get to the grocery and it was looking like it may rain.
Overall an excellent weekend adventure! Making the best of my time here. Always satisfying to find new places to fill my curious soul.
Beaches still remain closed but I am forcing myself out, attempting to find places not yet seen. I have covered most of this island but occasionally on google maps I see something that I think may be worth checking out. Tuesday I decided to check out a dam. Google maps showed a back road there that I thought would be an adventure in itself. A new road. Never know what you will encounter. My advise is to always take them.
I took off in between my Cambly classes and tried to find that road. Google maps is not always reliable. I never found it. But in attempts to explore new roads, I did turn up a few, to meet dead ends and beautiful views.
Took a road following a delivery guy and it led me to some massive homes with a view of the east.
I eventually found the dam. I thought it would be a place I could walk around and there were a lot of people out exercising but I took the lazy route and just scootered the perimeter.
As you can see Phuket has been in a drought. They are welcoming the rainy season.
The dam wasn’t that exciting, but it got me out and the ride always feels good. Along the way I found a climbing wall and some cool street art, so to me it was a win.
I found it difficult to get out of the condo the next couple days. Then Kang Kang suggested from a book that she has been reading, that I journal 3 pages a day about nothing. It’s supposed to unleash some creativity and allow a brain dump of some sort, which I have been needing. In my silence here, I struggle with the crazy in my head. So I tried it on Thursday and immediately after finishing, strapped on a bra and took off to explore another viewpoint on my list.
I took a wrong turn up this very steep road and admired the view of Kalim Beach below.
When I finally found the right road to the view point, it was not an easy ride. Not all paved and some steep inclines that made me happy I had my brakes checked out recently. (knowing I would need them on the way down)
After parking Mean Mia I hiked up a chicken filled path to this view. Not quite worth it in my opinion. It looked like they were attempting to build another structure beside this rickety viewpoint, but the view itself was not quite worth the climb.
I took a glance at my google maps and saw that the road I took to this point circled around and came out at a different end point. I decided to take that route back to possibly discover a few new sites along the way and if nothing else, at least a new road travelled.
As I was going down the road, I started to question my instincts. Never a good moment for me. The road became a dirt path, with occasional large mud puddles which proved challenging to get through. There were also a lot of rocks which made me wonder how stable Mean Mia’s tires really were. At one point, just keeping the bike up, was my focus.
My thoughts wandered back to my childhood. We used to have a wooded area behind our house growing up and the boys in the neighborhood would ride their dirt bikes down the trails. I wondered if I should’ve joined those bad boys. I think I would’ve really enjoyed it! I thought at this point in my adventure I would be better off with a dirt bike. (no offense to MM)
I came across this sign at the entry of my continued path. My google translate was not working so I decided maybe I shouldn’t enter. I later translated it.
Still not sure exactly what would have lied ahead.
At this point I turned around to try a different trail down the mountain. I was then chased by jungle dogs and literally had to accelerate to not get my ankles bit! It’s funny, whenever I have spoken to my Asian students about hiking, I always ask them what animals they see along their adventures, and they always answer dogs. I thought this was such an odd answer, until I started trekking the jungles of Phuket. It’s a real answer! 🙂 These are dogs like we keep as pets, not wolves, but they survive in the jungles.
On a side note, I also spoke to one of my regular students who told me he ate dog for dinner. He explained that he understands a lot of people do not eat them, but in Northeastern China and parts of Korea it is acceptable. So I asked him what it tasted like.
I did not escape this adventure without laying my scooter down. My leg is still in a bit of pain. It’s uglier than it hurts. Getting old ya know, we bruise more easily. At one point on this ride, I thought I may have to spend the night in the jungle. But thankfully my bike started back up and I got her up and going again, managing to get back to my condo right in time for my evening lessons.
Jason, Noni and I named ourselves The Avengers in our group text after our last crazy exploration back in March to Black Rock. (see March 15 post) This adventure was equally as challenging and rewarding. True to our crazy hiking souls, we broke through the “private property do not enter sign” and followed the path. Noni speaking Thai is helpful at times. He was able to chat with the locals sitting out front of the gated off area who granted us “permission to enter”.
