Rest. "Rest" is the word as I prepare for my last week in Southeast Asia. After an expected night of drinking in Hong Kong I grabbed a cheap flight back to Thailand, specifically Phuket (aptly named) for a relaxing week before heading home and embracing a Minnesota summer.
Hong Kong was the same as ever after five years of Chinese rule. The Special Administrative Region (SAR, leave it to the Chinese to come up with such a catchy moniker) is still a capitalist's paradise with the most amazing array of shopping opportunities anywhere. You can get just about anything in Hong Kong, especially electronics and watches. And, if you don't want to pay retail, you can always find someone who will get you a damn good copy. Hong Kong was quite a shock to the system after two weeks of living in China on less than $100 (US). In one night of semi-luxury I dropped nearly HK$1500 (close to $200 US bucks). Yikes! What's the better value? Two weeks in China or one night in Hong Kong? It doesn't help drinking $8 beers and $10 shots in Lang Kwai Fong with my excessive Aussie friends.
But now I'm in Phuket sitting in my expensive hotel room ($30 US) awaiting a mini-bus to take me to the pier to catch a boat out to Kho Phi Phi, a pair of islands about two hours Southeast of here. Hopefully Kho Phi Phi will provide the pace I need for my final week. I chose Phi Phi since I wanted some peace and quiet, but still a few pubs to waste my Thai Baht in. I'm sure Phi Phi won't be too quiet, it's become a bit famous since it was used as the basis for the recent movie version of Alex Garland's book "The Beach". We'll see. Phuket is beautiful, but it seems pretty busy with tons of beach-clad couples and strange fifty-something men with young Thai girls. You do the math...
That said, I did see the most amazing sunset last night. After an average dinner at one of the local westernized restaurants, I found a lounge chair on the beach overlooking the Andaman Sea off Phuket's west coast. Stray dogs chased one another over strangely squeaking sand. Misguided couples walked along, faces bathed in the warm red sun. Thai boys collected for-rent beach toys, closed beach chairs, and rolled up cushions as the day ended. The sun fell from the sky at first blinding then sinking into the greenish blue abyss leaving a red blended sky broken by various cumuli and topped with a blue sky still hoping the day would live on. The sunset amazed me then left me bored. My appreciation failed as I lost interest and departed the best thing I've ever seen. It figures I'd walk away from something so beautiful because of something as unnecessary as boredom. Such is life.
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