The destination of Jan 2012 was a busy fourth dimension for festivals too fairs inwards Phuket! We had the Chalong Temple Fair, also a nutrient fair at Sapan Hin (the due south destination of Phuket Town), it was Chinese New Year's Day on the 23rd (welcome to the twelvemonth of the Dragon!) AND from 28th - 30th Jan in that place was the Phuket Old Town Festival, three nights of street fair, nutrient stalls, phase performances inwards the quondam component division of Phuket Town along Thalang Road too inwards the Queen Sirikit Park adjacent to the TAT office. There had been a one-night fair for the Chinese New Year's Day on the 23rd at the Sanam Chai green on the due north side of Phuket Town. We went along too I took only about photos - come across Chinese New Year's Day inwards Phuket but much of the New Year's Day celebrations were saved for the Old Town Festival although in that place were lots of lanterns on the 23rd....
We headed into town on Sabbatum 28th too Lord's Day 29th inwards the evening. H5N1 flake belatedly on Sabbatum truly equally in that place was a street procession amongst people dressed upwards inwards quondam mode Chinese habiliment .. too nosotros missed that. Oops! But in that place were enough of people dressed upwards along Thalang Road. Phuket has large Chinese influence, amongst a lot of Chinese-Thai people due to immigration during the 19th century when Phuket had a large tin-mining boom.
But there's non just a "China Town" inwards Phuket. Thalang Road is rattling mixed, in that place are Muslim shops, quondam Chinese hardware stores too printers, the old herb shop too a Chinese shrine which is correct adjacent door to the Christian Assembly!
(above) Thalang Road - Dragons too Abduls Muslim roti shop - he was busy during the festival! I stopped in that place to larn 1 for my boy who was feeling peckish. H5N1 footling daughter at the roti store idea he was handsome (well, sure, he's my son). He idea she was a flake scary, though. What a sweetie!
Before beingness invaded past times motor vehicles, the principal artery into Phuket Town was a canal, called the Bang Yai canal. It starts at the body of body of water at Sapan Hin, correct inwards the due south of the town too heads correct through the center. Still there, but does non larn used right away aside from pocket-sized angling boats that moor upwards at Sapan Hin. On a pocket-sized stretch of canal adjacent to the Sirikit Park gratis boat rides were beingness offered. Well, why non try? We had to clamber downwards a wooden platform into a pocket-sized wooden arts and crafts powered too steered past times two offset narrow oars fixed to the side of the boat. I went amongst the kids for a "new experience" :) The canal is ... how to enjoin ... smelly. The boatman looked similar he mightiness bring been rowing these boats a few years ago! When he pushed the oar forrard I had to lean dorsum to avoid a punch on the olfactory organ :)
At the Queen Sirikit Park, in that place was a lot going on. There is a large dragon statue at the park. Old Chinese legend says that Phuket is a sea dragon called Hai Leng Ong emerging from the ocean. The dragon protects Phuket. And this is the twelvemonth of the dragon, then it's doubly of import for Phuket. The local Chinese-Thai community believe strongly inwards only about of the quondam ways - too you lot tin come across this non only at Chinese New Year, but also for illustration at the Phuket Vegetarian Festival too the Hungry Ghost Festival.
(above) Dragon dancers adjacent to the dragon statue at Queen Sirikit Park.
H5N1 phase was laid upwards inwards the park, though nosotros couldn't larn close it .. lots of people in that place watching dancing too music which went on each of the three evenings. Another expanse was to a greater extent than commercial amongst an outdoor motorcycle showroom. Kids enjoyed sitting on the bikes (not until you're 18, son) too posing amongst the Pretties - the advert given to the (admittedly) pretty girls who are in that place selling bikes (and cars, or beer).
(above) Stage amongst dragon trip the lite fantastic at the quondam Phuket festival
(above) One of the "pretties" selling mopeds
(above) Fire dancer inwards the Queen Sirikit Park
Back along Thalang Road nosotros spent only about fourth dimension on the Sabbatum eve at the Glastnost Cafe on Soi Romanee, a narrow side street that heads off Thalang Road too joins upwards amongst Dibuk Road. Romanee has several pocket-sized cafes too guesthouses. The Glastnost is owned past times a jazz loving lawyer called Mr Puchong. He had a friend inwards the house, who owns the Phuket Beer company. So... nosotros had a few Phuket Beers spell the kids entertained amongst music.
