07-Jan-2014 Christmas in Thailand (2013)

Our flight left Doha at 1:30am on Friday, December 20th.  I was able to sleep for most of the 7 hour flight to Kuala Lumpur where we had a quick stopover followed by a short one-hour flight to Phuket.  Upon arrival in Phuket, we had a few items to square away with Qatar Airways for our return flight and then we made our way out of the airport.  I had requested that our hotel provide a transfer from the airport but we quickly discovered that that request was not honored so we took our chances and grabbed a cab.  I'll admit that this was no ordinary taxi.  It was not marked as a cab and it was a Honda civic sports edition with a spoiler on the back.  When I saw the vehicle, I had second thoughts about our decision but the driver had his baby daughter in the car so I figured we wouldn't go too far off the beaten path. 














Needless to say, the ride was an adventure!  It was obvious that he wanted to get us to the hotel as quickly as possible so multiple traffic laws were broken along the way!  We later learned that (like Doha) there's no enforcement of traffic laws so again, no one observes them!  It was almost worse than the driving in Doha!  After about an hour, we arrived to our hotel and checked in.  With that being the start of our adventure, we truly did wonder what would come next!   Luckily our hotel was a really nice place and the rooftop view we had of Patong at dinner was beautiful.  The weather was perfect and everything was so relaxed. The hotel was also nicely decorated for Christmas and New Years so it felt festive and cheery! 







The next day, we ventured out after breakfast to enjoy the sights, smells and sounds of Patong.  There were instances where I could do without some of the smells!  During our brief visit to town, we visited the Patong beach, which was really crowded, and we also explored some of the shopping.  It seemed that at every turn, there was a tailor asking John if he wanted a custom made suit or there was a lady asking if we wanted Thai massages. 

We did purchase a t-shirt for our future t-shirt quilt and we stopped at a pub hut for a drink or two (the Mai Tai's were wonderful) but other than that, we didn't find anything that we couldn't live without!  For lunch, I gave John the option of choosing the restaurant and low and behold, I think he found the one pizza place in Patong.  The pizza was not very good but I think he was happy knowing that his options may be limited once we board the boat! 





Also, instead of taking the shuttle or a taxi back to the hotel, we decided to opt for the took-took. 





That afternoon, we checked out of the hotel and was shuttled to the dock to board our boat called "The Junk" where we would commence our diving adventure and pursue our Advanced Diving Certifications.  We spent 6 days on the boat with the opportunity to do 4 dives a day.  This is a lot of diving and I couldn't do it all so I only did about half the dives while John did at least 3 dives a day. We were both able to complete our certifications and we saw some amazing dive spots. 

Each day usually started around 7:00am with our first dive briefing and followed by a 50 minute dive then back on the boat for breakfast and at least a 1 to 2 hour break to "off gas".  Then around 10:30 we would have our 2nd dive briefing and do another 50 minute dive around 11:00.  Lunch would follow along with another long break until the next dive briefing around 2:30. 
















The third dive would commence around 3:00 followed by a snack and break.  Dinner would take place around 6:00 then if a night dive was planned, the briefing would kick off around 7:30 followed by a shorter night dive.  The day usually ended by 9:00pm and yes, they were long but very adventurous days! 


Each location was unique and beautiful.  Here are some pictures from our various stops which included many of the Similan Islands and also Richelou Rock which is one of the most well-known dive spots in the world.
  






























There were 11 passengers on the boat. 
As a result, we were able to get to know a family from India, another dive master from Japan, a Canadian, a Bulgarian, and 2 other Americans, one of which has resided in Thailand for the past 20 years.  It was quite a diverse group and we always enjoyed the time we spent together during the breaks learning about our different cultures and customs.  Each evening after the last dive (and sometimes after a drink or two), the conversation always lightened up and the stories and laughs flowed freely! 

As for celebrating Christmas, there were only 3 of us Christians on the boat so for Christmas Eve, we got together in the dining area and read the Christmas story, played Christmas music and celebrated the evening together.  On Christmas Day, we were surprised when the cook brought out an oven roasted turkey for dinner with fruit cake for dessert!  Overall, it was a very different but also a special Christmas celebration. 

There definitely wasn't any commercialism and it wasn't about decorating and wrapping or exchanging gifts.  It was very quiet and peaceful and gave us a new perspective and focus on the true meaning of Christmas.  We looked at the experience as a true gift because we were out in the middle of the Andaman Sea, admiring and enjoying God's wonderful creation and truly giving thanks for the birth of God's Son, Jesus Christ.  While there was no candlelight service or large family dinner, it was special and we will always remember our Christmas in Thailand.  Now, I must admit that this was my first Christmas to ever be away from family and it was really hard not being with them to celebrate.  I know that everyone back home was in our thoughts and prayers and while this experience was unique and enjoyable, it will certainly make me appreciate future Christmas celebrations at home with friends and family.




The last evening on the boat, everyone pitched in and helped raise the sails.  This is a pretty big undertaking so it took a consolidated effort to get them up.  Once they were hoisted, we took the small boat out and took some sunset pictures.  John even had the opportunity to hoist the Aggie Flag! What a great way to end the cruise!

After getting off the boat, we spent one more night in Thailand to get our land legs back and also ensure that we off-gassed sufficiently before boarding our 10 hour flight back to Doha.  Thailand really has a lot to offer and we would definitely go back but would do things a bit differently in order to enjoy a more diverse experience.  I would like to ride an elephant or do some white water rafting if the opportunity presented itself again!  Finally, the people were very nice and VERY service oriented.  As I mentioned earlier, everywhere you went, tailors were asking if you wanted a custom made suit and ladies were prompting you to get a massage - ALL types of massages were available!  We did end up getting Thai massages at the spa at our hotel the last day we were there.  After seeing some of the options in town and on the beach, we opted for a more controlled and private environment!  It was quite an experience to say the least but after 6 days on a boat and sleeping on the worst bed (if you can call it that) known to mankind, the massage was much needed and very much appreciated!

Overall, it was a nice and humbling Christmas experience in Thailand and we are thankful to have had the opportunity to enjoy it.

P.S. If you are wondering what we did for New Years - we didn't do much!  We met some friends at our Clubhouse for a few hours but left before midnight!  I think we were in bed by 10:00pm Doha time!