10/2/25
We muddled through the night, kind of sleeping. It was hard to be comfortable though. It’s an odd thing, a metal box of humans, 35000ft up, sharing mealtimes. The next feeding came just before landing. which was breakfast. We had spinach filled pastries with a side of mushrooms, a solitary cherry tomato, a fruit salad and a little cake topped with walnuts.
Landing took a while. We were nice and early after a tailwind of 100mph most of the way but got stuck in a holding pattern. We could at least enjoy the enticing views of green islands and sandy beaches. Immigration was easy and quick. No visa required or anything. We get 60 days, which can be extended. Down at the luggage carousel our bikes and bag were waiting for us next to the conveyor belt. They looked like they hadn’t been anywhere. Perfect condition.
The warmth was overpowering, but in a good way. When we left the airport we weren’t actually sure how to get to Phuket town. We could have got a Grab taxi, the Uber equivalent, but weren’t sure how the bikes would get in a car with two of us. Obviously we were harassed, in a friendly way, by a taxi company as we left. But they had minibuses. We paid £50 for the ride, which was more than an hour, and felt this was reasonable. But it was probably high by Thai standards and we’d been fleeced. Convenient though.
We were extremely tired but it was an enthralling experience that kept us awake, mostly. It was crazily busy, and we were surprised to see people driving on the left again. The number of people sitting in the back of pickup trucks was also an amusing lack of safety. Neither of us had been anywhere near this part of the world before. Cycling looked like it would be equally amusing. We weren’t sure Phuket was particularly representative of Thailand as a whole though.
We checked in easy enough. There was even a lift. There was air conditioning. Easy life. After contemplating the heat and our new surroundings we decided to walk into town for some ‘dinner’. Phuket old town was mashed with tourists. Mostly Russians. Apparently they’ve been fleeing their homeland here in ever increasing numbers. The atmosphere felt very laid back, Thai people are a lot quiet than the Turkish. There were lots of bars and restaurants. And also cannabis shops. It’s kind of legal here. It’s a fluctuating situation.
We went to a vegan restaurant called Reach. All the lights were off when we arrived. But it was open and also it was half in the open, no walls to speak of. The staff welcomed us and gave us a handwritten menu. Pad Thai, fried tempeh, papaya salad and a coconut to drink. All the dishes came on banana leaves. They were spicy and fragrant. We were finally in the right place for veganism.
On the way back home we bought mango sticky rice. We thought it was street food but she bagged it all up for us to enjoy back at the hotel. We went to our first 7/11 to get a 5l bottle of water first. We were starting to feel seriously tired. At 10pm we closed our eyes and fell into a deep, deep sleep.