Jesse Rivest's Blog

Most nights I just walk out the door of Phuket Backpacker, down Ranong Road, one block to the night market, where hawkers are cooking and selling, and fruit and produce is for sale. I walk past dogs that will probably catch rabies soon - dodging entire families stacked and motoring on small motorcycles - to the maket lane. I usually skip the sweet coconut rice, the mystery-meatballs and squids on sticks, the cockroaches in a bowl, until I reach the Thai-wrap couple. I greet them with "sawatdee krup" and motion for three wraps. He makes them with the speed and precision of a machine, and I watch with fascination each time. I hand her 20 Baht, we exchange smiles and I say "kop koon krup," while she says "kop koon kaa," before I walk away with my main course.

Next I walk past the raw fish, chickens, pork, through the fruit and veg, past the deep-frying sesame things, past the buffet stuff, to the sausage couple. The mystery-sausage-on-a-stick has noodles, rice, and pork in it - I can tell someone innovative made these - they're fabulous! 10 Baht for these - one is enough for me. On the way back through the lanes I get a young, green coconut lopped open and a straw installed for slurping... 10 Baht. I love this place!

Don't worry, I eat at shops (off the street) for many meals. But the market street is where it's at - and this is what I like about Phuket Town - where the locals buy, sell, and snack. There are very few tourists here in town - they are all Patong Beach, or Kata Beach, or some other beach on this island.

Patong Beach is row-upon-row of umbrellas, for more than a kilometer, offering shade in the sand for european breasts and "speedo" sporters. There are many resorts in this beach area, so the westerners can have beach, western food and western comfort - paradise. You have to wonder what stage of sewage evolution has been achieved in these resorts' output into the ocean, at this beach, or any of the tourist beaches. Locals can no longer live at the major beaches due to the highly inflated prices that mainly westerners can afford. But I have digressed from dinner in Phuket Town, so I will sign off now.

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