Kenny

Today is the first day that I felt the feeling that I came out here to feel. A healthy cocktail of uncertainty, discomfort, loneliness, homesickness, relief, and freedom. Although the latter two overpower the others, I've found it nice to take them all in. I keep reminding myself to breathe deep and live it up. My brother is gone and the vacation part of this journey is over. It was good initiation, but as anticipated, it's time to change my mindset so that I can make the most of this. I aim to be cheap, resourceful, proactive, grateful, and lucky. With the right attitude, anyone can be lucky. Take it from me, I've leaned this many times the easy way.

I left my glorified prison cell this morning ready to find a place to relax for a few days and do some research on where I'd like to go next. Fabrice had mentioned that Kata was a quieter part of the island just a few miles down the road. That's about all the convincing I needed. Feeling motivated and certainly not rushed, I hit the road on foot. It was a scenic route through the jungle hills that separate the beach towns. About two hours in, I stopped for lunch at a restaurant on a hill that overlooked that part of the island. The place was particularly relaxing to me. I'm not sure if it was just the contrast from Patong or what, but I stayed a good while there enjoying the calm and the view.

The view of Karon beach from my pit stop on the hill. Kata is the next beach over, by that little island on the right.

After that, I walked another couple hours to Kata and wandered aimlessly about the town in search of a cheap guesthouse. Finding them wasn't the problem though. I walked in one and nobody was at the desk. I walked in another and the lady was asleep on the couch next to the desk. I walked another few minutes and turned a corner when I heard, "backpacker?" in that familiar american accent. I turned to find a nice, older looking guy perched on a cement planter by the sidewalk. I said, "yes," and proceeded to engage in a very interesting conversation with this guy, Kenny. He's from Tucson, Arizona. He has lived on Phuket for five years but doesn't like the Thai people. He lived in Maui for five years before that. He has a 25-year old Philippino girlfriend. He made his money trafficking drugs and laundering money. He used to play high-stakes poker for supplemental income. And best of all, he came to Thailand because he used to frequent a Thai food joint at home with his buddy, and one day he said, "I bet the Thai food is cheaper in Thailand."

This all led to an open invitation to crash at his place for as long as I want. No sense turning that down, I say. He led me up a super steep hill around a few bends and showed me his place. My accommodations included my own bed, kitchen, bathroom, and living area. All this, neatly tucked away in the jungle with a decent view. I really don't plan on staying long but it sure is nice to know that I can, free of charge. Not to mention all the good tips and advice Kenny has for traveling around here.

How's that for beginners luck?

The view from Kenny's