Vinny & Dog's Epic Trek Part 5: Pattaya and the infamous Walking Street

---

I made it through Kathmandu and onto Bangkok, Thailand to meet a mate. I arrived a day before he did and checked into a hotel near the airport. I went to get a massage and have some grub before retiring to the room early for a movie and an easy evening of rest. I had an inkling as to what the next few days had in store for us so the rest was going to be much needed!!! The following morning I woke up early and headed to the airport....when I walked outside, it was raining like a sumbitch! I met him at the airport and we found our car for the two hour rain-soaked trip to Pattaya, all the while I was thinking it was good to have some company on my trip for a change. We caught up on old times during the ride, arrived in Pattaya and checked into our condos.....(definitely a better way to go than hotels….I was upgraded to the VIP room with blue mood lighting among a host of other amenities).

We decided to grab a bite to eat and have a few frosty cold ones, not necessarily in that order! And that was the beginning of the end!!! HA HA!! We started drinking and continued through the evening of San Miguel Light beers and opted for a change of pace, so that decision led us to the infamous Walking Street. This place is like nothing you can imagine or have ever seen before.....chocked full of bars, go go bars, beer bars, most with some sort of music, live music, house music, DJs spinning it up and anything else you can imagine. Walking along the street you get to see all walks of life and types of people. From the Lady Boys (guy-girls, man-she’s, manginas whatever you want to call them) meowing at you as you pass by, to the people dressed up like it is Mardi Gras (and the drunk guy with lens-less glasses on carrying an opened umbrella (only it isn't raining) which by the way was me!)....

**Here is a side-story for you....after an unknown quantity of the nectar of the Gods I was walking down the street with an opened umbrella getting all sorts of looks, from the 'WTF', to the 'Awesome dude' (from the guy who was totally hammered!) I walked near a tourist police officer who was staring at me. I walked right over to him and held the umbrella over his head as if to keep him from getting wet as well. Upon that he looked at me and said it wasn't raining and I just shrugged my shoulders. He looked right at me and held his arm out from under the umbrella to check for rain. Priceless....He laughed as I told him to stay dry and walked away! He probably assumed he had seen everything at that point!**

I digress.....as you can tell, you see it all in this place!!!!

Then you go into some of the bars.....and you have ladies hanging from the rafters or swinging on rings.....and you have a few bars with showers in them. That gets to be a bit interesting at times, and every once in a while you see some poor sap getting pulled into it, to the laughter and 'glad that wasn't me' from all the other bar patrons! Rubber hoses......Many bars have these rubber hoses, which look similar to the gray foamy insulation for hot and cold copper piping (you know?), and the ladies beat the hell outta each other with them. I mean they rear back and hit like the other like it is a dog who peed on the floor or something. WHAP WHAP WHAP! If you just walk into a bar and hear it for the first time you cringe, or at least I did! Usually the hittee doesn't even flinch either, which makes it an even more messed up unusual experience. On a previous trip they hit a buddy with the hose (and stole his beer bottle, but that is another story altogether) and he said it hurt. I think he was a wuss about it though! Also they have buckets of ping pong balls which you purchase and throw to or at the ladies. They get some sort of financial reimbursement for catching the balls and turning them in. Sort of funny to watch the girls diving over each other like lunatics to get at them though. BDB.....Come on Man!!! HA HA!!!

Thailand is always a crazy time as well as being a wonderful chance to relax for a bit from solo traveling and siteseeing. Also a fantastic time getting caught up with an old friend, as well as meeting a number of new people along the way. You know me being an ambassador for the US while I am traveling and trying to improve international relations! I plan to continue back towards the plans and a bit of solo traveling. I should be off to Cambodia to see Phnom Penh and Angkor Wat in a day or so and will keep you all posted.

Cheers……

---

Comments

[Rich]

Ohmy
You know it would be pretty tough getting you out of the slammer if the cop thought you were blocking his way to heaven with the umbrulla. Your lucky you got one with a sence of humor and not a short guy with the intent to bring down a white gringo! Be careful over there. We all want to see you again and not after a 10 year prison sentance. Luv Rich and Jean