patong - dance with the devil, day 17

in a haze that seemed dreamy to me, i left my sanctuary on samui for the lights of patong beach in phuket. the airport in samui cradled a curled, dozing body of mine for the last hour, then i was picked up and slung towards phuket island in the west. i'd heard so many mixed reviews, i was interested to set the record straight. photo of the open-air airport in samui:

From vietnam / thailand trip

i land and have a brief conversation with a older american from st. louis, who still attempts to mix with the youthful crowd. strolling on to the bus, the heat swells and i brace myself for the inevitably long ride. by the time i'm at the hotel in patong, it's 4 o'clock and i'm strolling on the beach. it's a pretty comparable scene from most beach towns i've taken in this trip. parachute boats ripping though the foreground and bikini clad westerners dipping in ankle deep water. it's pretty enough, but not going to make my top gun beach list.

From vietnam / thailand trip

in search for some local cuisine, i inquire at my hotel. the receptionist tells me there is a market outside of the main drag and that it is very authentic. strolling towards the market, i'm noticing fewer and fewer westerners; i must be on the right path. the market, like all others in thailand would fail any fda test. meats sit out in the scorching heat for many hours, flies buzzing around and the smell of overripe fruit, (mostly durian), almost floors me. i quickly run up the steps to the food court, which apparently is what my receptionist was talking about. why not? i order the chicken rice, which is what most people are enjoying. the price is right at 40 bhat ($1.33). i desperately need a pineapple shake, but the vendor woman is no where to be found. i sit eating and spicing my food up, (to the delight of the locals) and finally get my pineapple shake to my tastebud's relief. time to stroll back to the neon pavement, back to where i blend in.

patong at night is such a different animal. this town has two faces, easily uncovered. during the day its wading pool / beachy persona is posted akin to the faux smile given to your mom when trying to look cool in your pack of middle school friends. once the poles have dancing partners on the strip and the town is painted in blacklight, patong's lips pull back to uncover extended canine teeth. the grit isn't just the sand from the beach. again, being a solo male, i get offers for sex, drugs and pingpong shows. part of me reverts to my 13 year old persona, wide eyed and shocked at the spectacle framed by women grinding on poles. i make my way into some clubs, but it's way too early and the only "patrons" are prostitutes and older ferang (white) men. wondering the streets, i meet up with the aussies at the factory club and i attempt to dance away my shock. after j-lo and a couple of gaga tunes, we retreat to the backstreets where expats and some travelers take comfort at tiny bars. it's apparently the birthday of the aussie's local friend / bartender who plies us with drinks, dancing around in celebration as we play games and close the tiki bar out, (i scribble my name under the cabana). the aussies say goodbye and i walk home reflecting on patong. the late night clubs were fun, as was mixing with the locals, but the in-your-face adult playground wore on me and it's clear, i have to make a run for koh phi phi.

small note: sorry for the lack of photos at night, i was concerned about my camera being lifted from my possession. i understand written descriptions aren't as visually telling, but hopefully you get the picture (pun!).