Well on with the tale. This is JBR 9 and it looks like they are going to go up to 10. When I read what others do they seem to have action packed times and mine is always full of booze.
Pattaya…………. Always said that we would never go but well here we where. The beach is not nice and I would not step in the sea at all. It was nice to walk along the promenade and you could walk all the way along. The hotel had a good pool so we were ok there.
We used to go out of the hotel and turn right up past the Dusit Thani and around a headland it was quiet along there and there were a couple of simple eating places with cheap drinks.
Some days we walked the other way and I went a few times to a place called the factory outlet store. There was one place in here that sold tops for 69 baht each I got some really good ones.
The shopping did not inspire me much any where in Thailand this time. At the beginning it was because we could not carry it, and then later because we had seen most of it before. It was same, same ….not much different.
Right back to Pattayas famous night life. We went down walking street a few times and partook in some beverage down there. I could even be found one night outside a bar with a placard advertising cheap beer and shouting WEL----COME, HEEEEELLLOOOO, COME on in. or to really confuse them in an Irish accent Hello dear won’t you step this way. Note to self – cut down on the beer. We had a laugh with most of the bar girls one of whom was determined to educate me by learning me some Thai phrases out of a book behind the bar. I thought the phrases were strange until I looked at the title and it was Thai for lovers. Any of you out there want to be called big boy, do that again and you have a venereal disease in Thai then just ask me!
Talking about the ladies of the night and their customers. I was saying to Dave one night how come these old (sorry) mature gents can manage when a lot look like they can’t raise a smile. So I started doing some research….I really think that I should have been an investigative journalist and I have missed my way. According to the research that I did I was told that you can buy not only the Viagra but a Viagra gel and the later you swallow and it comes in different flavours strawberry lime etc. they were available in the pharmacist for around a 100 baht.
I decided that in the terms of research and so that I can report to you all I would get Dave to get some. After loads of protests about how he did not need it he relented and said that he would try it. Following him in to the pharmacist was toe cringingly embarrassing. Not because of what we were asking for but because he insisted in going in to an elaborate tale about how it was not for him but for a friend. All this told to someone who did not understand much English. It is no wonder they were looking at us more like we needed psychiatric help than any other type of medication.
One afternoon after lunch and a bottle of white we decided to try it !!!!! This is where if you are in a slushy romantic novel they go…….and as they lay there afterwards…..
Not to give you the details but we have been married 34 years and……….. WOW. No, Dave does not need any help but it was like usually eating strawberries and then someone gives you the cream to go with them and a bottle of bubbly.
He really made me laugh that night as he strutted up the road like a 19 year old…bless him.
That may be the reason that so many of the men there have lost their dress sense. I have never seen so many socks and sandals combos in my life there were also stripped shorts with check shirts. No women around or a distinct shortage of mirrors.

We went to the tiger zoo at Sriratcha and I really would not recommend it Dave got quite upset at how many tigers were kept together and there were hundreds of crocs. We were in a mini bus with 2 Korean families and they were really nice to talk to.

We did not really go anywhere else but just chilled and tried to enjoy the last of our trip.
The great thing about Pattaya are the baht busses they are tusk the long ones and it costs 10 baht each however far on the route you go. You can just zip up and down on these and it does not matter if you are further out as long as you are on the route it is not going to cost you a fortune to get around.
We had a couple of trips to Tesco Lotus to pick up things for the grandkids.

Daves mother had been convinced when we were in Thailand after Vietnam that we were in the earthquake in china !!! Don’t ask she had wound his brother up so much that he had rung the consulate because he could not get in touch with us. We finally put that one to bed. We rang her from Pattaya and said we don’t know why you thought we were in China. Oh and by the way she thought we were up a mountain !!!! Me, mountain, I don’t book it if it’s on a slope. Anyway we reassured her on the phone that we were in Pattaya in Thailand and thought that this was understood until ringing off when she said have a good time in Taiwan !@!#

We were by now getting to the end and starting to feel like we were going home I was looking forward to seeing family and friends and in particular the grandkids who I wanted to give a big hug to.

I had been leaving clothes as I went along that were too big for me and at one point I had resorted to wearing Daves shorts. I decided that I needed to leave 2 pairs of Elizabeth Clairbourne trousers as they just fell off me.

We were able to keep the room on after lots of negotiation and got a reduction on the price of one night off because for most of our stay the cable TV did not work and the only TV we got was Thai. This would not normally be a problem but when you are away for so long some nights you just want to go back to the room and chill out.

We noticed in pattaya a lot of Russian and Indian tourist we had quite a few Indian tourists in the hotel. They were really rude to the staff. I was appalled at the way that they spoke to them. They were clicking their fingers and demanding. Not nice at all.

Would we ever return to pattaya? Never say never if it came up at the right price and we knew where we were going I may do. We can at certain times get good deals from the UK. It is also an attractive proposition and alternative to staying ion Bangkok as it is an hour and a half from the airport. It could take you this to get in to the city if you hit the traffic wrong and where staying at the other side of Bangkok. They are also building a new 4 lane highway that will cut the travelling time down even more.

Well we were heading back home and we had booke transport to pick us up at 7.30. A limosine. So 7.30 comes and a clapped out Volvo turns up. Sometimes I feel like it is just us……..someone else booking probably got a dogs doda car. Oh well such is life, ours anyway.

