Leaving Udon Thani for Pattaya

Saturday - 10 May 08

So what kind of day have we had today you all ask? A bloody long one!!!
We were up and organised early as we knew we had to be at the Central bus station at 8am for our long bus trip to Pattaya. Thought we would do what all good travellers do and have a good hearty breakfast before we left as god knows what would be available on the way. The only thing we didn't plan on was the hotel restaurant be off the ball and taking forever to do our breakfast which we didn't finish until 7.50am. We hurriedly grabbed our backpacks and all the other bits and pieces and headed out onto the street to catch a Tuk Tuk and for a street that is normally lined with the bloody things waiting to pick up a fair, NOT BLOODY ONE to be seen. We decided we had better start walking until we could find one to take us to the bus station and finally after walking half way there one showed up. Thank Buddha!!!!

We loaded our gear and selves onto the double decker first class air con bus 'with toilet' and we were on our way to Pattaya at 8.30am. What a long ride, 11 and a half hours with 2 x 20 min stops in the whole 11 1/2 hours. Unfortunately a young child dirtied his nappy not long after the trip started and the mother had nowhere to dispose of the dirty nappy so the bus stank of shit for the next 6 hours and I was feeling a bit green. Man it was off!

Well it was just the longest trip, even the train to Nong Khai wasn't as bad. We arrived in Pattaya at around 8pm with no accommodation booked and lucky for us a guy just happened to be sitting at the steps to the overhead pass of the main highway where the bus dropped us off, he just happened to have a car he used as a taxi and he just happened to know a good hotel that rooms are only 500Baht a night and he would take us there for 200Baht. Rick and I are thinking, yeh right a hotel room in Pattaya for 500Baht a night, must be a brothel, but by this time we are so tired, hot, hungry and sweaty we would have slept in a dog kennel ,so we agreed to let him take us there.

Well what can I say but Buddha is really looking after us. The hotel is great and its the best and cheapest accommodation we have had since arriving in Thailand. The room was spotlessly clean, no mould in the bathroom, lovely and modern, the best bed and pillows, a swimming pool, internet and its away from the hustle and bustle of the bars and nightclubs and only 10 min walk from Pattaya Beach. For 500Baht ($17 Aus) per night we've decided to stay 5-7 nights.

We quickly walked the nearby streets for something to eat and managed to find a small restaurant that couldn't speak english but managed to understand and cook us some chicken fried rice. It was yummy. We scoffed that down in no time and straight back to our hotel, had a lovely warm shower to wash the sweat off and to bed.

What a day! Did I say this backpacking caper was getting easy? I am beginning to wonder. Lol.

Tomorrow we go exploring. Looking forward to that!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!So Until then. BYE!!!!!!