We always let Noni lead, letting him go ahead and make sure the pathway is “do able” and he usually answers “can” which is so sweet, like Jason and I can” handle it. We later were hitting a rough patch and we told Noni we wanted a refund on our tour 🙂
Me waiting for the boys to arrive. You can see the red spot on my head from my helmet. I am wearing my bathing suit with hopes of hitting a secluded beach again on this trip.
Breaking the barrier. So glad I waited for them to do this hike with me. You may recall I was here before and obeyingly took head to the warning.
Google maps shows the trail ending but we found our way to the Blue’s View.
A true jungle trail. Amazing the beauty you find along the way.
Noni captured this photo. Absolutely exquisite! Looks like something that should be in a magazine.
He also captured this guy as he was changing colors. These hikes using their eyes is irreplaceable.
I finally put my hat on after we broke free of the shaded area. Sun was beautifully out and I even got a little burnt on my arms and feet.
This was the view we came out seeing. We could hear the crashing waves quite a distance away when we were still in the jungle coverage. It was better than I imagined once we saw them.
The fishermen were on the rock’s ledge. Their poles had a netlike attachment at the end.
It was great to just hang out and take in the sound of the waves crashing up on the rocks. Noni explained that Thailand loses a lot of fishermen yearly as the waves are unpredictable and will wash up and randomly wipe them out. Sad.
Jason was desperate to find shade. I warned him that what goes down has to come up 🙂 Ever since our last hike in March, I realized if you go too far down, coming up can be a bitch.
The Avengers! Later this same day, we went to lunch together in Kata Beach area which was like a ghost town. We were told we weren’t allowed to sit together at the restaurant unless we were family. So we said we were- I love that idea, us three so different, possibly convincing the authorities that we are family!
The locals told Noni that there was another path to an even better viewpoint. So we headed up again.
We ended up hiking to the place where the other fishermen were. Can you see them on the far rocks in the distance?
Selfie moment. Jason’s hair was hilarious in the wind.
Felt so free.
View before we hiked down.
Very steep but thankfully it rained so the ground wasn’t so slippery. Last time we hiked the earth was nothing but dust under our feet.
Noni taking the lead, making our way to the fishermen.
The diversity of landscape along the shores of Phuket is an example of God’s best creative work.
Noni found some shade and Jason started making his way down. I was a little worried, but eventually made it down to join them after sitting up on a high rock for a few minutes alone.
Postcard perfect viewpoint.
My Tevas yet again completing another Thailand adventure with me. A great investment from my tax return in February. I absolutely love that nature is free.
Sedona and I wanted to get out today. No place to go, but just wanted to breathe in the mountains and sites of Phuket. Yesterday we realized our condo coffee shop reopened, which thrilled me! I was missing my daily iced cappuccino. You get used to certain routines and then when they are gone, you tend to appreciate them even more. Life lessons. Appreciate the here and now.
I mapped out a couple of new places to visit that Sedona has not yet seen. Then we decided to ride up the coastline along the water on our way home. It was a beautiful day out. Not too humid and sunny as always. Thankfully we had our UV protective jackets.
First stop was Friendship Beach. This is a non-swimming beach that is mostly known for its’ kite surfing. We found many locals sitting under the trees in the shade enjoying their lunch breaks. I also waved to a fisherman who smiled back probably wondering why the heck I was in this location.
This beach surprisingly had a lot of garbage on it. Made me wonder if the locals were the ones leaving it behind at times. There are no public trash cans in Phuket. Making it difficult to discard of any take-away meal containers or purchases. I noticed when following a scooter, they pulled over to a local house’s trash container to rid of their bag they were carrying.
I made Sedona pose along the roped off beach.
I remembered there was a warehouse of graffiti art close by, so I instinctively found my way back to it without having to walk illegally along the shore. There was a woman out front smoking a hand rolled something or other. She was binding up her plastic bottles and I offered her two of mine which she gladly took. She remarkably spoke and understood English. One would assume wrongfully that she was uneducated.
Yep, I took Sedona to another abandoned site. But it’s so cool to explore!
