I figured if I don't write this now though, it'll never get written. So here goes, the end of my trip.
We learned that Omar, the place we stayed, was cheap because it was right across from a very loud bar, which wasn't the easiest to sleep through.
Our first night, despite being so tired, we figured we should probably stay up a bit, so we wandered out to take a walk. Just our luck it started pouring, and I really mean we got soaked. However, we knew our choice was wander or sleep, so we just went from store to store, looking ridiculous trying to stay under very narrow overhangs, but luckily we weren't the only ones doing it so who cares right?
Thursday we went to the beach for a while, which was actually pretty nice. Not as pretty as Phi Phi, but still nice. It was pretty hot though and we really wanted to find shade so we again just went shop to shop to stay a bit cooler. For lunch (sorry to talk about food again) we got amazing mango sticky rice, where they even gave us an entire mango cut in half since they knew we were sharing. It was perfect.
Then we went and got fresh lychee from a fruit stand. I'll be honest, I loved it, but I don't think it tastes that different than canned, though opening it is a fun experience. I never would've guessed how the outside looks. The guy at the stand also asked us if we'd ever tried mangosteeen (when I first heard it I thought of a Jewish mango and was convinced I'd heard him incorrectly, but I looked it up and that's the real name), we of course said no. The outside is round and you have to break through it and then a layer of purple mush and then inside that it has sections like an orange except more like the texture of mango I think. Anyway you can eat the sections separately (which Jessica and I did when we split them) or you can just pop the whole thing in your mouth since it's so small anyway. Sometimes the biggest section has a seed but otherwise it's ridiculously delicious and sweet.
As we headed on we found a bar that had connect four games set up and as we both just wanted to sit in shade it seemed perfect so we got to play for a while, until another woman came and gave us dirty looks for not buying anything (the other workers had seemed fine with it), but we got uncomfortable and left. Who would've thought you could put so much thought into that game? Though by the end we were making incredibly stupid mistakes and just not noticing either that we were letting the other person win or that the other person had let us win but we just missed it.
Then, sadly, it was time for Jessica to leave, and I was on my own in Thailand. Not my top choice of places to travel alone.
I found a place that was really cheap for dinner (my budget was getting tight and I refused to pay the bank fees to take out any more money), and that's where I learned that the cheaper the place the more you got. I ordered just a meal and they gave me fresh fruit for free for dessert. It was amazing, and I sat there for a while reading, since it was dark and I knew that from there I'd have to go straight back to the room since it wouldn't be safe to be out alone. Sadly though, I ended up back early.
Friday I caught a cab to go to Patong (another beach in Phuket). There's Chabad there, which is a very religious Jewish group that has centers around the world, which comes in handy when you're traveling and need somewhere Jewish to go. I figured since Jessica left I should spend Shabbat there, plus it would give me an opportunity to light Hannukah candles and hopefully feel a bit more of the holiday spirit, since as nice as it was that I was remembering the holiday by drawing candles, it was still pretty sad for me.
Anyway so I got this cab and I'd found hostels online that were cheap, since it's not easy to find cheap place in Patong (I was going for about 300 baht a night) and written out their names and addresses. Unfortunately, it turns out that in Thailand (or at least Patong) addresses mean nothing, and he asked me for their phone numbers. I, not having had a phone for any of my time in Thailand, clearly did not have the numbers because why would I pay attention to phone numbers if I didn't have a phone?
Anyhow we drove all over Patong, introducing me to what I would typically think of as a third world country. It looked so dirty, and he had no idea where we were going. Well to be fair, we found one of the hostels, but it was full. Finally I had him drop me on the street that I knew Chabad was on (though I had no idea how far down the street from Chabad I might be) and tried to find a cheap place. It was much harder than I expected and I ended up paying a bit more than I'd wanted to, but I ended up in a private room at Paradise Inn, instead of a dorm style so that was kind of nice, though it meant I had less money for food.
I decided that I should probably figure out where Chabad was before it got dark, so I headed over there, and this Israeli guy was shocked that I was alone in Phuket and told me he'd show me around.
Halleluya, exactly what I said when I found it
He took me to the beach and I realized how easy it was to find and told him I was fine from there, so thankfully he left, as he was getting to be a bit of the creepy man that I was trying to avoid, as opposed to the nice Israeli who was going to keep me away from creepy men, who I had hoped for. (Though I won't complain about the fresh pineapple and the mango smoothie he bought me, since I was sort of starving)
Anyway I was pretty happy he left and enjoyed my day on the beach. It was actually pretty cloudy, meaning it wasn't too crowded, and the water was perfectly warm and relaxing was just what I needed.
That evening, as I headed out to Chabad to FINALLY light Hannukah candles (on the 7th night for the first time, but it's never too late to start right? I figured it was better than nothing). On my way out of the inn, I had to walk through a small mall type thing, and I actually saw the Australian family we'd met on our day trip in Bangkok! I remembered how much they complained though and I was in a rush, so since they didn't see me I didn't bother saying hi. About 5 minutes later, though, I ran into Laura, one of the Irish girls who was on our tour of Uluru! Who would've guessed? I cannot describe the joy and relief that both of us felt. We were both alone in Patong and a bit nervous, and she had been spending her days on tours but was nervous to leave her hotel after dark, and I knew that my plan was also to stay in after dark. We seriously saved each other.
