Thursday 1st December, Phuket, Thailand

No tours today, so we get to go for a wander.  I have only heard good things about Phuket, so now was the time to go and find out.

As usual, it was another hot and humid day as we disembarked the ship and made our way across the port.

With very little aim or intention we just walked.

Waste ground Thai style

These birds are everywhere in Thailand, easily as common as starlings or sparrows in England.  Turns out they are common mynah birds, and related to starlings.

We made our way through what we assumed were the suburbs of Phuket heading away from the main town, and then, at a convenient point (and with the help of maps.me) turned right towards a cove we could see on the map.

It was tiny and idyllic and we decided to sit and enjoy a cold drink at a beach bar.  The barmaid was very apologetic - she couldn't get a decent exchange rate for dollars and therefore we would be paying over the odds for our drinks.  When we asked how much a bottle of sprite was and she answered "One dollar", we didn't feel like we were being ripped off.

A flip flop tree.  We've not seen one before.

So we sat in the bar and watched the relaxed traffic of the Phuket fishermen.  One we'd finished our drinks, it was a walk along the very short beach, where we met a guy employed to clear the rubbish. He was freindly and chatty, explaining that he would clear the rubbish, but there were too many leaves for him to cope with, therefore someone else would follow behind him to take care of that.  Bearing in mind the filth and litter we'd seen in India, this was a delightful change.

On the other side of the cove, we had a stab at following the rocky coastline around the little bit of headland (called Cape Khao Khat) into the next bay. With the tide full, we couldn't get around and the rain didn't help either.  It wasn't too bad to start with, but after a few minutes it became a monsoon torrent.  We stood sheltered under trees, but still managed to get absolutely soaked. At least it cooled us down a tad.

These wasps were vicious looking and fascinating.  We watched the grubs wiggle under the care of the cruel looking adults. Turns out they are hornets - Vespa affinis or lesser banded hornets.

We bumped into a couple of Australians on the way back.  They told us that if we'd headed towards Cape Panwa, that's very nice too.  Something to remember if we come this way again.

After lunch we popped down to the souveneir stands to buy a few gifts for family and a t-shirt for Peter.  He managed to find one without elephants on it for a mere $6, so that'll help keep him dressed until we get home.

Tomorrow we'll be in Langkawi, Malaysia. I've always hoped I might see one of the mantis's that this area is known for.  Fingers crossed.