There was a lot of new art. This is a place where they obviously come and continue to paint over top of the surfaces. Not sure if it is any sort of turf art warzone 🙂 Or just friendly walls to display the next artist’s ideas. But now knowing it changes, I will plan to visit it again.
Inside there was a couch where a local man was sitting. I said hi and asked if he was one of the artists. Everyone here feels nonthreatening to me. He smiled and was not at all bothered that we as tourists were in his personal space.
Next we rode to Rawai which is known as an expat community place to live. It is also a launching spot for many longtail boats going out to the islands. I was hoping Sedona and I could’ve done that this visit. I wanted to snorkel with her. But that adventure will have to be saved for next year. I may do it alone once things open up again. Or maybe Jason will do it with me here.
We sat along the water’s edge for a bit giving Mean Mia a little break. By the end of our day we used about 3/4 of a tank of gas.
The streets were fun to drive, obviously a lot less traffic so I was able to enjoy more sites along the way. Not worrying about traffic so much. We were stopped by a construction truck and I whipped out my phone and snapped this photo of Karon Beach.
I decided to drive down a road I had never been down. We had all the time in the world with no place to be, so why not? Although Sedona and I also tried this in Rawai earlier and the road was completely blocked off so we were disappointed. But this road led to a small private beach area with a roundabout displaying this fisherman statue. Don’t you love the background with the palms, mountains and of course the red tuktuk.
We then drove to Kamala Beach and took a turn toward Kamala Bay. I stopped to admire this hotel which was absolutely stunning adorned in pink blossoms.
Kamala Bay was the first beach I have seen that was not roped off. I later texted Jason about it and he joked that he was calling the cops. This beach has a very rocky terrain, but there were a few locals and expats taking it in.
As we headed toward Surin Beach, which was completely gated off, there was this viewpoint. I remember seeing this once before and wanted to figure out my way down to this amazing secluded beach. On google maps it is named Cape Singh Beach and also Haad Laem Sing. I will find my way there this year!!
Sedona leaves to head back to the USA tonight. I watched a video yesterday from the US Embassy of Thailand which told everyone to head back home unless you are okay with staying for an indefinite amount of time. In which case, they gave us an email address to help with any visa issues. I felt comforted by this.
I spoke with four of my Cambly students recently whose children just returned to their home countries. (two in Taiwan, one in Japan, and one in China) I am so impressed by the measures their countries are taking to ensure the safety of their communities/citizens.
In China upon arriving, you are escorted to a hotel where you are housed in your own room for 14 days. You are brought 3 meals a day and checked on daily for any health issues. When you are done with your time, if you are still testing negatively, you are released.
In Taiwan, upon arriving you have to give them your cell phone number. They then register this number and work in cooperation with the cell phone carrier to track your position. You must tell them where you will be staying and remain there for 14 days. You are taken to a taxi directly where you are then desanitized with a spray and taken to your address. If you leave the location, you are heavily fined. If you are found outside and have left your cell phone inside, the penalty is 30,000 USD$. My student is the mother and her son was returning from Chicago. She stocked food in her house and then she and her husband moved to their in-laws so their son could be alone in their home. She also told me her son’s flight was about 70% full and he wore only a mask. Several other passengers were in full protective gear during the entire direct flight.
In Japan they seem to be a little more lose on their regulations. But my particular student put her son returning from New Zealand into an apartment alone for two weeks. She would not allow him to come home until the 14 days were up. In Japan, it is more like the USA ,they ask you to self quarantine. Nobody is following up on it.
Sedona came with me to the grocery yesterday and we wore our masks, had our temperatures taken and then applied hand sanitizer prior to being allowed to enter. It was such an odd feeling. I told one of my Chinese students that I wore a mask for the first time ever. He asked me how it felt. I said it was uncomfortable and hot. He told me if it was uncomfortable, then I was wearing it right 🙂
Until they say we can’t, Sedona and I are determined to get out into Phuket’s natural beauty to appreciate every day. Today we decided to head to a waterfall, only to find it was gated off. Really? A waterfall? It can transfer the virus? Hiking is an issue? I’m so confused. In true American mindfulness, I was tempted to just walk past the gate, but reconsidered with thoughts of being caught on camera and the possibilities of Thai jail time.
