Have you ever woken up really early and decided to explore the island before anyone else gets up? I recently forced myself to set my alarm and ventured off to explore Phuket at
dusk and was astounded at how magical the island is in a different light; first light. I was amazed at what I saw.

A faint fog is lifting out of the hills and slowly seeping into the low hanging clouds which dot the landscape. It is like a cloud of sleep and dreams evaporating before my
eyes. Big Buddha?s majestic shoulders are slowly revealed as the gentle sun welcomes him into a new day.

The street lights are still on and glow warm and golden in the hazy light, now obsolete as the sun dulls their shine with every second of the morning clock. Slowly but surely
Phuket is waking up.

This is the time when Thai monks start their slow solitary walk to collect their alms for the day. Like glowing orange beacons of calm they float across the morning stage contrasting beautifully against the deep green mountain foliage.

I see a young woman on her knees, silent in prayer at the feet of an elderly monk and as the world starts to buzz around them, she remains peaceful and focused.

I hear scooter taxis whizzing in and out of the people hooting at anyone walking or
standing near the road. I hear Thai and Indian music blasting from tuk tuks
parked along the roadside while their drivers wipe down the tires and share cigarettes.

I see two old ladies sweeping the street outside their market stallschatting and laughing, their giggles travelling through the wind and over the hills before the traffic
eventually drowns out their gossip.

I see street vendors sliding little cubes of meat and tofu onto wooden sticks preparing for breakfast orders. Little bags of spicy liquid hang from the make-shift tin roofs interspersed with spinning CD?s to keep the flies off. I can hear the crackling and popping of the oil as it starts to heats up.

I see a school girl playing an imaginary game with cracks in the pavement, lost in her make-believe world of crocodiles and waterfalls. Another child affectionately pats her dog goodbye as her navy blue skirt billows in the wind.

I pass two elephants who are swishing their tails left to right and stretching their trunks skywards. They make little grunting sounds and sway from side to side. I pass a tour bus crammed with sleeping foreigners, their cheeks pressed against the windows.

I count the guest houses and hotels along the roadside and imagine the sleeping tourists tucked up in bed, their fans and aircons drowning out the activity.

I can smell fresh, salty fish and watch as street vendors crowd around the morning catch and begin negotiating. I smell warm fluffy white rice and simmering spices in the cool morning air, I see, smell and hear all of this before I am even usually awake.