Trip 4 - Day 50

28th September

I wake up to see A and Phil off in the morning and then simply return to sleep for a few more hours as 06:00 in Pattaya is an 'obscene' time to be waking up especially if you only got to bed sometime after 02:00.

At 14:00, I finally surface and as it's Friday, I need to get into town to hand Kev's condo keys to the estate agent, so I get a scooter taxi to Soi 6/1 and see Steve at Alan Bolton's again. We have a chat and he says that business has just started to pick up, and he's also covering for Alan who is currently back in the UK.

After leaving the office, I decide to pop into TukCom as I need to buy an AV lead as I didn't bring it from the UK with me, so that means getting a baht bus from Beach Road. Being so close, It would be rude not to at least make the walk down Soi 6 to get the bus, so the walk was done and the big grin came so naturally. At least my resolve held out and the temptations were not sufficient to deflect me from my simple task of just walking down a road.

Into TukCom and I find a place selling what I think to be the right lead. I'm simply told that if it doesn't work, to bring it back with the portable DVD player and the right one would be found. At 120 baht, it's not a major expense, but it is good to know that it's not a waste if it's wrong.

As I come out of TukCom, it dawns on me that it's market day, so the deep fried chicken stall will be there. It just has to be done I'm afraid, so I head up Soi Bouakhow and the stall is where it always is at the entrance to the market. A big piece of chicken with sweet sauce and sticky rice comes to 45 baht and I decide to get a scooter back home so that I can eat it hot. I stop the taxi at the end of my Soi and buy a bottle of Coke and a bag of ice in the shop on the corner and a couple of minutes later I'm tucking in.

A arrives home at 17:30 and tells me that tonight we are going to have 'buffet' at home, so she disappears off to get the ingredients. 20 minutes later she returns with Phil and there is also Kye and her two kids as well. The two women start preparing the food and the kids are all playing together. I'm told that I should just go and sit outside and that I can read my book, which seems a damn good idea and is a pleasant way to spend the early evening. The women are being productive; the kids are playing quite nicely and there's a range of music emanating from the houses along the Soi.

Later, Kye goes to collect Robin from work and the four of us eat buffet and drink whisky and soda whilst sitting out in the front of the bungalow. In the darkness the glow of the barbecue coals is quite comforting and peaceful and as night draws on the Soi becomes quieter and quieter. Just before midnight, our guests depart and Phil is already asleep. He's put to bed and we retire for the night.


Expenditure :

Scooter Taxi & Baht Bus : 120 baht
AV Cable : 120 baht
Chicken at Market : 45 baht
Coke & Ice : 35 baht