Back to reality…………. To be continued

__________________
Kiss
God laughs at people who make plans.

Well all good things have to come to an end and these are the ramblings of a sad and broken woman.
It was back to the airport in the “limousine”. Good job they don’t have trade descriptions in Thailand. Anyway it got us there and in 1.5 hours it was a good journey not too much traffic.
We had intended to have something nice to eat at the airport but that was a non starter as we could not find anywhere decent. We settled for a little place and I picked a tuna salad and a bread roll. The bread roll came toasted with jam!
Passed the time away before we boarded the plane. This was an Emirates flight and it comes in from Hong Kong. It was about a third full already. There were people sleeping and covered with blankets mainly black men don’t know where they were all from but looked like they were going to work in Dubai. There was a really strong smell of farts and body odour….charming.
The flight was uneventful at one stage I resorted to tamazapan to try and sleep this did not work even with a few wines. Our close friends Tony and Diane picked us up from the airport and it was lovely to see them.
Soon we were winging our way home the airport is about 50 minutes from our house.
Even after 10 weeks it seemed as if we were just coming back from a 2 week holiday.
The Garden was overgrown and they had had some hot weather. As it turns out it looks like this was the only hot weather that we are going to have this summer.
The house was still, neat and clean. Our neighbours had bought milk and bread. They had been checking on the house and my sister and brother in law had been opening and dealing with any mail that needed attention.
The answer phone must have give up the ghost with so many messages as only one was audible.
We spent the rest of the day unpacking, catching up and picking the car up. This had been at Susan’s house for the duration. Dave’s had been at the house.
It seemed strange.
We were glad to be home but……………
On the Wednesday we went to see Craig who had been moved to a hospital at St Helens. He seemed well and Pauline and Tony had visited him whilst we were away. He was at last starting to look forward to coming home. I realised then that we had needed this time away as he would need our support and we needed our strength to be able to deal with the future. Although we had worried about him I had worried less knowing that he was same where he was.
Morgan was the one that I had worried about more and it turns out that he had moved in with a girl that he knows the recording studio partnership had broken down and I reckon that he had been about as low as he could get. Time to start growing up he was 29 later on in the month.
We saw the grandkids and got a frosty reception from Chloe who is 6 and was disgusted that we had been away so long. Once she realised that we were bearing gifts she came round somewhat.
We went to the coast to our static caravan and it was good to see everyone there. I felt fantastic I was over 80 pounds lighter than I had been the year before I was tanned and felt fit and happy.
It has been hard picking up some threads. Dave needed to get some wok now and it seems that in the short time that we have been away the country has changed. The prices are astronomical not just in comparison to Thai prices but they have risen so much. Diesel at £1.35 a litre £1.80 for a loaf of bread. The work situation is dire and a general depression has settled over the country and over me. To top all this the weather has been awful truly one of the worst summers that I can ever remember. Rain and also cold where we have had to have the heating on and the cost of that has gone up as well.
I don’t want to live in Thailand I want to visit for long periods.
I am really trying to keep cheerful but finding it hard. I have gained over 6 pounds!
Dave has got a few weeks work but that will only put some of the money back that we have spent since we came home with no income. We have spent as much in the UK in just over a month that we spent in Thailand in over 9 weeks (excluding accommodation).The worst thing is that until some more steady work comes in I can’t start booking or thinking about another trip. I know last night I was on the net and looking at holidays to Greece. We really like Greece and have been 17 time. I was looking at a week in Stoupa and the cost in September £525 each!!!!!!!!!!!! You have got to be joking.
I have applied for a non executive post and I am waiting to hear about that and I feel well enough now to start doing some part time work so I am looking at some training consultancy work. I need to stop myself falling further into despair.
I continue to get my fix from the forum and know that in the main I am with good company. Those who share the secret of the land of smiles and how wonderful it is and what it can do for your body and your soul.
Love to you all xxxxxxxxxxxxx

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Kiss
God laughs at people who make plans.

Thanks Jax, I printed them all off and read through them all during my lunch break with a cuppa, and enjoyed reading each one, I know what you mean about other people being sick (yuk)

Your reports brighten my day as I am bored witless at the moment, counting down only 45 sleeps until we are in the land of smiles :)

Excellent post dear jax.

I loved reliving this again.

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Kiss
God laughs at people who make plans.

I am sure you enjoyed reliving as I did while writting my JBR.
I found some ads on Andaman Sea Island Hopping Tours. Looks appealing. Any suggestions?

Hi jax is aonang really exotic? The resort hotel isn't cheap.

We do not like it as much as other places.
There are some great beaches that can be reached by long tail boat such as railey.
We don't think that the food is as good here as other places as well.
The scenery around this area is good all green and limestone cliffs.
There are very few beach front hotels.
You could group this with koh Lanta, we like this as well as be in reach of phuket all by boat or mini bus.

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Kiss
God laughs at people who make plans.

Sorry can't help out there we normally decide where we are going and then wing it. We don't often take part in tours.
You can easily get round in Thailand that is one of it's appeals.
If you are thinking of a longer trip next time some of the pleasure would be in the planning of it.
Ferries and transport are dead easy to book yourself.

__________________
Kiss
God laughs at people who make plans.

Thanks a lot for your suggestion Jax, looking up Koh Lanta.