Well the skinny lattes didn't work
then. In the market wandering past the
stalls, I tried to put the persistent stallholders off by saying that all their
stuff was too small (true). Have tried
everything else to escape them, even using Ant and my Russian "Nyet"
doesn't work here as it does elsewhere, given the clientele they all have a
Russian sales patter! "No, no", she said, "we have to fit
you", proferring a bikini and stretching it out so far you could hear the
threads creaking. I put it against me and there was no way. "Yes", she said looking me up and
down, "you have big bum but we have extra large, fit you" and dragged
me over to their equivalent Evans outsize department! And yes, their 4XL might
just go round..... How depressing, and I might have to give them some tips on
successful selling. But having said
that, I'm sure a Thai 4XL is really a size zero....
But undeterred, I sit typing this whilst
enjoying another skinny latte and I notice they also sell mince pies. They don't quite look like the mincies that I
know and love, but any port in a storm may mean that this is the place for Xmas
breakfast. And talking of food, I tried
the best Thai restaurant in Karon, enjoyed the prawns and even survived the
salad bar, something I am wary of even in the UK. The only odd thing about the
place was the name - The Vitaporn - perhaps viagra in the rice - run very
efficiently by a Thai matriarch and her never ending successsion of sons. Perhaps there is something in that rice after
all!
 |
| Viagra salad anyone? |
Tuk tuk inflation has really hit here. They don't have the communal songtheaws that
are all over Koh Samui that you can hop on and off and go anywhere for a few
baht. The only choice here to get to Patong is to hire one yourself, and at
over £12 (and that's bargaining them down to rock bottom) for the short return
journey of 6kms each way almost rivals London cab fares. I could walk despite the huge hill, but the
road is really busy with coaches, lorries, bikes and tuk tuks and no
pavements...
The hotel is filling up a bit now as I
think those here for Xmas have arrived, although it is still nowhere near
full. I can't quite work out the economy
here, nowhere is that busy, most of the beach beds lie empty all day and there
is a huge hotel next door that is closed down, yet outside every hotel are
boards outling the job vacancies for all manner of hotel staff from room maids
to reception. And the line of tuk tuks
waiting across the road from the hotels seems to have no business at all with
the drivers resting in their hammocks under the trees all day. The Brits
certainly aren't here, having been here two weeks now (time really does fly
when you are having fun), I have yet to hear a Brit voice, must be a record!
