Phuket, Thailand

One of the great joys of Singapore is how easy it is to leave. A group of colleagues and I made good use of that trait this past weekend, and took ourselves (and in some cases our laptops) off to Phuket, Thailand for the weekend. The flight was short and easy, and before we knew it we were happily checked in to our lovely hotel, which was right on the beach and in easy access of neighboring towns and things to do.

Easy swimming access when it was too dark for the beach

Looking out over the ocean

A lovely spot for coffee or breakfast

We were a multicultural little group (five countries represented by six people), so much of the weekend was spent teasing one another's backgrounds, figuring out which types of humor do (theirs) and don't (mine) translate into other cultures, and generally enjoying the conversations that ensue when you pull together people of very different backgrounds. It was, in a word, delightful.

Aside from enjoying the company, we made very good use of the seaside for swimming, relaxing, and (my favorite!) kayaking.

We kayaked out to the little island that just shows in the middle-right of the photo - a good time

 

The beach was covered with these little guys - very industrious!

Such a stressful life

In the afternoons and evenings, we went into the neighboring towns to do a bit of exploring - temples, shopping streets, and good restaurants are lovely places to be when it rains.

...and it did actually rain quite a bit

I wish this picture were better, but the density of electrical wires is amazing

It was, all in all, a lovely time and a much-needed break for all of us. I couldn't have asked for a lovelier place, nicer people to travel with, or a better time. Thanks, Thailand!