5 – 12 december

An hour later the train arrived at Prachuap, i exchanged email adresses with the girls and i got of. I walked the short way from the trainstation to the guesthouse, and allready felt a whole lot beter here.

Prachuap was obviously a whole lot different than Hua Hinn, and had a nice relaxed atmosphere, witch i noticed although it was now arround 19.00 and thus dark. I got to the guesthouse, witch was called ‘ Yuttichai Hotel’. They had only a double room, 250 bath, but with bathroom inside, and television. The next day they would have a cheaper room for me. I decided it was good enough and got to my room. Took off my backpack, turned the television on and watched for an hour or so.

Then i was hungry and went outside to the nightmarket. Wonderfull sight. A small market, filled with foodstalls of all sorts, food stalled on their carts, and everywhere you looked Thai people having dinner. All very simple, iron table and plastic garden chairs, bright lightbulbs for lighting, and the food gave the place a lovely colour. I walked around, looking for a place to satisfy my needs. As i walked by i saw all sorts of food; liver, chicken paws, intestines, hart, oisters, prawns, fish, chicken and more. I walked passed one, and the vendor called me and gave me a menu, to my utter surprise in Enlish, French and German! I found the one, i chose chicken and spicy sauce with steamed rice and asked for a Chang beer. Because of the Kings birthday, no beer today! Can you belive it? Imagine Queensday in Holland without alcohol! After my meal i bought a beer at the seven-11 and got back to the guesthouse.

As i was in my room on the second floor, i heared some tourists talking. I got up and had a look. I introduced myself and asked if i could join them for a while. No problem off course. We saw fireworks, heared a band, and then i found it time to go to bed. Since i had television for the first time since long, i watched it for a while, a Charles Dickens biography was showing. After that, i closed my tired eyes, and got my well deserved sleep.

Early the next day i got up, took a shower, packed up and switched to a cheaper room. This one, 160 bath was equally nice, smaller, only one double bed, and of course no television. But really okay, there was a table, a fan and a window, and the bed looked very clean.

I went downstairs, asked where i could rent a bicicle. They showed me a really good one right there. A good mountain bike, high saddle, front suspension and with front and back gear. For 100 bath it was mine for the day. I had breakfast in the guesthouse. I allready had spotted that there was freshly ground coffee, in various tastes, and toast with jam and butter was 15 bath, a very good price.

After i enjoyed my breakfast i drove my bike towards a mountain fitted cave, 15 km north of town, where a temple was to be found inside the cave, after a 15 minute steep climb. I really enjoyed the ride, although it was hot, but the wind made it a lot cooler. The area was under the influence of the monsoon season now, wich meant there was a continous west wind. After the cave visit, i drove back, stopped for a while at a 5km wide, completely empty beach and enjoyed the peace and the surroundings. What a marvelous feeling. Beach, sun and sea at last!

I got back in town, had some noodlesoup for lunch, and decided i had time enough to explore the area south of town. I drove to Ao Manao, a beach popular with Thai tourists. From there i visited the Naval Base located there. They were conmemorating the december 8th 1941 Japanese invasion of Thailand there, and there was a great festivity. I also visited the War Memorial Museum (i was the only visitor) and after that the sun was setting, and time to go back to the guesthouse. On the way back i drove past the pier, to watch the local fisherman loading the daily catch onto trucks. I met a French girl there, Christelle, who was watching the fisherman aswell. We talked a little and when i mentioned that the next day i would visit a monkey habited Wat (temple)hill the next day, she asked if she could join, afraid of the monkeys as she was. I agreed, and we would meet the next day, in the guesthouse, where she also stayed.

I went back to the guesthouse, changed into something with longsleeves and a long pants because of the mosquitos, and had my dinner at the same stall as the day before. This time, the spicy Thai specialty: Tom Yam Goong (mint, galanga, ginger, chilli and prawns). While eating, a older couple approched, they ordered and came over. Saying, ‘well, we are in the same hotel, so can we sit at your table?’ I agreed, and we had a nice conversation over dinner. They were English, but had lived in South Africe for over 20 years. Now, they had sold their house and travelled the world! What a good idea. After dinner we got up and walked back to the hotel. There i met Christelle again, she was talking with another Frenchman. I joined them and we spent the night drinking, talking about France, Holland, Music, Thailand and work. The girl worked as a social worker, helping heroin addicts, and had spent months in India, but now she was tired and needed a little relaxing before going back to France, The guy worked with the postoffice, and had agreed with his boss to work 7 months, and then 5 months off. He comes to Thailand for 6 years now, and enjoyed Prachuap every time he came. Late, i got to bed, feeling at ease, totaly relaxed and glad to be in Prachuap, and had a perfect night sleep.

