Cholatarn Hotel Hat Yai

... t a quite place, everyone seems to be working and on the move, thai people setting up market stalls, working in the shops and cleaning the sidewalks on the road, whilst a continous stream of traffic filters through the sidestreets into the main roads. I spent the day visiting the Lee Gardens Plaza, where they had a cool local market inside, selling arts and crafts and on the floor above they had a thai videogame competition exhibition on, that was pretty fun to watch. In ...

Songai Kolok, same day in the evening of 13-02-2009. Muezzins call the faithfull to prayer, attend the many mosques in this ach-typical border town while I disembark from my last Song-thaew, shouldering my bulky backpack feeling worn out, sweaty and semi-frustrated after a whole day of travelling on local chicken buses, road blocks with severe looking police men and soldiers getting on sometimes taking people out for frisking purposses outside ...

"We use the following points to identify people of 'hippy' characteristic.... these people will not be allowed entry into the Kingdom'' - a sign at the Thai side of the Thai-Malaysian border. Not fair to judge a place based on a couple of hours alone, so, Hat Yai: Get deserted by lovely second-class Malaysian train in the middle of some tracks, hop over some wood panels and try to arrange your next (third class, 10 hour) train via gestures ...

... It was raining when we arrived in Hat Yai, it was raining when we tried to leave, and apparently it had been raining for some time before that since the city was literally starting to flood. By the time we got to the bus station the water was too deep for minibuses, but we were lucky enough that they had rounded up a large bus instead, not that these have ever struck me as particularly all-terrain or anything but I guess the theory was the wheels were bigger at least ...

... a rented scooter heading towards the ticket office, it wasn't long before he whizzed past again having a good look at us. He soon turned around and stopped next to us and asked if we wanted a lift to the main road which was about 30 minutes walk...... yey! So all 3 of us are squashed onto the scooter and off we go! We were so happy that he had stopped. He was from Germany we think. So we jump off and start the 30 minute walk back to the town. It was pitch black by the time we stumbled ...

... air! A huuuuuuuge cockroach had decided to climb up his trouser leg! I think he did very well not to shout as you can imagine what a scene I would have caused! He smacked it off his leg and it was MASSIVE! We (quickly) finished our meal and left! Not surprisingly, we're off again tomorrow - Hat Yai doesn't have much to offer unless you appreciate the insect life!

... s worhsiping and they sing in Thai...so you have English and Thai all blending together to praise the Lord! They are 'high tech' too...worship hymns on the projector screen and Translators for Thai and English... I've included some ...

... Hat Yai as we were lead to believe, instead we drifted down the coast and along to Krabi before heading inland. The driver stopped for an exceptionally long lunch break too. All in all it took 8 hours!!!!! to reach Hat Yai. By the time we had pulled into the station and found our way out, we were inundated with touts trying to offer us anything from accommodation to mini bus travel to other cities. It was getting late but there is absolutely nothing to see here let ...

... in Thai if I spoke the language. Probably judged from my blank expression that no, I didn't, but gamely, he asked again in English, so I told him no. Obviously, my "khawp kun kha" is pitch perfect. :-) If only I knew any other words! Disgraceful after 3 months, I know, but learning to count to ten, and name a few foods seemed like a major achievment at the time! The train was definitely the most rickety we'd been on yet ...

... check out the KFC. Not having greasy western food for sooo long it should be a treat! Oh my god! Do we really eat that **** all the time back home??? no wonder were all obese and having heart attacks! It tasted foul. We were still sucking the grease off our teeth 2 hours later. Stir fried rice for me from now on then. Nothing happened in Hat Yai, we werent there long enough! Sorry, Thats boring I know but true :)