Location: Patong, Phuket, Thailand

Today, I decided, would be a purely chill day. I’ve been going full bore for awhile and now my body was like nope. Now you relax! And what better way to do it than in a beach town.

I decided to venture further than the hostel lobby, but only got as far as next door to a little coffee shop for a Thai iced tea and a spicy rice dish for breakfast. Now that I don’t feel carsick I need to get back to my spicy food!

Patong beach is one block from the hostel so I wandered over and ended up walking pretty far. The sun was out, the sand was so soft and clean, the water of the Andaman Sea was warm and before I knew it I had walked almost the entire length of the beach. The weather looked like it was going to hold out for a bit so I hustled back to the hostel to grab my swimsuit and book. An iced coffee in hand, I searched for a beach chair to rent and found the perfect one half in the shade and half in the sun.

I don’t mind when it’s cloudy at the beach because I won’t get sunburned, and not many other people show up so win win for me! I swam, had a beer and sat in the sand or under my umbrella for a few hours without much bother. Standing in the warm ocean up to my waist for the first time this trip felt really wonderful. I felt very in control of my life somehow. I brought myself here. I made decisions that allowed me to be here. Despite how much chaos is involved in travelling without an itinerary, I also feel very grounded.

Eventually it did start to rain enough that I walked back towards my hostel. I couldn’t pass up the calls for an hour long foot massage on the way though, given that it looked like the rest of the day would be spent mostly indoors anyway. Might as well be here! For the first time I also saw ‘no sex’ in big bold red letters on some of the massage parlour doors. It was a bit jarring when I saw it actually, part of my naive brain sort of thought that was a thing of the past… but clearly not, seeing as there were plenty of shops without that notice.

I spent the bulk of the day moving from lounge spot to lounge spot, reading, writing, doing laundry, kinda napping, and ordering treats. It was the perfect way to relax and recharge.

I did venture out in the evening to get a better look at this part of the island. Patong is famously raucous and the many bars, go-go dancing venues and night clubs all along Bangla Road were no joke. Scantily clad women beckon and touch men’s arms as they pass by, mostly ignoring women. I was repeatedly invited to be given free beer if I sat in a bar and remained visible from the street (no doubt to lure in other patrons as it was still relatively early in the evening). Promises of free drinks, cabaret dances and ‘secret rooms’ were advertised in small half hidden signs all around the place. The sex industry in this area is just like one step away from being on full display. Aggressive hawkers called to sell me this or that in every alley along the road.

I turned a corner off Bangla Road and saw a very long line for a 40 year old Thai restaurant called Number 6, and figured ‘I have no plans’. Food lineups don’t lie!

In an attempt to keep the lineup moving they were filling tables with as many people as could fit, regardless of whether they knew each other or not. I was sat with two young Australian guys, Nathan and Olly, and at first I was worried it would be an awkward dinner. What do I even talk to college age dudes about. This is the third time I’ve felt old in like two days. Turns out I’d forgotten how friendly Aussies are and they ended up offering me to try all the different dishes they ordered and we chatted away for almost two hours!

It was a lovely way to end my day of rest and relaxation. And no, the lineup didn’t lie. The food was awesome.

Sav