Just after my last post a couple of the locals came over to us and started talking to us about our gear, asking us about how much it was worth and things like that. When we returned back to our hotel room we had a think about the questions people had been asking us the past couple of days, and the fact that we had seen the locals all talking to each other. If they shared information they might be able to find out where we were staying, our room number, and what gear we had. Because of this we decided that it would be best to move on to another town the next day and resolved that in the future we would take note of a hotel next door to where we are staying and if asked where we are staying will tell people a false name and room number.
We decided that we would head to Patong for a night before heading off to ko phi phi and then island hop our way down to Malaysia where we could sort out a double entry visa in Kuala Lumpa.
The next morning we loaded up and checked out of our hotel. This was the first time we had carried all our gear on our backs, and it was bearable. Right outside our hotel was a car with a make shift taxi sign sitting on the room. He would take us to Patong for 400B . He loaded our gear in the back and removed the taxi sign, and we were off. Durring the journey he asked what our plans were and insisted on calling our hotel ahead to let them know we were coming. I suspect he was asking them for a commission. When he heard that we were planning on heading to ko Phi phi he said that he could take us to a place that would sell us a ticket for $600B each and would pick us up from our hotel door. This sounded pretty good to us considering that our taxi fare to pa tong was costing 400B. We arrived at the travel agency and brought our ticket and then carried on to our hotel. When we got there they wanted 800B per night which we was more than we wanted to spend, so I ran from hotel to hotel asking for prices while Melissa stayed with the bags. We found a nice room for 650B and moved in for the night.
Once settled in we decided that we needed to add an extra padlock to our arsenal to allow us to turn the cabinets that seemed to be a staple at our accommodation into our own private lock box.
We headed out into the fervor that is Patong city. The difference between Kamila and Patong is extreme. The traffic was considerably denser and there were shopping stalls everywhere, and lots and lots of Australians. A local at kamala told me that there were alot of Australians in Patong, but I don't think I really believed him until I saw it myself. The air is filled with their twangy accents.
We ventured along what seemed like the main street and took in the sites. Our mission was to find a cash machine and a padlock. While on our journey we came across our first imitation iphone. After i inquired about it the owner asked if we would like to buy some DVD's and opened up a false wall that revealed a cavern of Pirated DVD's. I spied amongst the titles a copy of "BOY" which filled me with mixed emotions. I wanted to take a photo but he wouldn't let me. We purchased a copy of "source code" and continued on our way.
Our inquiries for a padlock and chain were getting us nowhere until one stall owner suggested we would be best of trying our luck at the mall. The mall was rather massive and we got a little bit lost at one stage. There were alot of cool things for sale that I have never seen before. While on our mission to find our padlock we were also coerced into purchasing two garments for Melissa and a stingray skin wallet. The wallet was my first successful haggling experience which felt good. Its not as easy as one might think to haggle well. Eventually we found our padlock in what is the equivalent of "the warehouse" in Thailand. It even had the same colour scheme in its branding.
We headed back to the hotel and got ready for a night out.
After dinner we headed towards the beach, and once we hit the main party street there was no mistaking that we had found party central. We were immediately approached by a man who was offering free entry to a "ping pong" show. Melissa and I looked at each other nervously and um'd and ah'd before deciding that we should check it out. We were lead to a bar and shown to our seats where we were told we could have "free visual" if we brought a drink each for 800B We thought that was outragiously over priced so we got up to leave, as we were about to head out the door they made us another offer, and so the haggling started. We ended up agreeing to stay for 400B for "two visual" and a drink each. I Don't think I should go into to much detail about the show, other then to say those ladies are well practiced at their art. If you are curious for more information you can garner some more insight here: http://100daysoflyrics.blogspot.com/2011/04/day-48-what-do-these-things-have-in.html
After a couple of hours of the show we continued on down the streets of Patong. The bars were lit up like los vegas with go go dancers dancing everywhere, and a few bars featuring flamboyant lady-boys (who seemed to put much more effort into their dancing then their purebred counterparts).
We ventured along the beachfront where Melissa had a very violent reaction to seeing a beggar on the street with no arms and no legs.
Down another side street we came across an art gallery that had the work of three in-house artists displayed. One of which I thought was particularly gifted. I inquired about the price and was told that typically a large painting would be sold for around the equivalent of $200NZD and furthermore I could bring a photo, or picture that the artist would then copy for me. This got me thinking about the possibilities, but disappointingly the shop had neither a website or an e-mail address. Still, its food for thought. While I was talking to the shop owner Melissa started to complain of a crook stomach so we took our leave and headed back to the hotel.
Melissa was unsure whether she was going to be ok to go out again, and after a while suggested that I go to get the leg massage that we had planned by myself. I headed out onto the streets and walked past a couple of massage shops that were closed, and a couple that I thought were to expensive before eventually finding a place that had a price I thought was reasonable. I tried out my Thai and asked for a discount but they just laughed at me. after agreeing to the price, one lady took me by the arm and started leading me down the allyway towards a hotel, and imediatly started to attempt to convince me to upgrade to a full body oil massage. About now I started to wonder what I had got myself into and reiterated that I only wanted a foot massage. She led me up to the 15th floor of the hotel where I was quite on edge given that this was mt first time out alone in Thailand and I was now 15 floors up in a strange hotel where no one could hear me scream. The establishment looked legitimate enough, but I kept concocting scenarios in my head by which I would somehow wake up minus a kidney. These concerns were not helped at all by my masseuses appeals to me that I should sleep. sleeeeep.. just sleeeep. While I could easily have slipped off I consciously fought against it. I was rewarded with cheeky taunting and teasing by all the masseuses in the room who had obviously been informed in Thai that I didn't want to "make special massage" because I was afraid of my girlfriend. Apparently something that is not common in Patong. After an hour long massage that would have been great if I had not been fearing for my life I was lead back down to safety, but not before one last appeal for me come back and let her "make special massage". I politely declined and told her I might come back tomorrow with my girlfriend. Once I got back to the hotel Melissa was feeling much better. I recounted my tale to her and thankfully she was very understanding and not angry, but not before making me look her square in the eye and tell her that I didn't get a happy ending. Having had quite enough adventures for one night we retired to get some sleep ready for the journey ahead in the morning.
No comments:
Post a Comment