Phuket Town

To not feel so alone this morning, I treat myself to a Thai massage. And once again, the nice woman is working hard and cracking my bones. After that, I walk to the weekend market and stumble upon many lovely stores selling handicrafts. Whoever says Phuket Town is not worth it, must have overlooked the old town. It is very cozy in the evening and during the day there are many different stores to discover. Not just for shopping, but also unique cafes and restaurants. In the afternoon, I reach my destination and dive into the chaos of the vendors. This market is one of the biggest and most confusing ones I have ever been to. All stalls and containers are covered and packed tightly together, so you quickly lose track. The 'worst' part is that the aisles are not arranged at right angles, but run crisscross. It doesn't take long for me to completely lose my orientation. At first, it's not so dramatic. But when you try to find a specific stall, you get lost quickly. The same thing happened to me! I feel like I am walking through the same aisles over and over again without finding an exit...almost like in a labyrinth. That's why I need some comfort food first and search for a Roti Pancake in the huge selection of food. I find one and continue my search. Just as I am about to give up, the little shop appears right in front of me. So I buy the desired item and then walk back to the old town. Because on Sundays, there is a 'Walking Street' here, where many different stalls are set up close together and some musicians and artists entertain the crowds. This night market is definitely my second favorite of the whole trip. Pretty exhausted, I finish the last errands and go to sleep with a little anticipation.

Because the next morning, I have booked a ticket for the 'Trickeye Museum' and hurry with breakfast to avoid the crowds. It is a 3D museum with funny and crazy motifs that you can take photos with. I am a little worried about how I will manage without a companion. But luckily, the Thais think ahead. At the entrance, I am assigned a personal photographer. She knows from which perspective the best photos are taken and is very dedicated to capturing beautiful memories of me. We only move on to the next motif when she is satisfied with my desired photo...after all, the museum offers over 100 motifs. With many unique pictures, I return to the hostel and pack my things for the second to last time. By the way, a 35-liter backpack is perfect for hiking, but definitely too small for a weeks-long trip. With a backpack and several individual bags, I look for the beach bus. Along the way, I meet an employee from a hostel who recognizes me and says a nice goodbye, once again amazed by these warm-hearted people.

I find the incredibly cheap local bus and show the driver where I want to get off. I pass the waiting time with a conversation with a Swede. We exchange experiences about India and Thailand and are amazed by the different things that people of the opposite sex experience. After a quite long bus ride, with people getting on and off constantly, I reach Bang Tao Beach. My hostess is incredibly nice and helpful, I can't believe my luck in finding another substitute mom in the last accommodation. Her daughter is also named Lisa...which is quite rare in Thailand.

In the accommodation, you can borrow bicycles for free, which makes the way to the beach easy...it is one of the longest in Phuket and equipped with many hotels and restaurants, but still very peaceful and relaxed. This is a great place to spend the last few days.