Savadi Caaa, Pattaya!
How do guidebooks write, Pattaya — The very first and oldest resort of Thailand, arising from a small fishing village. The first glory of this place was brought by American marines, who came here to rest with military bases placed all over the country during the Vietnamese War. They had dollars in abundance, and the soul and body demanded entertainment. So the village has turned into a city and seaside resort — symbol «Sex, Drugs and Rock and Roll».
Modern Pattaya — most «our» Of all the resorts of Thailand, who will still entail tourists with exotic temptations and a reputation of the place, very free straining stereotypes. The temptation to go there sucked and we.
The eight-hour nightlets separating us from the cherished Thailand, passed amazingly quickly and easily. And here’s exactly on schedule, we are already in place, at Bangkok airport, Suvarnabhumi, called the name of the legendary kingdom «Golden Earth». Coming out of the air-conditioned room outside, we immediately understood that they got into the Asian summer. In the face struck the heat and with nothing comparable, easily recognizable smell of exotic colors and sewage. Yes, it is so smelling Bangkok and Pattaya. And it should be taken as this, having a simple explanation: you are in Southeast Asia. By the way to say, this "one" is inherent in only cities — On the islands smells in flowers and sea.
One thought was driving in my head — Rather, hide, hide from this stuffiness in a cool bus. Three more hours in the way and «Savadi Caaa, Pattaya!» (Hello, Pattaya!)
In search of "Bounty"
The hotel met us smiles staff, sea colors and a welcoming cocktail. It seems that life has been established!
The main advantage of our city hotel has its location: 5 minutes to the city beach Jomtien, around a variety of shops with beach goods, tents with fruit and grilled marine shoes, massage salons, internet salons 1 Batha per minute of the Internet, restaurants and just Thai Cafes, excursion bureaus, currency exchange, tattoo salons, laundry and t.NS. To the center of Pattaya — Walking Street or Mike Shopping Center — 15 minutes on Tuk Tuka for 10 baht.
At the sight of the sea from the balcony, fatigue as hand removed. Had dressed, we went to people, more precisely headed for Jomtien Beach. Have you been to the resorts of the Krasnodar Territory? In Gelendzhik, Anapa? So, having come to the beach in Pattaya, I had a feeling that we did not leave anywhere, we are in the native black sea. The sun beds and the people on the beach are more than the sand, only our speech is heard around, Thais walk along the beach and offer in our crayfish, shrimp, ice cream, massage, tattoo. I’ve been waiting for anyone, when someone squeezes: «Churchhel, Churchhel…».
By the way, our compatriots taught Thai not only by the cultural expressions of the Great and Mighty. Therefore, it is not to be surprised if the Tapet is on the question: «How are you?» Answer you purely in our: «Za @ is!».
Nevertheless, I did not notice the garbage on the beach or in the sea. Yes, the sea is muddy, opaque, but no more.
Still, no need to forget that Pattaya —This city, besides the port, and the beaches here are respectively urban. It would be stupid to expect landscapes «Bounty». For this it is necessary to the islands…
Despite all of the foregoing, I liked Jomtien. But not a day, but night! We took in the nearest shop of royal shrimp 90 baht for 6 pieces fried on the grill of squid 50 baht, unknown, but very tasty fried fish, fruit 15–0 BAT (which when you read and cut) and went to sit on the shore or buy. All the people at this time on Walking Street, in GO-GO bars and on disco — Jomtien practically deserted and quiet.
Hits of Thai cuisine
Once it came about food, I will say that it is not necessary to be afraid of the lack of all inclusive in hotels, buying last-minute tours in Thailand. It is not Turkey and Egypt, rest here is not a hotel. And food at every step. From restaurants a la cards with the usual European cuisine to ordinary Thai cafes, where 15–20 baht you get a delicious noodle soup (rice noodle soup with chicken, beef, pork or shrimp to choose from), for 40–50 baht — National hit of the "pit" (very sharp Thai soup on coconut milk); With any fried rice noodles, various seafood on the grill, to which you will be offered several types of sauces and seasonings.
Walking Street has a lot of restaurants offering various seafood, and they can be chosen from huge aquariums. So we ate shark. On average kilogram shark cost 900–1000 BAT. From one and a half kilogram shark, we were cooked soup of shark fins and a barbecue shark, all this was served with various vegetables on the side dish. Interestingly, when the restaurant did not turn out to be vodka, we were allowed to bring our.
