There are surprisingly few restaurants open for breakfast at this time. We went down the street a but and found a place that was open and had pictures of eggs. This should work. We had just ordered when Michael joined us and started talking quietly to Bobby. Bobby swiftly excused himself and we were all left looking at Michael. The hotel had just told him Lucas was in the hospital.
The mood turned somber. Some girls started crying. Some people started guessing what had happened. I figured it couldn't have been too horrible if he was coherent enough to tell them where he was staying and with whom. I'm pretty sure that sober and uninsured Josh couldn't have done that. Turns out he was on his way home and was the passenger on a scooter. He thankfully had a helmet on but there was a crash. He doesn't remember what happened but he came to on the side of h road and then later in the hospital. He was quite lucky with a black eye and scrapes.
So that's a depressing start to the day! We at least know he's okay now. Our group gatherers and beads over to the Phuket Cobra Show. I'm not thrilled about being anywhere near these things. Before the show we get to take a snake farm tour. See some pregnant boa constrictors and lord know what other kinds. I just want to get through this as quickly as possible.
I somehow ended up in the back of the group and by the time I turned the corner to the show stands the whole group was seated on the front row. Everyone except Josh that is. I joined him up higher. I figured if the King Cobra got out of the ring it would attack all the people down low first. The music soon started thumping and the Announcer welcomed us. Lots of jokes about ladyboys and missing fingers were made. I'm not entirely sure what wasa joke and what wasn't.
For Round 1, Jim (who was missing a finger and I'm pretty sure was drunk) risked his life and I'm sure mine by taunting three cobras. Although it felt rather constrained, I was still scared out of my mind. For some reason Josh decided to get up and walk over by the open cages to take pictures from the bak of the ring. That is a horrible idea for someone who can't understand broken English spoken with a Thai accent. I finally told him to sit is butt back down and stop moving. The memory that will stick in my head is when the handler brought one of the snakes around for people to see the fangs up close. Josh and Josh scurried up those bleachers so fast you would think there was a fire. I wish I had taped it.
Round 2 was three mangrove snakes. Much smaller but quicker. This was the round where audience participation was welcomed. What? Of course only people from our group were crazy enough to partake in this. Luckily we didn't have any more trips to the hospital that day.
Round 3 was a king cobra. They are the largest venomous snake at up to 18 feet. My stomach was completely ready to hurl by this point. I made it through the final round and was happy to return to the van. I'm not sure I'd say I enjoyed it but I survived.
Now that I was hungry, kidding, we headed back to Elephant for lunch. We had some creative service where half of the drinks came after the first half of our table had already eaten. Of course I got the late drinks. I continued my creative ordering with a noodle soup. Super yummy.
After lunch we caught a van down to Patong Beach where we were catching our long tails. It was amazing how less crazy that beach street was when the cruise ship was gone. The tourist folks were still there but they weren't jumping on us like before. We boarded two long tails and headed out to Freedom Beach, an island about 20 minutes out.
Hank had been talking up this mad volleyball playing all trip so we had to stop and get a rock hard ball on the way to Patong. Just in case. The beach was beautiful. Perfect sand. Tall palm trees and tons of umbrellas in the shade. Apparently this was the first year you had to pay $3 (or $4 depending on the minute you asked) for chairs. Oh well. I was petrified to get in the water be ause I saw several little jellyfish on the beach. Instead we explored the black boulders along the shore and climbed the stairs up the side of the hill to get a view of the beach from up top. Finally, my extreme heat exhaustion gave way to my fear and we got. It was pure peace. The rest of the afternoon was spent with me under an umbrella and josh on a volleyball court.
Somehow Bobby, like always, managed to work it out so that we were the very last two boats to leave the island. We watched a spectacular sunset and were very entertained by the couple doing their own x-rated photo shoot. If only they knew who we all were. I don't think our boats were supposed to wait so late to come in to get us. The surf was pretty high and I was convinced a few times the boat would tumble. Half our group had to change boats out in the water, with camera gear, because one captain went home early. There were huge swells in our little rickety wooden boat but we did make it back. The lady in charge yelled at Bobby for our late return for a while but changed her tune when she realized what happened.
Dinner in Patong was the least appetizing and most expensive. Pizza and $8 Haagen Daaz. I was craving it so I didn't care. At 8:30 we were all wiped out and headed back to the hotel to shower, pack and load the vans. After a few people managed to convince the hotel to sell them pillows, we were on the road in three vans for an overnight 12 hour ride. Yep. You read that right. Thank goodness I brought that camping pillow and Ambien.
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