Phuket Town

 Since Hadley left I've been here in Phuket Town enjoying myself thoroughly.  Before I arrived here I knew of Phuket only as "that terrible place" where tourism has run rampant and old male tourists walk all too often with young Thai girls.  However, what I have found out is that it is not Phuket Town but rather Patong Beach (20 minutes from town) that was being spoken of.  In fact, I don't think that many people bother to visit Phuket Town at all, possibly as a stopping over point on the way to the airport or Ao Nang, but never as a destination.  But all the better.

I have found a very charming city here, full of old French Colonial architecture, local artists, and musicians.  A place where Temples, Mosques, and Churches all live together.  A wonderful place to be and spend your days doing just that, being.  I've spent a great deal of time walking and exploring, stopping to rest or eat and read some of my book as well as improve my Thai vocabulary thanks to the friendly people living here.

I've also been experimenting with some time-lapse photography and I think I've got the perfect recipe of f/stop, shutter speed, and timing... well not a perfect recipe but it's getting there.  Plus using a handycam rather than a DSLR really doesn't help.  Very little manual control and an lcd screen that eats up battery like no one's business add to the already difficult task of picking the perfect exposure to capture that elusive golden moment that lies somewhere in the future while the bright sun or the dark night sky accompany you and your camera's frustratingly automatic sensor in the present.

Here are some stills taken from the time-lapses I've been taking as well as a few shots from a Temple I visited one night after sunset.