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Mar
2004-09-14 16:16:21

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culture shock
The next two days we cycle to the farthest point in Phuket province, to Kata beach. Every time we get of our bicycle we are all three remembered of the 8-hour hike from Kao Sok, while we walk like cowboys ready for a shooting match in the middle of the road. Kata beach is one of those places that we actually want to avoid, but choosing between Pathong beach and Kata beach this is not a bad decision.

We don’t come here for the Thai culture, but for five days diving anyway. Kata beach is really a culture shock in the opposite direction, one-meter beer bellies (the same you will also find at the Dutch beach in the summer in Zandvoort) and the amount of tattoos that I stopped counting after 10 in 5 minutes. We sign in at Sea Bees dive centre (http://www.phuket-scuba.com) and attracted by their very relaxed boat, the Excalibur II (see their website). One of the most impressive dives we made was the wreck dive to the ‘King fisher’ an 80m long car ferry that sunk a couple of years ago (no cars or persons aboard). For us this was the first time we saw a wreck under water, and had immediately a ‘Titanic’ flash back. Especially when we swam through a door on the side railing with which the movie starts. Every evening we tried to eat at ‘Eugene’s’ a small fish restaurant run by a Swiss where you can eat Sol for only $ 5,-...per kilo, try to find one in The Netherlands under the $40,-. When we decide to continue cycling after 5 wonderful days of diving we will miss the good breakfast and the cold bear at the bar of the Excalibur II from Sea Bees.

McCurry
08/01/2004 René decides to take a head start and while Raymond and I pack our stuff with a small hangover of the beers from yesterday evening we discus where we will see him at a certain crossing after 40km. René knows that there are two steep hills around Pathong beach and want to take them early on the ...