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Phuket Town
December 5, 2009 – December 7, 2009
AirAsia.com has daily flights from Hong Kong to Phuket, which is conveniently close to islands like Koh Phi Phi in the Indian Ocean. I’d heard good things about the scuba diving in Koh Phi Phi from some divemasters I’d dived with in Cambodia. After several weeks of cold weather in China, some time in the tropical sun sounded like a good idea.
Ko Phi Phi
December 7, 2009 – December 11, 2009
I took a day to acclimate myself in Phuket town, then took the ferry to Koh Phi Phi. I visited many of the island’s dive shops and booked three days of diving, which were quite a lot of fun. In addition to the usual sea life, the highlights included seeing sea turtles and leopard sharks. I considered booking a diving liveaboard in the Similans, but I hadn’t been feeling well.
Krabi
December 11, 2009 – December 22, 2009
Fighting some kind of infection, I moved on to Krabi town, the sleepy provincial capital. I got better with the help of time and antibiotics, and ended up taking a three-day rock climbing course in nearby Rai Leh, famous for its world-class limestone cliffs. After I completed the course, I dragged my limp body onto an overnight bus, destination: Bangkok!
Bangkok
December 23, 2009 – December 25, 2009
I’d been to Bangkok earlier this year, but I’d spent most of my time in the hotel room, venturing out to some of the heritage sites in the historic Old Town. This time, I wanted something different, but I knew I only had a day or so before flying back to San Francisco. I also knew I’d probably be back shortly (given I’d purchased a round-trip ticket), so I wasn’t worried about missing anything this time.
I thought it’d feel weird delving into the salacious Bangkok alternate universe at Christmas time, so I instead visited places like the Jim Thompson House and shopping malls like Siam Paragon. I watched the sun set from Lumphini Park, then did some browsing at the night market next door before catching a ride to the airport. Because my flight was after midnight, I had a lot of time to kill, then it was onto the plane. I was going home!
