Heat and grime

24th November 2017
B J Boutique Residence, Rayong
Hot and humid

We thought 5 days of relaxing in Bangkok would have set us up nicely for coming to terms with the heat of being on the road.  To a certain extent it has but when the thermometer jumps from 31 to 35, and the sun makes her presence felt in no uncertain terms, all bets are off.  Regular stops for cold drinks and a little sit down in the shade is definitely the order of the day.  We've become a bit obsessed with cappuccino frappes and our old favourite chocolate milk is back on the menu (there's scientific evidence suggesting recovering after exercise is enhanced by drinking chocolate milk).  Today I "remembered" around the 60km mark that I hadn't eaten since breakfast and started to feel a little peculiar.  Note to self: don't rely on BW to suggest food.

A cappuccino frappe

Highway 3 has been a bit of a bugger to be honest.  The further away from Bangkok we get and the closer to the Cambodian border the lighter the traffic.  We're even getting some jungle now and yesterday we saw a troop of monkeys.  Unfortunately they were picking around in a ditch of horrible trash looking for food, but still .......  In theory we have a lane to ourselves, but more often than not we share it with motorbikes coming in the opposite direction (the barrier in the middle is so high, or deep, they can't just slip across to the side they need to be, so they just ride the wrong way) also cars and trucks who have decided to stop for a drink, to buy some food or simply to have a chat.  It's all very cosy.

A cold drink stop, and we met these lovely pair

Haven't spotted a live one yet!

Highway 3, not ALL bad, some smiles along the way

New housing 'estate' on the outskirts of Rayong,

love the cheesy grin!

We skirted around the main part of Pattaya and ended up staying at Jomtien Beach.  A nice, if narrow, beach in parts crammed with beds and umbrellas for tourists, and the sea was a very acceptable 29c.  Even I went in for a swim. The resort is a mix of new high rise concrete monstrosities and the old, traditional Thai hotels, bars and restaurants.  This morning I was chatting to the lovely lady who cooked our breakfast and it would appear that business has been slow for the past couple of years.  Apparently, tourists now like to go to Laos or Cambodia. We didn't see much of the "sexpats" Pattaya is known for, or at least, it wasn't evident on the streets of Jomtien.

Jomtien

We are now going to comb the outskirts of Rayong for food and a cold beer.  Wish us luck!

Laters