This is where Bambo should have gone (lots of pics) - Toyota Yaris Forums

eTiMaGo · 04-14-2009, 06:31 AM

Had I been able to come down here in December... You'll have to visualize the little guy here

Lunch at my mom's place yesterday... All the staff had a day off for Songkran (the Thai New Year), so we stuck around in the afternoon... Roast pork, potato salad, followed by bread and cheese, then creme caramel (not pictured, photographer too busy stuffing his face)

Weather was weird, bright sun but light rain as well, made for some nice nature pics

It was damn hot later so I went for a dip in the pool (not pictured, I'll spare you the horror)

So yeah, a big plug because I can... If anyone's looking to go on holidays to Phuket, I can highly recommend my mom's place

www.lejardin-phuket.net

But anyway, in the town proper, it was madness. As you may or may not know, the celebrations of Songkran is also known as the Water festival and people just go wild in the streets drenching each other with waterguns, buckets, etc... We stayed away from all that though, but here's some pics of the madness when we headed out for dinner:

Today, though, my mom and I went out most of the day, to do some sightseeing, and meet some friends on another part of the island, Rawai in the south. The road there is one of my favorites, as the island is quite hilly, this road follows above the western coastline and is quite twisty. Unfortunately there were a lot of people on it ...

First stop of the day was the "Big Buddha", a large statue that had been in construction for several years now on top of a hill, overlooking a large part of the south of the island. It is 45m (135ft) tall and covered in marble, quite impressive. There was a TON of people there so we didn't stick around soooo long...

Some spiritual words:

There's some really nice viewpoints on the way up there, here is Karon beach:

And on the other side, Phuket Town, the main city:

Then we went to pick up some friends and have a refreshment at their lovely house...

And we went off for lunch... to a very secluded little bay nearby with a simple but delicious restaurant by the water. My cousin, who also lives here, met us along with his adorable daughter. I hadn't seen her for over a year, those lil things sure grow fast

Then we headed back home, so here's some interesting pics along the way...

Kata Beach, always some decent waves here, not surf-worthy but fun..

Next beach over, Karon. Used to spend a lot of time here with my friends as a kid:

Mom didn't feel like getting out of the car:

(That's talcum power on the hood, mixed in with the water people splash on each other. And the car is a Honda City, essentially a Fit sedan, heckuvalot of fun to drive I must admit)

And finally the long way back to Le Jardin, over the hilly roads (I used to really rip along these back when I was here with my motorcycle... good days... til I got my mom's car in a ditch

)

All right, I hope you enjoyed the ridealong

Phuket's getting more and more developed, in the year since I last came there's been so many new buildings and more and more people, but still, this is the place I grew up, the place I consider home, and I love it dearly

eTiMaGo · 04-14-2009, 06:45 AM

hahah yeah it's still a very spiritual country

And indeed, it is paradise here, mostly... I do wish I could come back and live down here

and AFAIK I am very much alive... I hope...

SilverBack · 04-14-2009, 07:20 AM

Amazing pics. Looks like I might've found my next vacation spot

BTW, how do you properly pronounce "Phuket"? If I go I don't wanna get any dirty looks from the locals for saying it the way it's spelled. Already had that problem once with a former teacher named "Mrs. (Amaya) Dumas"

eTiMaGo · 04-14-2009, 07:35 AM

hahaha yes, sadly a common problem... it's not an F sound, it's like a long P, breathing out as you say it.

Bob_VT · 04-14-2009, 09:13 AM

I have friends that "winter" there every year to go Scuba diving and chase women!

m911gt · 04-14-2009, 09:30 AM

Thomas, thank you for sharing your experience with us, very nice pictures!

SIPNGAS · 04-14-2009, 10:08 AM

Thomas!!! These pictures are fantastic. I had no idea Thailand was so beautiful! Your mom's place, is it sort of like an Inn?

ENJOY that vacation!

BLAZINBLUEVITZ · 04-14-2009, 10:28 AM

seeing those pictures reminds me of colombia, glass coke bottles and all.....

Kioshi · 04-14-2009, 11:41 AM

Very nice pics Thomas, gives me a general idea of the country. Might plan a vacation there sometime :D. Your family has nice house/s though! Def. living the life. The hell w/ living in California :P

33OH · 04-14-2009, 12:28 PM

Wow.. I had no idea Thailand was so beautiful either.. Thanks for sharing Thomas!

yaris-me · 04-14-2009, 01:08 PM

Beautiful, very lush and tropical, thanks for sharing!

eTiMaGo · 04-15-2009, 03:08 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bob_VT

I have friends that "winter" there every year to go Scuba diving and chase women!

Hahaha yes, two very popular activities

Quote:

Originally Posted by m911gt

Thomas, thank you for sharing your experience with us, very nice pictures!

You're welcome

Quote:

Originally Posted by SIPNGAS

Thomas!!! These pictures are fantastic. I had no idea Thailand was so beautiful! Your mom's place, is it sort of like an Inn?

ENJOY that vacation!

