mustakimrides: 2012 Indochina Tour

Sunday 16/12/12 Bangkok to Pattaya 135km

So the night before we already decided to head to Pattaya for the night instead of legging it all the way to Cambodia. Since it's a short ride we can afford to take it easy. Gives time for Husref to catch up with his cousin and her family as they live on Soi 8 as well.

The nephew

Christine, the cousin.

It's really a short ride of 135kays, well anything less than 900kays right now is short in my books haha. There's a new higway 7 that would have cut short our journey by an hour but as you might have guessed, bikes are not allowed on it. Damn it!

By the time we left it was 12 but it being a Sunday the traffic wasn't that bad.

Surrounded by pink taxi's...but trust me they're no pushovers

You see that hiway on the right? Yes...no bikes..no likes!

I think I mentioned that the last time I was in Pattaya was in 1990 so you can imagine how the place has changed. Now I've heard about how the place is overrun by Russians now but nothing like seeing it firsthand. Yes...they are literally everywhere. Big Time!

I'm a big fan of beach cities or attractions like Hua Hin, Samui, Phi Phi, or good ol Redang and Perhentian (god knows why, since I can't swim to save my nuts), but 1 night in Pattaya is enough to tell me that I'm fine if I never come back here. There's just something when a single foreign nationality (regardless of what nationality) comes to a foreign country and totally overpowers the locals and makes it their own place that is somewhat offputting to me.

You can order TomYam in Russian...add vodka and it'd be perfect!

Having said that the TomYam was aroi mak mak!

Just a picture of Husref. Honest!

It was funny the way we scored our room for the night. Because we are keeping our travel plans loose, we did not book a single room in advance. Call it poor planning, or adventure, or flexible or whatever, but it seems to suit us fine. The night before I had seen this Manita Boutique Hotel in Agoda but thought since there's plenty of accommodation in Pattaya I didn't bother to book. So after lunch we just rocked up there.

You can imagine my surprise to see the walk in rates is 2000baht(200rinngit) when I was pretty sure it was half in Agoda. So I asked the receptionist "What gives? How come you're expensive?", She give me this whole Agoda has bought rooms from them hence the cheaper price. She was very very helpful though, suggesting I sit down at their computer and book through Agoda. So there I was, already at the hotel, sitting in the lobby, using their computer, their internet, email to book a room in the very same hotel that I am already at so that I can save 1000baht. Hahaha the irony and humor of it all. It's also topped by when I enquired her name she gave me this long Thai name that I can't pronounce then proceeds to tell me just call me Pookee for short. I almost bust out laughing la.

Anyways, the hotel apart from being about 10 minutes walk from "Walking Street" is nice and for the price you(within our budget I mean), definitely I cannot complain.