Phuket

Bryan, Deena and I ventured into Phuket Town to find a restaurant ("May Porn") recommended by Lonely Planet, around 10 p.m. on the night of our

Chang: Actually pronounced "Chong"

single day in Phuket. Kirsten wasn't feeling up to trekking around the darkened streets, and stayed in her room at the surrealistic S.T. Hotel (more on that place in a moment).

We couldn't find the place. We had decided that a walk would be nice, but after hoofing some 10 blocks, tensions began to run a little high. Deena led with the map, reassuring us that the place was "just a little further." Finally, we found it - padlocked for the night.

"Uggghhh," we said.

And I chanced to look over my shoulder, at the façade of a movie theater. Over the marquee, bigger than life: a hand-painted poster for "The Blair Witch Project," now playing. The faces of the doomed hikers looked, inexplicably, Asian.

I guess you had to be there.

The S.T. Hotel is the single weirdest hotel I've ever dropped my bags in, and that's counting the accommodations in Arizona. When we left our rooms in the morning, the door to every room was open, the beds untouched: we were the only people staying on the seventh floor. Breakfast was cold duck eggs, with yolks the color of highway safety cones. We took a tuk-tuk into town, got some fresh fruit and munchies, and caught the ferry to Phi Phi Don.

One day on Phuket
We spent one night in a weird hotel, had our butts hauled around at dangerous speeds in tuk-tuks and saw the infamous "Blair Witch" sign. Not much from Phuket, but don't leave without seeing our one picture capturing the haunting and bizarre Thai country music.

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Patong Beach
While on Phuket, we spent a few hours at Patong Beach. Again, not much to see except for Geoff's toes. And just try to tell us you don't want to see that.

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Journey to Phi Phi
It took us a while to figure out the mechanics, but we eventually booked passage on a two-hour cruise to Phi Phi Island. There weren't any instructions or lifeboats, but there were a number of nice people, including a Dutch couple who didn't know Marcel.

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