I remember another restaurant Walking Street, where we had dinner on the first evening — It is difficult to go through, there everyone can just look at the fish, because in front of the restaurant there are very large aquariums with all sorts of lobsters, crabs, sharks, barrags and t.D. The terrace of the restaurant comes straight to the sea and decorated with cute lanterns — Pleasant atmosphere and good kitchen.
For lovers to have a snack on the go there are mobile tents Mokashnitsy — Bicycles / Motor collers with a cart that run around the city, stopping in crowded places. This very trolley acts as a fit and grill at the same time — while you are going, everything is roasting, stopped — Trading. Here you and hot dogs, and kebabs on the skewers — all 10 baht. And for gourmet offered fried beetles, spiders, cockroaches and caterpillars.
Good Boys Go to Heaven. BAD BOYS GO TO PATTAYA
Day Walking Street Normal Street with a roadway, where shops and restaurants are located. With the arrival of the night, the other life begins — Life of bars and discos. It seems to me that there is such a street in any resort town: in Turkish Marmaris — Street Bar, in Ayia Napa in Cyprus — Bar Street, So in Pattaya — Walking Street. But Thai has one feature, which is no longer anywhere — This is a frank debauchery: in the showcases of bars, the poles dance naked girls, a prostitute around, who do not let any lonely man and their colleagues «on shop» — Transvestites.
If you see an attractive, high, long-legtue hatch with beautiful hair and magnificent breasts, know — it’s 100% transvestite. In Thailand they are called Lady-Boy. In addition to growth, there are some more correct ways to identify them: foot size, voice, presence of Kadik — But all this is very conditional and depends on the agility of the hands of plastic surgeons (approx. Red.: Truly talented people!) and consistency of the person.
The most beautiful and artfully imitating women are involved in the famous show, which in Pattaya two: Alcazar and Tiffany. This is a theatrical, very beautiful dance performance, after which all the actors enter the street, offering to admire themselves and even take a picture.
Walking along the Walking Street to you and then the case will bind off, offering to go with them on the Sexy show, they even have small signs in all languages with a description of what you see there. There are such shows for all orientations, traditional and not very. We went to the traditional Sexy show for 500 baht, where they demonstrated all possible and impossible abilities of the female body. The show goes non-stop, about forty minutes the program is repeated anew and those who liked, can stay and see another time. In my subjective opinion, some numbers cause disgust and horror, some are surprised, some are mixed, but see all this once is definitely worth.
I will strike on shopping?
The most famous shopping centers of Pattaya — Central Festival, Mike Shopping Mall, Big C and Lotus, where almost everything is sold, ranging from the technique and ending with the clothes of famous and not very brands. Decent assortment and prices in leather stores on products from the toad, crocodiles, snakes and other reptiles and reptiles — All from belts and shoes to bags and suitcases.
Detention deserve separate attention. They can be purchased, walking for free «Excursion» On the jewelry factory or on Walking Street, where several jewelry stores are located in a row. Their cheapness is explained by inexpensive stones from Cambodia and cheap labor. Expensive only gold.
You can buy both finished products and just stones of different sizes. A lot of decorations with rubies, sapphires and topazami, as well as with a black pearl, which is mined in the eastern provinces of Thailand. Prices are different and depend on the size and purity of stones, and it is necessary to bargain — The price does not double, of course, but by 30% exactly. All certificates will be given to.
For souvenirs it is better to go to Lucdoth — Place where souvenir sellers themselves are purchased. There and the prices below and for the wholesale will give a small discount. Any Tuk Tuc knows where the souvenir supermarket is located, it is only worth pronounce «Lucdot». Lucid has everything: Thai silk — from handkerchiefs to pareo, cosmetics based on coconut oil, figurines, figurines and entire statues. But keep in mind that from Thailand you can not take out the figures of the Buddha, so it is better to not buy them, otherwise at the customs still take away.
As a souvenir, we wanted to bring home also fruits and orchids. With orchids, everything is simple — In the Duty Free at the airport sold already packed in boxes, ready for transportation flowers. We bought a box of 50 pieces for 850 baht. But with fruit not everything went smoothly. The fact is that just a month before our arrival introduced a ban on the rouring baskets with fruit in the cabin of the aircraft. Only in baggage. So I had to leave our fruit basket at the airport.
Well, now we are scientists, we know what and how, and next time we definitely spare all in the suitcase.
And the next time it will be exactly, because so much of the uncharted and unknown. For us, Pattaya has become a starting point at the very beginning of a big way to Real Thailand — To the country where the ancient traditions, customs and culture of their people are kept carefully. It’s just the beginning of a big road to the north.
