We were going ‘Snoozzzz’ on the plane. Upon arrival we booked a cabbie to Patong beach. The ride, that cost us 525 batt, came with a short detour to the cabbie’s HQ where we were presented with various tour packages. ‘Would you all like tour package?’ said the gentle Thai lady that did not look her part. We couldn’t resist not going in. We soon got our first booking to visit the islands the next day.
Out hotel was absolutely glorious. We stayed at The Courtyard by the Marriot. The bathroom had warm lights. Nice deco. Heck! The room was fitted with a DVD player and a cool LCD TV. To top that, we had the gym and two swimming pools to tickle our fancy. Now that is living up to the 5 star status. We took to the beach and went head on with Patong town.
The soft endless sandy beaches which came with the salty sea breeze calmed our souls. Unfortunately there were a lot of locals there troubling us for business. I soon came to realize that their presence will be with us through out this trip. The sun was blistering hot. The scorching of our skin by it felt like prickly like critters crawling up our shoulders.
Most of the shops were close in the day time. We figured that they were mostly pubs and clubs that they would only open its doors during the night, to cater for the wolf hound tourist. You guessed it. Night life entertainment that fuels the veins of this fruitful island. Tourism and prostitution may be their main trade but Thais are naturally nice people.
Patong beach was filled with shops that vary from food outlets to massage parlors to shopping arcades. One will not be deprived of anything here. This includes sleeping partners for rent whenever required. High tension wires connected the streets every 10 meters. The sight of it was deafening with the ‘buzz’ like sounds which it produces to signify the leakage of electricity. Since its tsunami incident, it was amazing to how fast Patong recovered. A Patong that still retains its original high tension wires and the love for good food!
We were in search for good food and we found one in one of the small streets. We later found out that this street was linked to ‘Bangla’ street and will be later transformed at night to cater for wolf hound tourist. The food was great and appetizing. We ordered green curry, fish cakes, mixed veg and tom yam. For desert we ordered sticky rice with mangoes.
The night life was amazing. The streets were buzzing with cars and deafening sounds. We headed over to Bangla Street where they cordon off both ends of it. On the streets you can find men selling you night shows. Shows that came with titles like ping pong show and Thai girl show. We were faced with young that ladies dressed to appeal only to the men. A few of them were on the bar strutting their curves and moves to entice men’s desire. I came with an open mind. My swollen head from the has us call an early night before our meeting with James Bond the next day.