Lost Horizons

Holiday - day 5

First of all, blogger sub domains were available in Pattaya, shortly after midnight last night, and are still available to day. Well done the Ministry of Information and Communication Technology.
Oh, how I wish I could take my camera into Angelwitch! That would liven up this blog and my hit rate would go up exponentially. If there was a Pulitzer Prize for photography on Blogger I am sure I would win. I can even visualise the photo I would take. It would be from a dance involving five dancers. One of the dancers is being ‘crucified’ on the ladder up to the ceiling, she is naked, but covered in a very sheer, red drape. Meanwhile, four other dancers, who are naked apart from skirts, with a few seashells dangling from them, and a turban-style headdress, with their bodies glistening in oil, dance between the poles, like acolytes at the altar.
Yesterday morning, and, as predicted, Peanut has a hangover. Because of this, she doesn’t want to get up; so, I go for a swim in the hotel pool, which was very pleasant. The pool is kidney shaped with a Jacuzzi in one corner. Plants surround the pool area, so it gives a feel of an oasis. There are only six sun loungers around the pool, but since this area is hardly used by guests that are plenty.
Once Peanut’s hunger pangs overcame her sore head, she got up and we headed into Pattaya for some food. We found a place on Beach Road that served a reasonable selection and had a simple meal. Nothing really noteworthy, a bit pricey but that’s what you get for eating on Beach Road.
After that, Peanut wanted to go shopping for a new top, so we trawled around a shopping mall, and she couldn’t find anything in her style. When she did find something that suited her: a white top by Billabong, she took one look at the price tag and fled from the shop. I was getting a little fed up, by this stage, and I dragged her into Jim Thompson where I bought a really nice shirt, in less than ten minutes. Yes, it was a little pricey, but it got the point across that shopping doesn’t have to take all day. Peanut took the hint, and in the next shop, picked out a little brown vest top – see how simple things can be?
After that we wandered up Soi Post Office, where I had another massage, not at the same place, but somewhere that offered physical massage. This massage was a great improvement. My feet haven’t felt so good for a long time.
Following that we popped into a bar, which was aimed at Swiss people I guess, by the flags and photos of Swiss football teams. There were some very pleasant looking girls there, but this friendly atmosphere was ruined when they put on some music – the loudspeaker nearest to us was broken, and it was just headache generating material, so we left after one drink. We headed up to the corner and went to the Bodega Bar. This was much better: a nice large area, prompt service from the numerous waitresses, a proper happy hour pricing structure.
Whilst sitting there, Peanut reminds me that I had “promised” to take her to the cabaret show. I hadn’t promised, but suggested it as a maybe thing to do, but it seems that that is a promise. I suggested that she found out the times of the shows, which she does, either 7pm or 8:30pm. We decide to go for the earlier show, so we make a mad dash back to the hotel for a very quick shower then head directly out to Tiffany’s. Of course we got there too early as the show didn’t start until 7.30pm, but sitting down and having a beer solved that problem. I bought VIP tickets: 800 baht for Farang, 400 baht for Thai, and we were allocated seats right in the middle of the front row. The show was good, but once you have seen one lady boy cabaret, you have seen them all. Of course sitting where we were, yours truly had his head stuffed between the breasts of the dreadful, old hag – I nearly choked on all the perfume and talcum powder, but Peanut found this hilarious. I reckon that I spotted two proper girls in the cast, and Peanut thinks there were three. It’s just something about their smiles, demeanour, and skin tone. If they were katoeys, then they were very good. Fortunately I wouldn’t have wanted to jump into bed with either of them, so I wouldn’t have been caught by surprise if I were wrong.
Went back to Walking Street and had a meal at Zab’s, again. Food was excellent, but the service was below par this time. One nice touch this place has is a candelabrum made of upturned wine glasses, with a glitter ball in the middle – very inventive and quite effective.
Peanut still had a bit of a headache, so we didn’t stop anywhere for long, and after a couple of drinks we decided to head back to the hotel. We caught baht bus no 263, who agreed to take us up the hill, but a little less than halfway there he pulls over and tells us that he wants 150 baht. We got out and paid him twenty baht and told him to stuff his ride. I would quite happily of paid the 60 baht, which is the published group fare for going up the hill, but what he was asking was extortion. Even Peanut was disgusted with his behaviour, and she is normally well onside of the Thais versus Farang arguments. Anyway shortly after a baht bus came along and took us up the hill for twenty baht, and that driver got a twenty baht tip. So to the driver of baht bus no 263 “Som nam na, you twat!”
Back in the hotel by midnight, raided the fridge for a beer, and woke up feeling great this morning. Peanut has just got up, asked me what the time was and gone back to bed. I don’t know how she is going to cope with the four in the morning starts, when she returns to work.

posted by Luke @ 10:25 AM