A day at the beach

There is not a lot to do in Phuket, other than hang out at the beach. Not that I am complaining, or anything. It's a lovely beach, and the weather couldn't be better. It's sunny every day, and it's not too hot (only about +30 or so).

Of course, you see all manner of humanity at the beach in Phuket. Since this is Thailand, there are plenty of Europeans here. It's mostly Germans, Belgians and Dutch from what I could discern. I suspect every country in the Union is represented here, but those are the ones that I keep meeting. Indeed, the hotel I am staying in is owned by Belgians and Dutch. And I seem to be the only one staying here that isn't one of those nationalities.

The other subset of humanity represented at the beach are the local merchants. The beaches in Patong are basically an extension of the markets across the road. Pretty much everything that you can buy on the way to or from the beach, will be paraded by you as you sit in the lounge chair under the palapa. And you can't walk 10 feet along the beach without being asked if you want a massage. Many of you know that I have a tattoo on my arm, with Thai letters on it. It's my last name, in Thai (pronounced "Asa win). So, if I am wearing a sleeveless shirt and my tattoo is visible, I am being called by every vendor within viewing distance. "Hey, Asawin!! T-shirt?" "Want a massage, Asawin? It's happy hour, so happy ending!" "Nice to meet you, Asawin! Come buy a suit! Special price, just for you!". For the first time, I regret getting a Thai tattoo.

I've seen my share of boobs and bare asses these days, too. Pretty much every European woman, regardless of age, parades around topless on the beach. They seem proud of their leathery skin and wrinkles. Good for them. But I can do without seeing the old men in thongs. No one should be subjected to that. You know how old men (senior citizen - old) hike up their pants near their armpits? Well, I saw a man who must be in his 60's, with an oversized thong that was pulled up quite high. It didn't quite reach the armpits, but you could see that was his goal. And to make it complete, the old guy had a nice long ponytail too.

Luckily, there were enough cute guys on the beach to keep me from looking at the old guys in thongs.