Grand Adventure 2017 Day 18: Stupid Hot
I don't think I understood how badly I needed these five days in Phuket until this morning. We both didn't wake up until a little after 7 AM and I didn't get out of bed until after 9 AM which was glorious. Exactly what the doctor ordered. When I couldn't stand laying in bed anymore I went out in search of the gym, which for such a large hotel is super small. Luckily no one is working out in paradise so I had the gym to myself. On the way back to the room I grabbed a cappuccino at the small cafe on sight and came back to the room to get ready for the day.
A little after 10 AM we left our suite and went to the main pool here at the Renaissance a beautiful infinity pool that overlooks a grass field and the ocean. We were fortunate to find a somewhat shaded spot where we plopped down our stuff and didn't leave until close to 3 PM. Before we relaxed by the pool though we went to check out the beach. Although we couldn't sit on the beach (it was 90 degrees with no spots for shade) we had to at least go in the water. We've been to a lot of tropical beaches in the world but I'm not sure I've seen one as stunning as Phuket. Nor with water as warm. According to Google right now, the ocean water is 85 degrees. It made jumping in the easiest thing I've ever done. As for Jenn although she didn't complain about the water being cold it did take five minutes of coaxing before she finally jumped in and was out only a minute later.
After a half hour at the beach, we made it back to the pool area, washed off under the shower and enjoyed laying by the pool for the next hour. Jenn continued to listen to music and I listened to my book. Even though we were in the shade it was close to 90-degrees so every fifteen minutes or so we'd jump back in the pool, swim around a bit, cool off, and jump back out. The staff at the hotel was also incredible about refilling water and moving the umbrella to keep our two pasty bodies in the shade.
A little after noon we left our stuff on our loungers and walked over to the Sandbox Restaurant, a small spot right next to the pool. We plopped down at a table in the sand and luckily covered and enjoyed a nice light and cool lunch. Jenn started with a Pina Colada and I had a beer (Heineken). Jenn went with a bacon cheeseburger which was delicious although giant. I went with their club sandwich which was delightful.
After lunch, we spent the next couple of hours continuing to lay by the pool, reapply sunscreen, drink water, and relax the best we could in the sweltering heat. Even in the shade, it was a ridiculously warm and beautiful day. By 3 PM we were toast and we decided to call it and take refuge in our room. We got comfy and put on Stranger Things 2 on Netflix and were halfway through the second episode when our hotel phone rang.
When we checked in yesterday we had asked if there was any chance of upgrading to a pool villa for our stay. They had said it was unlikely but that they'd see what they could do. Well, this phone call was to tell us there were able to upgrade us and that they'd come to pick up our bags in ten minutes. Luckily we hadn't unpacked too much so we hurriedly packed up our staff and twenty minutes later we checked into a stunning pool villa. To say that the villa was a big surprise is an understatement, it was a complete shock. We're so dang grateful for the surprise too because the room is unbelievable.
We quickly settled in, unpacked, I swam in the beautiful private pool and we enjoyed our new room. When it got dark we went out and got a quick bite to eat at the hotel's main restaurant. Jenn loved her fish and chips from yesterday and got those again. I, on the other hand, made the mistake of changing my order and had their chicken fried rice which was nowhere near as good as the fried noodles I had for lunch. Luckily neither of us were that hungry and it was a nice small dinner.
After dinner, we walked around the hotel grounds, witnessed yet another stunning wedding, and enjoyed the much cooler temperatures. The sun took a ton out of us, especially Jenn, so within minutes of hitting our bed Jenn had passed out and I was only a few minutes behind her. It feels so dang good to be relaxing and enjoying the splendor of Phuket.
