Wednesday, May 4, 2016

May 4 - A Day Of "Brilliant" Choices

Ah! Yes!  Lucky choices have a way of seeming brilliant in hindsight.  I've blogged about the phenomenon before here. Well, luck or brilliance -- it was a good day.  I took a $12 USD taxi ride to the Penang International Airport and boarded my flight to Phuket, Thailand on an airline I just heard of when I booked the $88USD ticket: Firefly. Turns out they are a busy regional budget carrier that is a wholly owned subsidiary of Malaysian Airlines.  The nearly empty flight was comfortable:
and arrival in Phuket was quite beautiful -- seeing all the islands and beaches upon approach.

Immigration/Customs were quick and easy and I quickly found an ATM.  Only fellow travelers will understand the immediate confusion that sets in when changing over to a new currency.  Even as the ATM prompted for how much I wanted -- I had no idea -- I hadn't done my homework.  Choices all seemed outrageously high until I used my iPhone coverter app that told me that 10,000 Thai Baht (THB) is currently worth $285 USD.  That seemed to be about right for what I might need for now -- but wait!  How much of it am I going to have to give the hotel upon arrival -- let me check that: 3,600 THB -- oh, ok.  10K THB still seems like a good start!  I should have been better prepared.

New cash in hand (and stopping long enough to convert my remaining 129 Malaysian Ringits to another 1,141 THB) I then phoned the hotel and within a few minutes I was picked up and delivered to a newish hotel seemingly in the middle of nowhere -- about 5 minutes from the airport.  This time I had done my homework -- and knew this place was just a few minutes walk to a beautiful beach, was rated 8.5 on booking.com with great reviews and $25USD a night.  The room did not disappoint -- and off to the beach I went.  A 5 minute walk brought me here - nearly empty and beautiful:

I meandered along until I saw an interesting beach-side restaurant -- and decided to sit a spell and enjoy my first real Thai food in Thailand.  I took one of these chairs: 
Ordered vegetable Pad Thai, a beer and a bottled water -- total cost 210 THB ($6 USD) and the waiter logged me into their wifi while the food was prepared -- and my first search was of this restaurant on trip advisor.  Brilliant indeed:

And this deliciousness was served:

A brilliant start to my visit to Phuket! And it is so nice to have my health and appetite back!