My initial idea was to head up to Bangkok today with Dougie and set up my flight to Chiang Mai. It was his last day, and the original plan was to spend one night in Pattaya, swing up to Bangkok, he would take off to Sweden, and I would be on my own for the remaining 7 days before heading back to Norway. Just as with everything else we had done on this trip, the plans were altered and I decided that staying in Pattaya was going to be the right play for me. I called Dougie, told him there had been a slight change in the itinerary and that I was going to battle through a few days here, then possibly go to another island for a few days before departing back home. He had no problem with it, packed his stuff, jumped on a bus to Bangkok, and we were soon on our own.
It was a bit strange though being on my own for the remaining portion of the trip. Dougie was a great guy to travel with, very laid back, easy going, and generally we had the same sort of interests in the decision making processes that got us to this point. So now, alone, it was easier to make a choice on what to do for the day but it was also a bit more difficult because there was not another option to choose from. Sort of an interesting paradox but nonetheless, it was again a new experience for me to be in a foreign land... completely alone and on my own.
The weather today was a bit less than ideal and the intermittent rain put a damper on any consistent outdoor activities to I found a local movie theater. At this point in the trip, I was too tired to function properly so I basically spent 5 dollars for a comfortable reclining movie chair and a 2 hour nap. Feeling much more refreshed after the movie, against my better judgement, I walked by the bar I was in the night before. All of the same people were in there. It was one of those situations where you just want to say, "Nah, I'm all set, just gonna shut er down for the night" but what you really say is, "Yeah, sure, I'll stop in for 1 or 2 which will end up being 15 and I will be drunk again for the 10th consecutive day." The latter ended up being the case.
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| After the 14th drink, a proposal with toilet paper seems like a good idea. |
There is such a vast amount of diversity in the people here, hailing from all over the globe, each with their own explanation and story of how they ended up in this beautiful region. Some are here for pleasure. Some are here to get away. Some are here out of curiosity. As I people watch and attempt to determine which category people fall under, I again hear the blissful tune of western English. As I turn to the sound, a man completely covered in tattoos, chains, and an aggressive V-neck has about 4 Thai women surrounding as he is proposing a toast, each with their shot of tequila in hand. I asked the guy where he was from and he hands me a shot and says, "Vancouver, cheers." Instantly, I knew where this night was going to take me.
He was the guy that was trying to get away.
He gave me a quick rundown of the 10 million in assets that his wife was trying to take from him, the myriad of drugs he had forced into his body since he had been in SE Asia, and amongst all of that, actually some viable information on other destinations (Cambodia was his suggestion) around the area, given I had more time. It was actually pretty entertaining and he was a good guy, a complete disaster, but a good guy. I thanked him for one-too-many shots and was off to Walking Street for some late night discos and visual stimulation, haha.
Day 11 - Pattaya
I stayed up way too late last night and I feel like poop. Had a great time but it is like being in Vegas, party, laugh, drink, dance, drink and next think you know, it's 5am, the sun is peeking over the horizon, and you are asking yourself, "Why?"
Unlike the first 9 days of this trip, the second portion was much more stagnant. Not stagnant in the sense that it wasn't enjoyable, but in the sense that it was the same thing over and over again. It seemed that every day I am in Pattaya, it goes as follows... Wake up late, grab some noodles and soup, sit at a bar casually for 3 hours, grab something more to eat, walk around the beach, sit at another bar casually, grab yet some more street food, then put it into overdrive with the nightlife that is unmatched anywhere else in the world. This is Pattaya. Add the blistering sun, 100 degrees and humidity, and you have a recipe that can consume even Danny Bonaduce...
http://www.cracked.com/blog/the-6-most-aggressively-ridiculous-benders-in-modern-history/
Anyway, point being, it is easy to get lost in the mix and the chaos because it is right in front of you, screaming at you and scratching your retinas, all day.
So, due to the episodes of last night, today was a personal reflection day, a day that I sit back, enjoy the scenery and ponder, "What is Bobby Goepfert doing right now?" After a brief internet check, I find this...
http://twitpic.com/4yp5st
http://twitpic.com/4yknky
...and my mind is, once again, at ease.
The girls that i had met from the night before invited me to go eat as a group, and since I am alone, I jumped at the idea of a social endeavor. We took a few motorbikes over to their friend's salon, bought 5 or 6 Styrofoam containers worth of street food and had ourselves a little indoor picnic. I found later that this is not a occasional occurrence, but rather something that is embraced. This excerpt should probably be better off saved until a later blog but it is something I had written down the day before I left and relates to the Thai traditions, as I saw them...
To be honest, I am very sad to be leaving this place. It is not one of those situations where the sadness is caused by sorrow, but rather because I feel this is a place unlike any other; and despite doing so much here, it seems like I have only seen the tip of the iceberg. I am extremely satisfied with how I handled the scheduling aspect of this trip, only a flight here and a flight home, with no other reservations, no agenda. The reason this worked for me is that if I enjoyed a certain part, I continued, if I didn't enjoy it, I moved on. A downside to that is the time restrictions. There are so many other things to experience in Thailand, but this being my first extended trip, I figured 17 days would suffice. To do it again, I will give myself a 1 month minimum, no matter where I go. I also came to a realization that, once again, the American mentality of materialism and status should never take the place of family and friends, yet it still does, and it may always be that way. It seems that though people here only strive for a few things in order to be happy; a little bit of money, enough for clothes, shelter, and food on their plate, and family and friends who love and respect them. The US may be similar to this in some ways but the love and respect factor seems to be initiated by the wrong reasons.
So, after a community lunch, some deep thoughts, and a rehydration session, a quick nap ensued, and it was back to Walking Street where any rational thought process and soft emotional response was soon a thing of the past.
wow, i really like what you wrote down, keep it up and travel more place!
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