I head back to Joe Mansion right after breakfast, since there was supposed to be some one to pick me up for an island hopping tour – one of the must-do activities here at Phuket, or for any island paradise for that matter. I was watching local TV when the phone rang. The caller didn’t speak a word of English but only kept saying “Pi Pi!”. I was unable to comprehend what was going on when I realized it – it was my pick up service.
I quickly ran down and was greeted by a smiling local. Surprisingly, he came with a car and was ready to bring me to my destination. He didn’t speak English so I was a long quiet drive through Phuket. We needed to pick someone up along the way. It was a local Thai mother and daughter who were staying at more remote hotel in one side of Phuket. The mother fortunately spoke some English so I finally have someone to talk to.
The drive took a little while longer to get us to the port where apparently a lot of people were already waiting. Here was I thinking that only the three of us would be going for the island hopping tour but apparently the island hopping tour agents pool the people together, usually all the foreigners, in one boat for the island hopping. The waiting shed housed a lot of these tourists and were undergoing briefing for the tour. Each group was given a color and is assigned a boat. Other than that, there was nothing noteworthy about the briefing.
While waiting I managed to see this impressive lighthouse along the seaside. It seemed to be in good condition and still seems to work. The seaside was lined with a horde of motorboats ready to bring tourists to their island hopping tour. I’ve seen photos of the place and I’m really looking forward to the tour.
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