Anyway so she'd just eaten dinner but had nothing else to do before it turned dark and really didn't want to just head to her room already so early, so she joined me! It was really nice. It was also good we got there so early for seats, because the room got so hectic and crowded and some people had to wait for a second seating for dinner. It was FULL of Israelis and everything was Hebrew, but I tried to explain to Laura what was going on. Unfortunately, because it was so crowded and noisy, I could only just hear the blessing for the lighting of Hannukah candles, and it was pretty hard to pray, since the men were on the men's side, but there was no women's side, you just had to stand by the dinner tables as close to the divider as possible. Since it was so crowded though I couldn't get there and just gave up, but for a few of the nice Kabbalat Shabbat songs everyone in the room joined in which was nice. It wasn't quite what I'd hoped for but it was sure better than nothing.
Dinner was pretty good, and I finally had meat which I hadn't had for a while, plus I was pretty hungry since I hadn't eat much. I wasn't kidding when I said I was budgeting, I was also rationing my food. Thankfully for Shabbat at Chabad they have a kuppah, which is basically like you just donate the amount of money you can (before Shabbat) and that pays for your meals for Shabbat. (I felt bad since I hadn't put much, but again, I was basically starving myself so it's not like I had and just didn't give).
It was nice having Laura there and chatting in English, since sadly my mind just was unable to speak Hebrew (though I could of course understand). There was some singing though which I very much enjoyed and made me appreciate being with Jews.
After dinner Laura and I headed back to her hotel, which was conveniently just across the street. Wow, we were quite clearly on very different budgets. Her hotel was BEAUTIFUL and I felt like a princess walking inside. Now, this was probably also due to the fact that I had just not been in the nicest places (they were all good enough, but after all of the places I'd been, this looked like heaven to me). Also, everything in her fridge was complementary so she gave me a bottle of water, which was one less I'd have to buy, and then we headed to the restaurant in the hotel and she bought us drinks.
She was very understanding of me being unable to buy, and the fact that I'm a broke student, while she works. Anyway it was really nice just sitting and chatting, and there was live music, but at 10 we realized I should go so that I didn't walk back too late alone in the dark.
The next morning I headed back to Chabad, and this time since it was quieter was able to actually pray. At lunch I found a South African couple, so again had some English. They, like I, had thought the night before that they were the only English speaking people in the room.
After lunch I had planned to go to the beach but was exhausted, since the windows of our rooms don't go to outside, they go to the hallway, but since I only had a fan I'd left the window open so I heard everyone going and coming the night before and hadn't slept well. So due to that I passed out and by the time I went to go to the beach it was pretty cloudy again, only when I got to the beach I realized that this time it looked actually like rain clouds, unlike the day before.
Before I actually stepped on the sand, while I was debating whether to just suck it up and go swimming or turn back, it started pouring. I ran from shelter to shelter and finally just gave up and got soaked and spent the rest of the day sitting in my hostel reading. I headed back to Chabad, and since there were many fewer people this time I actually got to see them light Channukah candles, and when they went to say Havadallah I stood at the back so I could be closer to the Channukah candles and finally enjoy them (on the last night).
Then Laura and I had planned for me to come meet her at her hotel again, and we headed toward the night markets on the beach. As we were getting close we started seeing all these people dressed up, and realized that there was an end of the year Patong parade going on! It was pretty fun, lots of flashy cars with music blasting and crazy floats with girls dressed in crazy outfits. There were kids dressed as jellyfish and so much more. It was fun getting to see that.
After wandering through the markets (and seeing some NASTY looking street food), we headed to a quiet outdoor bar and got some drinks, and then they gave us some free shots. It ended up a bit of a crazier night than we'd planned for (even though we just sat there the whole time) and there were some fireworks.
It was a really fun night and again, I am so grateful that we ran into each other. After saying no to numerous people coming up to us trying to make us buy things we didn't want, we finally bought cute string friendship bracelets to remember how we saved each other.
When I woke up the next morning I went for a quick swim and then packed up and left.
The minibus ride was actually rather interesting, seeing the jungle and some towns where actual Thai people live, as opposed to the touristy areas I'd been in.
Going into a jungle is one thing that I'll still have to do sometime, since I missed it both there and in Cairns.
Nothing too interesting about my flights, though Air Asia makes you pay for meals and didn't have any in flight entertainment even from Kuala Lumpur to Sydney. That was annoying and I will be avoiding that airline from now on.
So that's the end of my travels.
Thanks to everyone who followed my blog. I'll be honest, I wrote it more for myself as a travel journal than anything else, but it was quite exciting seeing that people were reading it (especially from places where I'm not sure I even know anyone).
I loved Australia and I'm hoping to go back after I graduate to work for a year or two. I wish it was closer and I could just go back and forth, since I'm really going to miss it (and already do). Being home I didn't realize how lonely I'd get, I miss always going on adventures, though it is nice to relax a bit.
When I first got off the plane I had to ask my dad which side of the car to get into if I didn't want to drive, and when I was driving I looked the wrong way down the street. It doesn't feel real being back here, but I guess I'm back to real life.
Thanks to everyone who made this semester my favorite.
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