Yeah it's a very friendly, big-family kinda place, the personal touch is very important

Vacation's over now though

Quote:

Originally Posted by BLAZINBLUEVITZ

seeing those pictures reminds me of colombia, glass coke bottles and all.....

You can't get Coke and similar drinks in glass bottles in the US?

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kioshi

Very nice pics Thomas, gives me a general idea of the country. Might plan a vacation there sometime :D. Your family has nice house/s though! Def. living the life. The hell w/ living in California :P

Haha yeah, it's not all like you see on the news...

Quote:

Originally Posted by ryank

Wow.. I had no idea Thailand was so beautiful either.. Thanks for sharing Thomas!

Quote:

Originally Posted by yaris-me

Beautiful, very lush and tropical, thanks for sharing!

Glad you all enjoyed it... As I mentioned above, I mostly wanted to post these as a reminder that despite all the bad news on TV about political turmoil, this is still an amazing country and I would find it hard to imagine life anywhere else...

MadMax · 04-15-2009, 08:16 AM

Thanks for the beautiful pics, it was like taking a mini-vacation at my desk!

Now, back to the drudgery that is my job!

Cheers! M2

KCALB SIRAY · 04-15-2009, 10:18 AM

Great shots, tell Mom I'll see her next year for vacation, lol

I have one of these in my backyard. It's a bitch to mow around

This guy was really excited to see you I guess

mrbond · 04-15-2009, 10:25 AM

I always love seeing pictures from other countries. I'm at that stage of my life where I want to travel everywhere and do as much as I can. Thailand is actually on the list of places I want to go. In all likelihood I'll be travelling there within the next three years. Perhaps I'll see y'all there :P

Doc Zaius · 04-15-2009, 11:12 PM

Nice pics, Thomas! You make me (and my (French) gf) want to come visit!

04-14-2009, 06:31 AM	#1
eTiMaGo vroom vroom View User's Garage Drives: lil red 5-door Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Bangkok, Thailand Posts: 7,744	This is where Bambo should have gone (lots of pics) Had I been able to come down here in December... You'll have to visualize the little guy here Lunch at my mom's place yesterday... All the staff had a day off for Songkran (the Thai New Year), so we stuck around in the afternoon... Roast pork, potato salad, followed by bread and cheese, then creme caramel (not pictured, photographer too busy stuffing his face) Weather was weird, bright sun but light rain as well, made for some nice nature pics It was damn hot later so I went for a dip in the pool (not pictured, I'll spare you the horror) So yeah, a big plug because I can... If anyone's looking to go on holidays to Phuket, I can highly recommend my mom's place www.lejardin-phuket.net But anyway, in the town proper, it was madness. As you may or may not know, the celebrations of Songkran is also known as the Water festival and people just go wild in the streets drenching each other with waterguns, buckets, etc... We stayed away from all that though, but here's some pics of the madness when we headed out for dinner: Today, though, my mom and I went out most of the day, to do some sightseeing, and meet some friends on another part of the island, Rawai in the south. The road there is one of my favorites, as the island is quite hilly, this road follows above the western coastline and is quite twisty. Unfortunately there were a lot of people on it ... First stop of the day was the "Big Buddha", a large statue that had been in construction for several years now on top of a hill, overlooking a large part of the south of the island. It is 45m (135ft) tall and covered in marble, quite impressive. There was a TON of people there so we didn't stick around soooo long... Some spiritual words: There's some really nice viewpoints on the way up there, here is Karon beach: And on the other side, Phuket Town, the main city: Then we went to pick up some friends and have a refreshment at their lovely house... And we went off for lunch... to a very secluded little bay nearby with a simple but delicious restaurant by the water. My cousin, who also lives here, met us along with his adorable daughter. I hadn't seen her for over a year, those lil things sure grow fast Then we headed back home, so here's some interesting pics along the way... Kata Beach, always some decent waves here, not surf-worthy but fun.. Next beach over, Karon. Used to spend a lot of time here with my friends as a kid: Mom didn't feel like getting out of the car: (That's talcum power on the hood, mixed in with the water people splash on each other. And the car is a Honda City, essentially a Fit sedan, heckuvalot of fun to drive I must admit) And finally the long way back to Le Jardin, over the hilly roads (I used to really rip along these back when I was here with my motorcycle... good days... til I got my mom's car in a ditch ) All right, I hope you enjoyed the ridealong Phuket's getting more and more developed, in the year since I last came there's been so many new buildings and more and more people, but still, this is the place I grew up, the place I consider home, and I love it dearly __________________ The price of freedom of religion, or of speech, or of the press, is that we must put up with a good deal of rubbish. - Robert Jackson Bye bye 1NZ...

04-14-2009, 06:45 AM	#2
eTiMaGo vroom vroom View User's Garage Drives: lil red 5-door Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Bangkok, Thailand Posts: 7,744	hahah yeah it's still a very spiritual country And indeed, it is paradise here, mostly... I do wish I could come back and live down here and AFAIK I am very much alive... I hope... __________________ The price of freedom of religion, or of speech, or of the press, is that we must put up with a good deal of rubbish. - Robert Jackson Bye bye 1NZ...