The next day i met with Christelle, had breakfast, she rented a bike, i took mine again and we headed off to the mountain Wat. The way up was quite heavy, but the view was worth it. We got back down and spent the rest of the day cycling arround Prachuap. The way back was difficult for the French girl, being it the first time since she was 8 to be on a bike again! We went back to the guesthouse around 5, had a shower and went for the nightmarket, off course the same stall as before. Back at the guesthouse there was a new ariver, a Australian guy who had come from Malaysia, where he had worked for 6 months. Staying in Prachuap for a few days he would leave in a couple of days to head home. We talked together with the English couple about all kinds of things. Late, the Australian guy and me were left, and an English Irish girl came looking for a room. Unfortunately for her there was no place, and the Australian guy offered to share a room, but she went on to look for another hotel. 20 minutes later she came back for a drink and we had a quick chat. Damn was she active! Leaving us in in amazement, we decided to call it a day and went to bed. Another great day in Prachuap! Likeso the days in Prachuap passed by, cycling the day’s away, spending some time on the beach and dinner at the nightmarket. One night, the Australian guy, the English Irish girl, The English couple and me went for a specialty of the town in a local restaurant: fresh fish, dried in the sun for half a day and deep fried with garlic! Served with great sauce and salad it was a great dish. Perfect was also the private beach the english couple had discovered, a beach past the naval base, 10 minutes up and down steep hills, and perfectly secluded from everybody! I spent two days there without seeing anybody!

After 8 days i decided it was time to leave Prachuap. Prachuap left a great memory for me, the quiet little town, the bustling nightmarket, the 40km trip to the myanmar border by bike (!), the pier and the fishermans daily routine, the friendly nonoffending locals, the great view and the wild monsoon struck sea and boulavard, i will surely return to Prachuap!

So, around 10 o’clock i left my guesthouse in Petchaburi, and took a moto to the trainstation. Bought a ticket, destination Hua Hinn.

The train left arround 11, so i had a look around the train station, and watched the Thai for a bit. Loads of goods they were packing, not exactly ‘travelling light’. The train came and i enjoyed the 3th class trip. The train was packed, and no chair for me. After a while a Thai man offered me to sit on the side of his wife’s chair. Then, after another short while he got up, and offered me his own chair. First i refused, because he was obviously older then me, but after some persistend signlanguage, i accepted. He left and went for a walk. The train had a nice atmosphere, even though it was packed, and the seats were made of plain old wood. Lots of people selling rice, coffee, beer, fruits and candy. I had a few ‘sort of’ conversations, funny because i don’t speak Thai, and no one spoke any English to.

After an hour or two i arrived at Hua Hinn, waved goodbey to my fellow train travellers, and got of the train. It was a nice trainstation, later i read it is the oldest and nicest in Thailand. I left the trainstation and started walking, i had found a cheap guesthouse in the Lonely Planet, that sounded nice, and was located near the beach. While walking towards the beach (it was damn hot with my backpack and the burning sun) a uneasy feeling dawned in my guts. Big sign ‘Burger King’. Loads of restaurants, screaming signs with ‘Cheapest Steak!’ Huge expensive hotels, and finaly a huge ‘Hilton’ hotel…. Damn, i thought, while taking a turn in a small street of the main road, towards the guesthouse i selected.

Arriving at the guesthouse, they told me’sorry full, only rooms from 400 bath’, to much for me and i went on. Next: same, and onother one and another one. While searching, loads of Thai girls, fully maked up, wearing unbelievable short skirts and tops shouting and weaving from bars alongside the road ‘hellooooo, u come here? u come in’ and more of sorts…. I knew it now for sure…. Pattaya all over again.

