Friday, March 19, 2010

Leaving Pattaya







I arrived 10 days ago in Pattaya and I am leaving today. This has been my least favorite spot so far on the trip. I will, however, have a grateful memory of getting well in the hospital here. The care and rest was what the ole bod needed. I am rejuvenated and ready to roam. As Willie sings, "just can't wait to get on the road again.
I have had less than optimal internet access since leaving the hospital, hence the dearth of updates. Where I go next is Bangkok and I will be picked up at my hotel in about an hour by a mini taxi which I hope will deliver me to my hotel in Bangkok. Adding a little suspense to the day is a very tense but very peaceful political situation going on in Bangkok. There is a group referred to as "Red Shirts" demanding the resignation of Taksin, the prime minister. Rumor has it that he was holed up in Dubai until Dubai's government threw him out. Now he may be in Cambodia or Berlin. Anyway, from what I can gather this is a class battle something like the French Revolution minus head chopping. There are supposed to be demonstrations in Bangkok today so I will be glad top get to my destination. Thai people are so gentle that I do not feel threatened, so do not worry about me.
Well, here is the scoop on Pattaya. My strongest impression is that there must be more massage parlors than any other businesses here. This town confirms the old saying that Thai people are the nicest people that money can buy.

It's a party town too.Happy hour begins at 9AM at many bars. An old German man was having breakfast with two Thai girls in my hotel and they were all drinking beer along with their fried eggs and coffee. Must have been a wild night for those three.
The Pattaya International Music Festival started last night. Beach Street is closed to traffic and now it is lined with vendors selling tee shirts, delicious walk around foods (like kebabs, fresh fruit, spring rolls, etc), knock off sun glasses, etc. The music is pretty good too I was amused to hear one Thai singer offering "In them ole cotton fields back home." I had never before thought how the lyrics would sound with a Thai accent.
I enjoyed yesterday on Jomtien beach. After swimming and lounging under the umbrellas I had a fantastic massage under the coconut trees. The hour massage was less than $8. Try to find that back home!
Time to get packed up and wait for my ride to Bangkok. Wish me luck getting there without interference from the red shirts. Looking forward to being in one of my favorite cities.

Pics
1- Walking Street in Pattaya
2-Fire dancers at Pattaya International Music Festival
3-This is the place I got my massagethe beach. Too bad I could not have my own picture but once the massage started I was too comatose to i get anyone to take my pic.

2 comments:

  1. The dearth of photographs needs to be addressed also.

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  2. Hi, this is Dee Dee's sister, Terri. Should you find yourself in need while in Bangkok, a sweet Valdosta couple live there. Bart and Monti Bulloch were in high school with me. Monti is the daughter of Bill Stephens who taught at VSU in the ed department. I'm enjoying the blog but I agree with Ellen- fix the pictures!

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