I wanted to find something to do, so I googled and decided to take a detour to show Sedona the pier. As we drove past the shore I took an unknown road toward a sign that said ‘Sheraton Hotels. Figured if there was a hotel in this area, it must be nice. We passed a lot of construction which I presume was the hotel being built. We barely conquered the steep incline, even on Mean Mia, but once we did, it leveled off onto a flattened dirt area with the most beautiful views!
The shoreline we drove past.
The flattened out area with views all around us.
You can’t make this up. Just randomly driving up a new road and I get the privilege of seeing such a site.
Sedona taking it in.
The building in the distance is a mosque. It is where we originally turned to get to the pier.
I am spoiled in Phuket.
There were a few locals taking a nap in the shaded huts.
The view from inside them. I think I could nap here.
Notice the road down below. It led to an abandoned hotel.
Sedona wanted to explore the hotel below. I was worried about whether the scooter would make it back up the incline, so we decided to walk down for a closer look.
Sedona thought she saw a ghost in the shadow when we first were walking up the path. She may have. This place more than likely could tell a few tales.
Was really fun to explore. Reminded me of Lime Island when I was a kid. My dad would take us there on my grandpa’s boat in the UP of Michigan. Lime Island was a deserted place and as kids we loved to explore the empty houses and pretend we lived there. It would entertain us for hours.
The swimming pool which was surrounded by gazebos.
Windows were broken out but mostly anything of value was absent. No drywall, wires, etc.
I love that when we googled the location, it actually said Ruins of a Hotel and had a 4.3 rating 🙂
We were trying to figure out if it was ever used or just left unfinished.
It was eerie but cool at the same time.
I regretted not putting on sunscreen today. I thought I would only be 25 minutes on the scooter with a face shield on my helmet and then in the shade of the jungle. Lesson learned. Always pack it anyways. My cheeks will be rosey for awhile.
There was graffiti in chalk on the cement walls, but mostly just tourists marking their home countries. There was of course Russia, Hungry and now Cincinnati!
Such a cool shot of ruins with life.
After we climbed down from the third floor, I took this shot looking back up the staircase.
** Fair warning this is a long post with tons of photos! Was quite an adventurous day! May be a good distraction from all the corona news.
Jason, Non and I decided to spend our Saturday morning hiking to Black Rock Viewpoint. I have never been there before and it was on my list of areas to see. Jason hasn’t been there for a long time and Non has never been. (We were making fun of how the locals need us expats to make them a guide to their country’s best viewpoints and beaches- Non is Thai)
I gave a forewarning to Jason that I am not only close to double his age but also twice his size. I was hoping they would take it easy on me with this hike!
This was the beginning point of the hike. Right after, up the hill, there was a fork in the dirt road. One way led down to the beach and the other to the viewpoint. We decided to go to the viewpoint first and then come back and go swimming at the beach. Non didn’t pack a suit so we were teasing him that nobody would notice if he went in his underwear. Apparently his undies are quite scandalous….or so he led us to believe.
Along our walk Jason “smelled” cashews. He has quite the nose. He also claims to have the super power of being able to smell roaches. There is no way I would have known this plant was growing nuts. You can see from the shape that the nut is inside the curved shell. I guess they are difficult to open and somewhat poisonous?
But Non jumped up and grabbed a ripe one and took a bite out of the fruit that grows above it. In the photo above the fruit is a green piece, but it then becomes yellow and eventually red, and drops down once it’s ripe. We saw a red one that some animal got to. Non used to hunt with his dad when he was a kid, so he is very savvy to the plants and animal tracks. We saw many snake tracks crossing our dirt path. I do not want to be here when the sun goes down.
Jason was in love with these fern plants, so we made him go in for a photo opp.
We eventually came across this viewpoint. It was beautiful and unexpected. You could see Chalong Bay and Panwa Viewpoint.
Non took this selfie which I love! We are quite the motley crew. These guys are so easy going and great to be with.
