Phuket through O'Reilly Eyes

Sometimes it is nice to take a time out with friends. Pat and Frank came over for a conference and I met them in Phuket. Pat's brother Rory had a car so I saw quite a bit of the island. Even though I did rent a car the last time I was there with Daniel, he was afraid to drive with me on the wrong side of the street so we didn't go that far. This time, I saw Phuket town, the southern tip and a few beaches and quite frankly Daniel was right to have given Phuket town a miss the last time we were there. From the guide books I thought it was going to be quite quaint and interesting but it turned out to be uninspiring.

The nice thing about my job is that if I have a phone, I can work, as you can see me in deep conversation with my boss on the beach at sunset. I also got a chance to speak about our on line courses and hiring practices with Pat and Rory who both teach at the university.

It seems that when we were not in the car we did a lot of walking and I saw all of Kata Beach and Patong Beach but now I have to go back to see Phi Phi Island and Simlin Island. There are day trips and I am convinced that they are fabulous so before I come home to Toronto this summer I will return for a few days to see these great islands for themselves.

As Pat said, we could be anywhere as we ate in tourist restaurants on the beach that could have been in Mexico, Spain, or even the United States as we looked out at the ocean. Phuket is nice if you like tailor shops, restaurants, bars and shops but you just can't beat Samet for peacefulness and tranquillity.

I am off to Mandalay tomorrow so I am not sure I will publish another post for at least two weeks but I am looking forward to being "principal for a day"