When we’re not lying on a beach in the sun, Amatay needs other ways of being entertained since he gave up poker. At least I think he’s given up. I’ve not exactly been playing many hands this month but am winning around $3k at the $100PLO games on Poker Encore. The Vegas team Challenge has kicked off this week and I was alerted to a player alias of CosPapertits, Please be assured this is not me….just one of the many international fanboys I have. In fact, I think it may even be a former Thai Ladyboy who shared a room with Amatay a few weeks back. Gutted I can’t be taking part in this at all – last year it was both excellent value and really good fun. The package I won last year on Encore was awesome – the suite I won a week in at the Palazzo was dearer than I’d usually shell out for but I may have to again this year – it was really awesome!
A few days ago we went to the zoo here in Phuket. As soon as we entered, there was a bunch of cages, each with rabbits in them. The rabbits looked pretty poorly kept and I thought, oh dear, this is going to be a budget zoo and a short visit! I couldn’t have been more wrong. The enclosures were a bit small but unlike London zoo, it’s nice to not be charged 300 quid for an ice cream or a monkey for a picture with, erm, a monkey.
Dotted around various points, there are several animals that you can interact with and have your picture taken. I took full advantage of this and got snaps with the tiger, made friends with an Orangutan and got an Elephant jumping for joy when he saw Poker Encore’s finest. Apparently he’s read my blogs for ages.
All these animals were incredibly obedient to the zoo staff, so placid and friendly. We went to see a monkey show and an elephant show, the latter being extremely good fun. I was really shocked at just what the elephants were trained to do. We also went to see the crocodile show which I was most impressed with. 2 completely nutty (and nutty looking) Thai blokes swiping their heads between the mouths of the crocs. At the end of the show, a few people were asking for pics standing next to the enclosure or maybe leaning over and touching the top of the croc’s tail. I decided that after all the banter I’d been getting about being afraid from Lizards, I wanted to have my pic taken too, but IN the enclosure. I paid the guy 400baht (8 quid) and just hoped my travel insurance covered me for jumping into crocodile enclosures, should something go wrong. It was a good buzz knowing that at any point the croc could turn round and make a snap for me and I’d have to make a getaway. I think he caught a glimpse of Des and Troy (my guns) as I was getting in and just decided to stay fairly still, not wanting the aggro.
It was a great day and I think I’ll be going again when friends come to visit.
Yesterday we had a less dangerous experience, going to the Thai cinema. They have a VIP option, whereby at 600baht a ticket (something that really does price the Thai’s out as it’s very expensive but only 12 quid to us) you are given a proper VIP treatment. About an hour before our showing we were sat in a VIP lounge which was very baller. Me, Amatay and Henry happened to be the only 3 people in at the time too. Over comes a complimentary cocktail for all of us and then out come trays of mini pizzas, sandwiches, fruit, danish pastries, prawn salads and chocolate brownies. ALL FREE! The last time I was offered a tray of fruit, thinking it was free it cost me 32 quid plus service in a strip club in London. FML.
After indulging ourselves, the waiter took our order for what drinks and popcorn we’d like in the screening room. We are shown to our seats, except we have an entire room to choose from as we are the only people in the late showing. The room is the same size as most standard screen rooms in the UK except, instead of like 300 seats across about 20 rows, there are 5 rows, with 8 seats in each. The chairs are electric and recline as much as you like until completely horizontal at the press of a button. We did have to wait about 39 seconds for the waiter to bring in our popcorn though, pretty inexcusable. He kind of made up for it by bringing us blankets and 2 of everything though.
The film was average but I barely even remembered I was supposed to be watching it!
gl at the tables.
no electric chairs in the VIP cinema.