One last shot of this viewpoint. Then we wandered back the way we came. A local on an ATV told us the black rock viewpoint was a different way. So we headed to it. (I thought this was it….apparently not)
Well we found it. And it was equally beautiful with a view of Nai Harn beach. You could also see Phi Phi Islands from here.
One of the guys snapped this photo of me asking them what something was. I love how natural it is.
Jason sat down to take it all in. I made a comment about his perfect posture, I could use a lesson.
You can see from the greenery that it hasn’t rained at all. I would hate for anyone to set a flame anywhere on this mountain top.
Non has a new camera and is trying his hand at photography. He has captured some unbelievable shots of nature. I think I mentioned him before. I am hopeful he will find work with his skills.
After that viewpoint we kept following a road that was going straight downhill. For about 45 hard minutes. At this point, my knees were a little achy from bracing for stability in the loose dirt. I was thinking, there is NO way I will make it back up. I was optimistic that we could reach the beach at the end of this road.
We eventually came to a leveled out area called Dragonscape. Not sure why. But it says so right on the rock 🙂
From here we could see Nai Beach. You can see we are still quite far up the mountain.
We decided to keep following the road downhill. We passed a house with a very angry dog. We left Non to make friends with him.
Not sure if you can see Non here at the top left corner, but he opted to just take a short cut through the jungle instead of staying on path.
This is a great view showing the type of roads we were taking through the jungle.
The colors never cease to amaze me here.
We eventually got to a dead end of the road. It ended with this shack reflecting some hint of civilization, with lawn chairs, a pit to cook on, a few dishes, hammock and life vests. But where to go from here? I was officially out of water.
I took this photo of the well kept spirit temple as I was relaxing on the lawn chair.
The view to my left.
The view to the right. Guess we are rock climbing our way to the beach. Looks do- able right?
This photo captures the scale of these rocks we were about to take on. Non just jumped right on top of that! I took the route around it.
At one point we were hoping this fishing boat would come save us. But there was no way they could get close enough with all the rocks in the water.
An occasional crab shell would scare me as I was climbing.
We were determined to make it. Jason kept saying there is no way back. He was quite the trooper doing this all while wearing flip flops. Non was so agile- jumping from rock to rock with no fear. I made the guys go first because I had to evaluate the placement of my already exhausted body before I made the move.
They kept coaxing me along. I stepped into some leaves at one point, NOT a good idea. Cut up my foot. Then I also stepped onto a smaller rock that moved when I put my weight on it, so I fell to my knees at that point. But both injuries quite minor.
I think this was after climbing for a bit. The end beach goal seemed so far away still.
Looking back you can see the white roof of the housing where we had started. Question is can you see me in this photo?
Taking a breather, Non capture us. At one point I had to physically duck to fit in between two rocks.
I still can’t believe we did this.
Looking down into the sea. At one crossing point the water was splashing up and I thought this would be an interesting way for the world to take me out 🙂 Wiped out on the rocks while making my way to a beach.
When we finally made it, we climbed up to a landing where a worker was crashing glass bottles against the rocks. The guys made it up way before me and apparently the glass breaker said “where did you guys come from!!??” Then charged them 100 BHT each to access the beach.
View from the landing point. I sat down and tried to get my face to return back to my normal red coloration.
We ended up grabbing drinks at this restaurant on the beach. Our food for some reason was swarmed with flies. I think flies around here are seasonal.
Jason and Non. Was such a great adventure. One which we all said we would never do again 🙂
Looking out at the mountain and rocks we conquered.
Non had regular shoes on so he had to rock climb, again, to get to the other side of the beach. I refused and went through the water which was surprisingly cold!
View from the other bar. No flies here.
Jason and I went into the water to feel human again.
I think this beach is trying to be like Paradise Beach but it is not as well kept and the water is not as kind. I discovered I prefer the calm alcoves to swim in. I don’t enjoy fighting the waves and current. This beach also got deep super fast. Most in Phuket you can still stand quite a ways out.
As we were leaving to get the truck back up to our cars this was the view looking back toward the beach. Notice the cute tent treehouse? I was wondering if that was for rent or just something to explore. I was in no mood to climb, but it was a thought.
