PATTAYA (cont'd) Page 16
FRIDAY 18th October 2013: A quiet day. Popped down to the 'Poker Bar' on Beach Road for 1 or 2 late afternoon beers. Back in the apartment by 7-ish and Aom rustled-up a lovely pork-steak and sir-fry vegetables Thai style for dinner… lovely!
Here's some more general stuff on Pattaya including this short movie below. This shows the huge "Pattaya City" sign built on the cliff face overlooking the city. At night it's illuminated by 1000's of LED's.
One of the most noticible things about Thai streets a visitor from UK will notice, is the way cabling appears to be thrown up at random everywhere. In most European countries and, in particular UK, all cables are channeled underground whereas here they're thrown up on poles and dangle like huge spider-webs everywhere, and I mean everywhere. Cables of all sizes and thicknesses criss-cross each other. Some dangle so low that they actually touch the ground (fortunately they're mostly insulated). One has to ask how the hell do they identify which cable does what. Maybe the answer is they don't know. Electric meters are plonked on a pole outside each premises open to the elements; it's chaotic [photos]. The electrics in most older properties are near lethal.
An example of the chaotic cabling on all Thai streets. Unlike UK, all cables are above ground (just!) dangling from concrete poles.
SATURDAY 19th: We had arrange for a night out tonight with one of Aom's good friends, Dow and her Canadian boy-friend. However, it'll be a quiet night as today is a Buddha Day. Buddha Days occur throughout the Thai calander, they are holy days and all bars and clubs have to close until midnight.
... and this bloody Aircard has just run out of 3G/EDGE/GPRS time which means it reverts to 2G and up and down loading material is almost unusable. Time to phone AIS (provider, similar to O2,Vodaphone, etc) again to buy some more uptime, or at least get Aom to do it as my Thai is rubbish.
Saturday afternoon: Popped down to one of the excellent cinemas here. They really are 10-times better than most UK cinemas I've been in.
What is quite quaint is that here in Thailand you have to stand whilst they show a short of the King and play the national anthem. You MUST stand; it's the done thing and is considered highly offensive to Thais if you remain seated. I seem to remember in my dim and distant past that UK cinemas had the same expectation. Yes, I know, I'm showing my age.
SUNDAY 20th: I was thinking about a pop down to one of the local swimming-pools which are attached to most condos... but alas thinking about it was as far as I got as apathy set in.
Here's some general photos of around Pattaya:-
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- TOP LEFT: Pattaya Bay looking north towards Na-Kluea and Chon Buri.
- TOP RIGHT: Pattaya Bay looking south towards Jomtien and "the Lookout"
- SECOND LEFT: A stroll down Beach Road.
- SECOND RIGHT: A stroll in the opposite direction. Note the policeman on the left; he's just nabbed a passing tourist on his bike. Alas, on the spot "bribes" (sorry fines) are commonplace in Thailand. Straight in the back-pocket. [Note on this as you will see on Page 18]
- THIRD LEFT: More Beach Road, but note the big gas-filled balloon in the background. It's tethyerede by cable but it will take you up high... for a fee.
- THIRD RIGHT: Just a closer-up of said balloon
- FOURTH LEFT: The "Pattaya Beer Garden", excellent food and beer here, with the bloody big "Pattaya City" sign behind on the cliff face.
- FOURTH RIGHT: That sign again.
- BOTTOM LEFT: Aom behind that bloody big "P" of Pattaya. The huge illuminated sign on the cliff-side above the city.
- BOTTOM RIGHT: A typical Pattaya multi-purpose store/shopping mall. Most of the big high-street names are here.
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- TOP LEFT: Up on "The Lookout". The city behind.
- TOP RIGHT: Enjoying a beer at the Beer Garden. This bar/restaurant is a very popular spot as it juts out into the sea on a pier. It's usually nice and cool here as well. The torch on the table is given to you when you are seated; it's so's you can read the menus.
- Pattaya Floating Market. A bit of a misnomer here as the only things floating are the boats, All the kiosks, stalls, shops and walkways are on timber pilings. Probably best to call it a water market.
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