Yep, got dropped off in the wrong place! I had been getting bored of Ko Samet and so decided to check out Pattaya, a mainland beach infamous for its sleaziness and go-go bars. Around midday I wandered up to the pier, taking a wide berth around the rangers who might check the entrance ticket I didn't buy. Snacked on some fish and chips whilst I waited for the boat - I had missed the last one whilst I bought the chips!
The boat ride back to Ban Phe was uneventful, though I was a tad sad at leaving the island. Now there was a bit of a problem - I couldnt find any Baht Buses to take me to the Rayong bus terminal! Oh crap. I was cooling off with an ice cream sitting on the side of the road when I was beeped at - a baht bus had spotted me! Turns out they didnt stop, just kept on going back and forth and so I am just meant to flag them down.
The bus terminal was a mess, all the buses said they were going to Bangkok! The office lady that had helped me last time asked where I was going and then dumped me on a bus that was going to Bangkok. I figured they must stop in Pattaya. We left the terminal soon after but spent at least an hour going up and down Rayong looking for other passengers, so damn annoying!
A couple of hours into the trip we reached a huge strip of buildings that declared they were in Pattaya. But we didnt stop, even when I told the bus boy that I was going to Pattaya. The buildings went on and on - they werent going to end! I figured it musn't be the Pattaya Beach just yet. After another half an hour we were still in the stretch of buildings and the bus boy got off, replaced by another one that spoke better english. He asked where I was going and then told me to get off here! He pointed at a guy on a motorbike and said "go". Where the hell am I? I was on the side of the highway, no bus terminal, no baht buses, just this little guy who was trying to charge me double what I paid for the bus to take me to Pattaya! He pointed down the highway and said it was 5km away. Bugger. I didn't have any change and felt stingier than ever so I decided to walk. Almost every taxi that saw me beeped and tried to get my money so I figured I was kind of close to somewhere. I saw a big road heading in the direction of the beach and so followed it. There were some touristy shops but I couldnt recognize any of the landmarks. Eventually, after an hour and a half of walking I reached the beach, but it definitely wasn't Pattaya. Too tired to care, I wandered along it ignoring the calls of bikini-clad hookers in the small patches of forest. Then I finally saw it - a huge red impersonation of the Hollywood sign, "Pattaya City". Problem was that I was at the far north end of the beach and had to walk another two kilometers to reach the tourist ghetto! There were bars everywhere, with more girls (or ladyboys) in each than customers. I got a lot of calls such as "hey you big man" and "aussie boi" as I searched for a hotel. It was nearly 6pm and I was keen for a beer! I eventually found a little one, managing to haggle down the room to 6 dollars. Didnt realise that I was on the 6th floor with no elevator but for my own bathroom, tv and fan I couldnt care. I need the exercise to work off all the beer and seafood I've been eating!
I wandered around looking for a bar that wasn't overrun with prostitutes and couldnt find one. There were plenty of Farangs but they were all old, fat men - mostly german. A lot of the signs and menus were in german or russian and the hookers all knew a little of the language. In the end I just settled on a bar with a pool table and one dollar beers, ordering a chang and a game of pool. The hooker/waiter asked me who I was going to play. Noone? "Why dont you play me". Umm no thanks, I dont want to play with you. "You want to play with yourself?". Snap. Was cut badly by an asian prostitute!
The food and drinks here are the cheapest yet, especially the street stalls. I grabbed a beer from 7/11 and some bbq squid and kebabs from a street stall before kicking back on the beach to watch the lights go crazy. I wasn't going to go to walking street (the real sleazy spot) because I was too tired and would probably yell at one of the touts or hookers trying to grab my arm on the street. The squid tasted, well like squid and chilli, though my private little dinner was soon interrupted by a hooker who came and sat next to me. God damn it I want to go back to Ko Samet.