As we were walking out, Non spoke with the guys near the truck and then walked past them. I asked what they said and he mentioned they were charging 100 BHT each to take a ride back up, so we were walking. Being the trooper that I am I took my place in the back and started conquering the first steep incline. I stopped half way and told the guys that they should go on without me, as I would be taking a lot of breaks and I didn’t want to hold them up.
They turned the corner to see the next incline and agreed we were not doing this 🙂 We watched as a young Russian couple passed us. We waited about 5 minutes and then loaded into the back of the truck. I have to tell you, even riding up this mountain was tough! I had to hold onto the rails with both hands.
I noticed they fill in their dirt road potholes creatively with coconut shells. But I didn’t dare snap a photo for fear my phone would bump out of my hands or worse yet I would fly out the back. As I predicted, we picked up the Russian couple less than halfway up. They negotiated for half price and jumped in the back and joined us.
Was one hell of a day and one I will cherish! Love my adventures here. #lovemylife
Virlane told me about this place and we wanted to go there together before she moved but never found a break in our schedules. I ‘what’s apped’ her at one of my beach pit stops on the way up and asked for the name of the restaurant. Even though it was midnight her time, she linked me to it.
Before getting into the back of the truck, which was your only option this time, I went to the bathroom and rinsed my feet off using the convenient butt cleaning hose. Yep, I went there. Then I washed my hands 🙂 and splashed luke warm water from the facet on my face to try to cool off a bit. They took everyone’s temperature before getting onto the truck. I was starving at this point and was looking forward to lunch with a view.
I felt only a little guilty taking a photo of someone else’s children, isn’t it the cutest!?
There was nothing I wanted on the menu, so I decided on coffee and dessert instead. It did not disappoint! That is peanut butter ice cream beside a delicious, not too sweet, chocolate cake! The ice cream flavor was made with bits of chopped peanuts.
Sunday I made it to the bridge and crossed over from Phuket to Phang-Nga. Traffic wasn’t too bad. There was a checkpoint when you left the island but it seemed they were just randomly pulling people over or perhaps looking for certain people that may be wanted. There was one truck I saw that got pulled over, the man driving was wearing an orange jumpsuit. I thought…..really? Is that the prison uniform here too or just a fashion statement.
I pulled over to snap this photo. Just to remember that I have been there.
When crossing over the bridge, there were a lot of small houses along the water and a burnt out ferry boat.
The Sarasin Bridge seemed to be a tourist attraction but I am not sure why exactly. There wasn’t much of a view.
After a couple of U-turns to find the right road, I started my ride through the jungle to find the Samet Nangshe Viewpoint. There was an official bicycle race going on and I am happy to say none of them passed me this time. The temperatures dropped as I drove for about 45 minutes through lush greenery and the occasional small town.
I took a wrong turn and pulled over to recheck my Google Maps. As I did, an adorable Islamic woman pulled over to ask where I was going. She helped get me back on track and I was so appreciative of her stopping. People here are just so kind. They are helpful in so many regards and always patient, never in a rush. I adore their lifestyle and giving nature.
I snapped this photo from the place I pulled over.
I finally pulled into the viewpoint area, which I had driven right past previously. They charged for you to take a truck to the top, so I opted to climb the mountain and make an adventure out of it. I was driving Mean Mia on and off now for 3 hours and could use a little exercise.
When I got to this point, I thought maybe I would die of a heart attack before making it to the top. I wondered how much further it would be. I decided to just take my time, try to stay in the shade (the mid-afternoon sun was not helpful) and take as many breaks as I felt I needed. This allowed me many appreciative views.
This bench I didn’t dare sit on as I felt it could collapse with me on top down the steep incline.
I loved this view peering through the palms. At this point I was happy I didn’t take the truck up.
I tried to capture the steep inclines I endured. It hasn’t rained here in months and the pathway is very dry. The dirt is powdery like a desert. At one point I had to scale a little bit up to the next level and every branch I went to grab in hopes of stabilizing, immediately just lifted out of the ground. Every rock crumbled under my hand.