04-14-2009, 07:20 AM	#3
SilverBack Joey View User's Garage Drives: '14 Scion xD 5-speed Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: El Monte, Ca Posts: 3,529	Amazing pics. Looks like I might've found my next vacation spot BTW, how do you properly pronounce "Phuket"? If I go I don't wanna get any dirty looks from the locals for saying it the way it's spelled. Already had that problem once with a former teacher named "Mrs. (Amaya) Dumas" __________________ Formerly owned Met-Met. '07 Yaris LB 5-speed. A forum post should be like a skirt: Long enough to cover the subject but short enough to keep things interesting. "I don't have an anger problem. I have an idiot problem." -Hank Hill

04-14-2009, 07:35 AM	#4
eTiMaGo vroom vroom View User's Garage Drives: lil red 5-door Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Bangkok, Thailand Posts: 7,744	hahaha yes, sadly a common problem... it's not an F sound, it's like a long P, breathing out as you say it. __________________ The price of freedom of religion, or of speech, or of the press, is that we must put up with a good deal of rubbish. - Robert Jackson Bye bye 1NZ...

04-14-2009, 09:13 AM	#5
Bob_VT View User's Garage Drives: 08 Yaris LB Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: Vermont Posts: 1,704	I have friends that "winter" there every year to go Scuba diving and chase women! __________________ some people are little slinkies. . . . .they are really good for nothing. . . .but they still bring a smile to your face when you push them down a flight of stairs. Come to the DARKSIDE..... We have candy

04-14-2009, 09:30 AM	#6
m911gt Carless in Chicago View User's Garage Drives: 08 Blk LB Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: Chicago Posts: 2,479	Thomas, thank you for sharing your experience with us, very nice pictures! __________________ Wanted: Forced Induction Some say that he is the secret love child of Ferrari and Porsche, and others say that he would lap James May twice in a 1/4 mile drag race. All we know is that he is called The Stig.

04-14-2009, 10:08 AM	#7
SIPNGAS I LOVE my Yaris! View User's Garage Drives: 2007 Polar White LB Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: Southeast Wisconsin Posts: 5,164	Thomas!!! These pictures are fantastic. I had no idea Thailand was so beautiful! Your mom's place, is it sort of like an Inn? ENJOY that vacation! __________________ We don't see things as THEY are...we see them as WE are. Lisa aka *SIPNGAS*

04-14-2009, 10:28 AM	#8
BLAZINBLUEVITZ View User's Garage Drives: 2007 YARIS 3DOOR Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: NEW YORK Posts: 1,275	seeing those pictures reminds me of colombia, glass coke bottles and all..... __________________ EVERYBODY EVENTUALLY COMES BACK TO YARISWORLD......

04-14-2009, 11:41 AM	#9
Kioshi Heart Up! Vitz Drives: トヨタ Vitz Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Fremont, CA Posts: 2,582	Very nice pics Thomas, gives me a general idea of the country. Might plan a vacation there sometime :D. Your family has nice house/s though! Def. living the life. The hell w/ living in California :P

04-14-2009, 12:28 PM	#10
33OH Drives: '08 Yaris Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: Dover, Ohio Posts: 7,606	Wow.. I had no idea Thailand was so beautiful either.. Thanks for sharing Thomas!

04-14-2009, 01:08 PM	#11
yaris-me Learn to Relax Drives: 2007, Meteorite, LB Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Anaheim, CA Posts: 2,070	Beautiful, very lush and tropical, thanks for sharing!

04-15-2009, 08:16 AM	#13
MadMax Drives: 2008 Yaris Liftback (Sprocket) Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: San Antonio, Texas! Posts: 2,799	Thanks for the beautiful pics, it was like taking a mini-vacation at my desk! Now, back to the drudgery that is my job! Cheers! M2

04-15-2009, 10:18 AM	#14
KCALB SIRAY それを吸ってください View User's Garage Drives: black sand lb Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: Virginia Posts: 8,894	Great shots, tell Mom I'll see her next year for vacation, lol I have one of these in my backyard. It's a bitch to mow around This guy was really excited to see you I guess __________________ http://lifesdailypimpslap.tumblr.com/#me My Build

04-15-2009, 10:25 AM	#15
mrbond View User's Garage Drives: 2008 meteorite hatchback Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: Illinois Posts: 960	I always love seeing pictures from other countries. I'm at that stage of my life where I want to travel everywhere and do as much as I can. Thailand is actually on the list of places I want to go. In all likelihood I'll be travelling there within the next three years. Perhaps I'll see y'all there :P __________________ - HOOOEY! That's one tahny little cawr! What the heck kinda toy is that? - A Toyota Yaris - A whut Yaris?

04-15-2009, 11:12 PM	#16
Doc Zaius Lurker supreme! View User's Garage Drives: old and boosted! Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Ottawa, ON, Canada Posts: 792	Nice pics, Thomas! You make me (and my (French) gf) want to come visit! __________________ 2006 Red Blitzed RS 5-door

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