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!