Soi Romanee is non a broad street too was made narrower nonetheless past times stalls selling clothes, drinks, arty things.. The quondam town is a house I e'er like, but it looks specially skillful at festival time. Good to come across quite a lot of tourists inwards town during the festival too. I kicking the bucket along using the term "the existent Phuket", which is difficult to define, since Phuket has many sides, but inwards the quondam department of Phuket Town in that place is a lot of interest. I'm non going to knock individual for spending two weeks on the beach, but I've been doing this spider web log for years now, trying to exhibit that Phuket is then much to a greater extent than than beaches. I approximate the "real Phuket" is what you lot brand of it.
(above) People walking on Thalang Road too the narrow Soi Romanee Sumber http://jamie-monk.blogspot.com
We headed into town on Sabbatum 28th too Lord's Day 29th inwards the evening. H5N1 flake belatedly on Sabbatum truly equally in that place was a street procession amongst people dressed upwards inwards quondam mode Chinese habiliment .. too nosotros missed that. Oops! But in that place were enough of people dressed upwards along Thalang Road. Phuket has large Chinese influence, amongst a lot of Chinese-Thai people due to immigration during the 19th century when Phuket had a large tin-mining boom.
But there's non just a "China Town" inwards Phuket. Thalang Road is rattling mixed, in that place are Muslim shops, quondam Chinese hardware stores too printers, the old herb shop too a Chinese shrine which is correct adjacent door to the Christian Assembly!
(above) Thalang Road - Dragons too Abduls Muslim roti shop - he was busy during the festival! I stopped in that place to larn 1 for my boy who was feeling peckish. H5N1 footling daughter at the roti store idea he was handsome (well, sure, he's my son). He idea she was a flake scary, though. What a sweetie!
Before beingness invaded past times motor vehicles, the principal artery into Phuket Town was a canal, called the Bang Yai canal. It starts at the body of body of water at Sapan Hin, correct inwards the due south of the town too heads correct through the center. Still there, but does non larn used right away aside from pocket-sized angling boats that moor upwards at Sapan Hin. On a pocket-sized stretch of canal adjacent to the Sirikit Park gratis boat rides were beingness offered. Well, why non try? We had to clamber downwards a wooden platform into a pocket-sized wooden arts and crafts powered too steered past times two offset narrow oars fixed to the side of the boat. I went amongst the kids for a "new experience" :) The canal is ... how to enjoin ... smelly. The boatman looked similar he mightiness bring been rowing these boats a few years ago! When he pushed the oar forrard I had to lean dorsum to avoid a punch on the olfactory organ :)
At the Queen Sirikit Park, in that place was a lot going on. There is a large dragon statue at the park. Old Chinese legend says that Phuket is a sea dragon called Hai Leng Ong emerging from the ocean. The dragon protects Phuket. And this is the twelvemonth of the dragon, then it's doubly of import for Phuket. The local Chinese-Thai community believe strongly inwards only about of the quondam ways - too you lot tin come across this non only at Chinese New Year, but also for illustration at the Phuket Vegetarian Festival too the Hungry Ghost Festival.
(above) Dragon dancers adjacent to the dragon statue at Queen Sirikit Park.
H5N1 phase was laid upwards inwards the park, though nosotros couldn't larn close it .. lots of people in that place watching dancing too music which went on each of the three evenings. Another expanse was to a greater extent than commercial amongst an outdoor motorcycle showroom. Kids enjoyed sitting on the bikes (not until you're 18, son) too posing amongst the Pretties - the advert given to the (admittedly) pretty girls who are in that place selling bikes (and cars, or beer).
(above) Stage amongst dragon trip the lite fantastic at the quondam Phuket festival
(above) One of the "pretties" selling mopeds
(above) Fire dancer inwards the Queen Sirikit Park
Back along Thalang Road nosotros spent only about fourth dimension on the Sabbatum eve at the Glastnost Cafe on Soi Romanee, a narrow side street that heads off Thalang Road too joins upwards amongst Dibuk Road. Romanee has several pocket-sized cafes too guesthouses. The Glastnost is owned past times a jazz loving lawyer called Mr Puchong. He had a friend inwards the house, who owns the Phuket Beer company. So... nosotros had a few Phuket Beers spell the kids entertained amongst music.
Soi Romanee is non a broad street too was made narrower nonetheless past times stalls selling clothes, drinks, arty things.. The quondam town is a house I e'er like, but it looks specially skillful at festival time. Good to come across quite a lot of tourists inwards town during the festival too. I kicking the bucket along using the term "the existent Phuket", which is difficult to define, since Phuket has many sides, but inwards the quondam department of Phuket Town in that place is a lot of interest. I'm non going to knock individual for spending two weeks on the beach, but I've been doing this spider web log for years now, trying to exhibit that Phuket is then much to a greater extent than than beaches. I approximate the "real Phuket" is what you lot brand of it.
(above) People walking on Thalang Road too the narrow Soi Romanee Sumber http://jamie-monk.blogspot.com