I thought about it shortly, and turned around, heading back for the trainstation. I was not going to stay here, even if it ment wasting a whole day waiting for the train. Back at the trainstation, it was 3 o’clock now, i was told the first train to Prachuap Khiri Khan left at 17.30. Well, it be so, i thought. I went for some Thai style lunch at a street restaurant i’ve seen on the way. I had a sort of noodle soup, but then more gravy and cow meat in it. Very tasty and perfect for lunch in the hot sun. Back at the train station i sat down and read my book ‘a small history of almost everything’. After a while i met two girls i saw earlier in a guesthouse i visited, and i we started talking to spent some time. They were from Sweden, and were going to Ko Tao, near Ko Pha Ngan, the same direction i was going. The conversation was nice, and i decided to buy a ticket for the same train as them, although it was a 2nd class air con ride, and i normaly would have taken the 3th class. We kept talking about all sorts of things, the train came and we sat down. looking for the right wagon, i noticed i had 2nd class, but no air con… and no seat nr and another wagon nr! I took the chance, and went with them in the same wagon. After a while dough, someone came to check the tickets, mine was no good off course and i had to pay extra!

So, early in the morning i got up, and left Pattaya quickly behind me. I arrived in Bangkok, eastern terminal. Now get to the south terminal. 1 hour or so by line bus, hot, busy, but i saw something of bangkok again. Got in the bus to Phetchaburi and arrived three hours later. From the highway took a sawngthaew to a guesthouse mentioned in the Lonely Planet, Rabieng Rim Nam Guesthouse. Nicely located on the river bank, in the middle of the city. Cheap to, 120 bath per night. Not so clean, but ok. Bathroom downstairs, and not to clean also. The owner, a little woman, was nice and spoke englisch, unlike her employees, who were nice but spoke little to none englisch. I walked a little around town, visited a art market, a lot of people there. It was a nice and quiet little town, pretty clean streets, 7-eleven of course, i-net, and a few restaurants and hotels. I went back to the gh to get some food, they had a very good menu there. I ordered, and then a thai guy asked if he could join my table. I sais sure, and we (or actually he, he just kept talking with no end) talked about the town, his own town (he lived a little further south in Prachuap Khiri Kahn), and about some american who he had met last year. This american went on his bycicle from the north to Phuket. This year again, and the thai guy was going to join them from his town in 2 or 3 days. We then went to an i-net cafe where he showed me the website of the american. I also sent some emails, and went back to the guesthouse. The Thai guy had brought some palmwine wich we drank, and had some more beer and conversation. An english guy joined, and told me about Ko Lanta. He live there and told me it was great. He even wrote a small note for me, and if i would show this somewhere in some bar they would fix me a free place to stay. So i said thanx and goodbey, it was late allready and i went to bed. Nice evening it was.

As early as possible on the 1st of december i got myself up to get to the eastern bus terminal. I got a little to much to drink the night before, and it was about 4 o clock before i went to bed, my alarm/telphone was empty so it turned out to be almost 10.30 allready when i awoke. Impossible to rush to much i had a shower, packed my bag and left the guesthouse. A line bus took me in about 45 minutes to the bus terminal. Its a big, busy city… I arrived, and almost immediately found the bus to Pattaya, and it left after 15 minutes.

I arrived in Pattaya bus station, about three hours later. From there a sawngthaew (a pick-up truck with two rows of benches opposite to eachother in the back) brought me to Hat Jomtien, a beach 5 km from Pattaya. From the sawngthaew i gazed at Pattaya… it is amazing (read: sick). That is, i didnt like the look of it AT ALL! Lots of bars, with thai hookers and western men from arround 50+, lots of shouting promotions and advertisements, a burger king and mc donalds etc. It was awfull. So i got to Hat Jomtien. It was a little bit better. I came to say hello to my grandmother, and had an idea in what hotel she stayed. A big one. I walked over there in the hot sun, in about 45 minutes. There it was the wrong hotel… :( So i got up again, walked back. I had enough of this town allready. I looked if i could find a cheap guesthouse, but all were about 250 bath (or more). So eventually i got in one because i was tired of searching with my backpack. It was nice though, large bed, friendly people, bathroom inside, so it was nice and comfortable after Bangkok. I unpacked some stuf, got out and continued my search for grandma, but to no avail… I had enough of it, this whole place. I wasn’t hungry, bought some water in the 7-eleven and went to sleep. The next day i decided not to leave immediatly, and to spent at least a day on the beach. Actually i wanted to visit the island Ko Lan(tra) the next day but i thought that if it would be even a little like this place i would go crazy. Then i went to search again, and this time found the hotel, but i think she had left or never arrived because the reception didin’t know her name… I spent the rest of the day on the beach, i found a nice deserted spot. Then got some food, and went to bed early, i would leave early in the morning to go to Petchaburi, via Bangkok again.

By by Pattaya, by by Hat Jomtien, hope to never see you again!