I mean seriously, it’s such an amazing view. It’s a fascinating landscape of limestone rocks that surfaced out of the ocean during a shift in the earth’s plates. Some would say science created this masterpiece. I can’t imagine science could be so creative.
These love shacks were about 21$ a night and had a view out over the bay. I will be renting one someday. I really want to experience waking up on top of this mountain and overlooking that scene during the sunrise.
There were very few tourists.
I truly believe there is nothing more creative than nature.
I sat here for a bit and videoed a few friends to share the view. Can you see the small town on the left? (the white spot amongst the trees) To try to show you the perspective.
My new Tevas definitely did their share of walking! My feet were filthy when I finished the hike and I was a sweaty mess. Everyone thinks I am going to die because my face always turns bright red. But I can honestly say I am so glad I hiked up here and felt completely part of nature.
The red dot is where I went. My place of residence is a little bit below where the PHUKET is typed. So I covered a lot of ground on this road trip breaking Mean Mia in!
Saturday afternoon I headed out a bit early to stop by the bank before it closed to pay my rent. Unfortunately the branch I went to was not open on Saturday. I was planning to meet Virlane afterwards at our salad joint, but now I am 1/2 an hour early. What’s a girl and her scooter to do on a beautiful afternoon for this short bit of time?
I decided to google map my way to Rang Hill since I knew it was close by but wasn’t sure how to get there. The last time I was there was in April, and I honestly was not familiar with any areas in Phuket at that time and simply relied on Tiff to advise me when to turn based on her cell instructions. But now I knew enough to ignore the annoying voice on the directions when it kept saying- go southwest…..take a left and then a right…..do a u turn in 300 meters. My instincts said to just keep going. So Tia and I did just that.
We kept driving up the road past the We Cafe. As I was driving I passed another spirit temple graveyard. There were also beautiful houses up on the hill and as I continued climbing, I dreamed about what life would be like to afford that standard of living. I was enjoying the shade of the jungle and
was curious to see where this road would end.
Spirit temple graveyard along the road.
To my delight, it ended perfectly at Rang Hill.
Beautiful gazebo. No one in sight but a few locals sitting in the shade.
I am starting to appreciate the year round blooms here. No grey and gloom. Constant color.
Once I walked under the gazebo, this is what my view was. Could see for miles.
Walking back it was still vacant. I was wondering when the official high season was going to begin and start unloading the tour buses.
Some of the views.
There are so many viewpoints in Phuket. I have yet to see them all.
This tree caught my eye with the beans hanging down from it.
Viewpoint selfie. Trying to hold my hair out of my face.
I took a photo of this swing upon arriving because I loved the tree it was hung upon.
On my way out I caught this adoring couple getting their wedding photos taken. Young love is so innocent and full of fairytale excitement of a future together.
Not sure who this is, Mr. Rang maybe?
Continually being reminded to follow my instincts as I freely explore with Tia. *She goes into the shop Monday to have her brakes and starter looked over. I know her days are numbered and I feel guilty glancing toward other scooters in curiosity of costs. She has served me well, but there’s a point where I may be pushing her too far. (She’s not sounding great lately and has me a tad concerned)
When taking time today to consider all that I am thankful for, one thing that comes to mind is when my sister Tiffani stepped up and came to Thailand with me when my friend had to cancel. Her decision to accompany me during my first couple weeks in Phuket was life changing.
She remained calm on the back of the scooter in the middle of traffic when I barely had control. She encouraged me to continue exploring. And she never shared a doubt that I was in the right place for me.
She jump started this adventure of mine, and I will never forget how impactful that was. I am sure she has a fun memories from the trip too, but not the life changing input she so gracefully gave to me. Thank you Tiff.
Our memories from Promthep Cape, which was a huge mega bus tourist attraction but beautiful nonetheless. It’s the best place on the island to catch the sunset. People were lined up all along the edge of the peninsula to watch the simplistic natural wonder.
Poser Tiff 🙂
We arrived early and were able to sit and eat while the sun slowly settled.
This was at the end of a long day of scooter adventures and beach stops.
Have to appreciate the color combination of this one!
Tonya Takes Thailand 