 |
The plan was to go to the airport on Saturday morning and get a flight to either Ko Samui or Phuket. However on the preceding Friday evening I went to Lamb Kong, my local, where the band said that they were going to play the following day at the Prudential convention, at a big resort between Pattaya and Rayong. As I had nothing definite planned for the following day I accepted their invitation to join them. At midnight they came back to my house where I hurriedly packed a bag then we set off. We spent the Friday night at a band members house, I had the bed upstairs while wives and kids slept on the floor downstairs (!) and the band spent the night playing cards in the kitchen (then went to sleep on the floor!).
Next day had a Thai breakfast (that hot spicy flavour first thing in the morning is a bit rough…) then set off. The band, me, Bird (Vit's five year old son), instruments and luggage all squashed into two old cars.
|
The resort, called Ambassador City, is the largest hotel complex in Asia. It has more swimming pools than there are street dogs on Soi Lassalle. It has rooms in every price range, beaucoup de restaurants and even has it's own market.
 |
Saturday night was Hawaiian party night and the band were on and off all night. Picture the scene… flowers round our necks, free booze, loud music, stacks of food, drunken delegates and a troupe of dancing katoeys. I thought Indian weddings were unique but this event had the same atmosphere.
I was supposed to keep an eye on Bird (the five year old) but I failed miserably. He was running around everywhere caught up in the excitement of the party. Then he started jumping on me from high places around the stage and I couldn't tell him to calm down as he didn't speak a word of English until he fell asleep on a guitar case at the back of the stage.
The band returned to Bangkok on Sunday but I stayed on an extra day and planned to get a boat to Ko Samet the following day. The weather was not very good, lots of showers but I enjoyed all the facilities the place had to offer. That evening I traveled into Pattaya and spent the night with friends there at an Indian restaurant followed by the obligatory visit to Sandibar Pub… the Thai music venue they introduced me to a few weeks ago.
As the weather hadn't improved I abandoned the proposed trip to Ko Samet and returned to Bangkok on the Monday.
Spent the money I'd saved by not flying to a tropical Island on a laser printer cum scanner cum photocopier. Very nice.