Date: 2008-01-23
To: Pattaya
Miles today: 0.0

Can't beleive my mother sent me a message via the computer, that is more of a shock than Thailand.Got up in the morning and got myself organised, packed my bags and headed down stairs and waited in the lobby for my minivan to Pattaya. There were two australian girls who had just caught a taxi from the airport. First time in Thailand, and they looked just as rattled and bewildered as I was on my first day. They seem to be asking the same question as I was on arrival, what am I doing here? They pointed to a man who was laying just a few metres from us on a step. He was covered in sores, and was black with filth. They could hardly breathe cause of the smell, I now know what Gilo was talking about. I enquired about their taxi ride from the airport, and they did not have words to describe it. They were trying to book in, and after about half an hour of total bemusement and getting nowhere with reception, they eventually realised they were at the wrong hotel, they seem to be having a blow by blow experience of the day I had previously. I did go over and buy a new tube of sunscreen, and even this is a struggle. It cost 250 Baht, and I handed the girl 300 Baht. She told me to give her 500 and she would give me 250 change. I suggested I give her 300 and she just give me 50 change. After a few minutes of confusion, which included her pulling out a calculator and pushing some buttons and showing me some useless numbers, I just decided to do it her way. My mini van arrived and picked me up, it drove me around the block, and due to the traffic this took some time, and we ended up at the exact same spot, to pick up another person, I just shrugged the shoulders. We drove around Bangkok, and every way you look there is something else that blows the mind. There is five lanes of traffic and a small man in the middle lane pushing a cart with everyone swerving to get around him, it was like a game of chicken. There is a massive amount of over passes, but none of them seemed to being utilised, it is like they have only been half constructed. I also saw a person using a theodolite, I was shocked, from the looks of the place i did not think any surveying had taken place, just build it where it fits. We arrived at a place who knows where, and it was time to change vans and a new driver. The drive out of Bangkok was just mad. I dont know how to even describe it. I was sat next to a lovely Dutch couple and we talked lots of politics and economics. They are experienced travellers in Thailand and gave me many much needed tips. They told me I was not getting the real taste of Thailand, that is in the south and north, I had made the assumption that like travelling in Australia it would be necessary to stop in the one spot for a lengthy period of time to get a proper feel for it. Thailand it is the opposite, a whislte stop tour is the best, as there is not enough in one area to really hold your attention, we live and learn.The traffic all of a sudden goes from 4 lanes with the left lane being reserved for trucks that are bumper to bumper stretching well over 100km if not more, lachie and william would really like this place. Then all of a sudden the road narrows to two lanes due to some road works without much warning. The traffic compresses with lots of tooting and most people refusing to take their foot off the gas. At one stage our driver was having an argument on the phone (everyone talks on the phone whilst driving, they may be poor but they all have expensive mobiles) the car slowed to 30 km/hr on a freeway and we were swerving across the lane as the driver was very animated argueing away. Trucks were pulling out around us at the last minute to avoid a collision, finally we got back up to speed. There was more road works ahead, but we decided to avoid some of the traffic by pulling out onto the road works and passing around some concrete blocks layed out on the road to stop cars doing what we were doing. The margin for error was minimal and eventually we took out a concrete block that must have done some damage to the car, because after that it made strange noises. The drama did continue, but eventually I ended up at the Honey Inn. It is a lovely hotel, and within easy access to the beach. I did not really want to travel to far from the airport, so the closest places are Pattaya, and some other place in the opposite direction that has to do something about the River Kwai. A movie was made about it, to do with the bridges built over it during WW2, and for the movie they were reconstructed. The events have very little historical significance opr actual facts, like much to do with Hollywood, so that did not interest me as such.Here i am in Pattaya, and this is where all of the american soldiers came for R & R from Vietnam. It is wall to wall prostituion, still lots of pollution, and the smell of the sewer is probably worse. It is an open gravity sewer that runs just under the roads, at places it can be seen, and the smell almost knocks you flat. The sewerage poors into the gulf of Thailand so it is not great for swimming, well not close to shore, so most people just sit on the beach. There are all types of weird lookng boats around a jetty at the south end, with even stranger boats moored out further. Most of them seem to be listing heavily to one side. I sat glued to a bunch of tractors pulling all the speed boats out of the water, the whole operation was stunning. From the age of the tractors, to the way they hammered the equipment and slide the tractors side ways down the ramp. Like most things in Thailand it seems to be dominated by the sex industry everywhere there are tourists in any sizeable numbers. This place is no different and there is so many old western men walking the streets. Standing out the front of many establishments are lines of Thai girls offering themsleves, in the bars and go go bars it is all the same. The rates of STD must be so high, I wonder if people relize the risks they are taking. My hotel is mostly filled with old men, mostly bald and fat, from Europe. After my long walk yesterday afternoon and a sit on the beach to watch the sunset, spectacular due to the pollution, the sun just glowed bright red. I came home jumped in the shower and jumped into bed pretty exhausted. I have decided to walk everywhere, great training for the Appalachian Trail. As I walked up to my room at 9pm the place was crawling with Thai girls that men had brought back from the bars. Some of the old men had 2 or 3 following them up the stairs. Looks like they wer eabout to live out their wildest fantasies. I feel asleep pretty much as soon as my head hit the pillow, but was woken at 11pm by some strange sounds. The moaning and groaning and banging that was going on next door sounded like a construction site. Then a strange thought jumped into my head, if that is going on next door, then imagine over the years what has happened in the bed I am sleeping in, I got a real cold shiver, I am so looking forward to getting to the US and laying on my foam mattress, even if it is incredibly uncomfortable. I got up and went over the road to buy a bottle of water. As I passed down the hall way, from everyroom there was this same moaning and groaning, and cries and shrieks of yes! yes! in all different languages. Most of these old men must be over dosing on viagra to keep up this level of activity. As I am typing on the computer many of the old boys are filing out past me, and by the way they are walking it looks like some of them may have over done things.This place is a sad reflection on western society, unlike the ethos of the Appalachian Trail where one should leave the environment as untouched as possible, "only leave behind your footprints". Here it is the opposite, create as much mayhem and destruction as possible. Many of the bar owners are Australian, many of them seemed to be heavily involved in the process. We sure have left a terrible mark upon this place. Yet once pattaya was described as the jewel in the crown of Thailand, but those days are long over. Every ally I walk down I witness something new and profound, you become so anethitised to it all, that you have to remind yourself that they are people to. I have a real sense of sadness for what I am witnessing. The Thai people seemed to have lost so much over the last 40 years, and with globalisation that has only accelerated the process. It reminds me of my time spent in Meekatharra, where the most vulenrable people in our society (aboriginals) are prayed upon by men who have been rejected by white society in Perth. They are men of few morals whom see the plight of black Australia as an opportunity. Some of the dirty old men that you see walking around with Thai girls really make your skin crawl. Don't get me wrong I am having a great time, I have spent the last few days with my chin against my chest in shock. There is incredible beuaty and absolute darkness right next to each other and no one seems to notice the irony. I will be glad when I leave Thailand, and it is not a place I will be hurrying back to, but it still has been a wonderful educational process. Ben