The Road

We were finally able to wander out from our condo and explore the immediate area around us.  This part of the city is called Naklua or Wong Amat beach.  I read that "naklua" means "salt fields," which the website said used to be the primary occupation in this area before tourism took over.

We are at the very end of our "soi" (road), a lovely little secluded spot that has very little foot traffic.  The people we see here most often are the fishermen who frequent the long stone pier at the edge of our condo's property.  These fishermen (and women) are casting their lines from early morning until after dark.  We know they are on the pier at night because of the little lanterns they use.

The most amazing display of their tenacity, however, is not their nighttime activity, but the persistence of their endeavor when the tide comes in.  When the water is at its highest, the pier is completely covered, and yet their angling continues.   A few may clear off temporarily, but they are soon back to check their lines, having left them wedged into the rocks along the sides.  Frequently one angler will have several lines set up, and they are continually casting, reeling in, and casting again.  It looks like he's walking on water, don't you think?

So, the first thing we reach on upon exiting our little alley is two very large construction sites - condominium towers being erected by what our driver tells us are "Myanmar" - pick-up truckloads of these workers arrive daily and crowd the street at mealtime when the street vendors are open for business. We are pretty unaware of their presence in our condo, but our driver tells us it's not safe to walk alone here because "these not Thai men."  They pretty much ignore us, though, as we pass.  I suppose a pretty young lady might need to use some caution here.

The next thing to hit us is the sewer smells - again, we are unaffected by this in our condo, but the walk along this part is a series of "breathe in, hold your breath, breathe out" exercises.  We pass several rather opulent-looking condominiums, an outdoor gym, a couple little restaurants, and three or four Family Marts (two of them are right next door to each other!).  This is just the first stretch of road, before we come to the turn.

At the turn is a little Swiss restaurant with a pretty little setting, or so it might have been in better days.  The owner told us he has been in this location a little over two years.  The first year was great business, but this year business has fallen off quite a bit, since "many Russians have left because of the military action."  (Not sure if he was referring to the military coup here in Thailand in May, or the military action in the Ukraine).  We are learning that Russian tourism has been a pretty big part of the economy here since Russia and Thailand reached an agreement to allow easier travel between the two countries.  Many restaurants and hotels in this area have menus and signage in Russian, some with no English.  We looked at more than a couple of menus posted outside that we were unable to read - not because they were in Thai, but because they were in Russian!  One restaurant was called "Uncle Boue" with a Leninesque face - I wonder if this is the Russian version of Uncle Sam, or was it a nickname for Lenin?  Maybe it's just the owner's name...

There are quite a few big, fancy hotels along the beach side of the back road as we wander to the south.  Here's something we didn't expect to find - King Kong hanging out between the two towers of the Centara Grand Mirage Beach Resort.  Our curiosity got the better of us, so we ventured inside to have a look.  This place is a five-star resort that is going for a "Lost World" vibe, so I guess the giant jungle creature fits.

As we wandered further, we passed many street vendors, taxi drivers hoping for a fare, and massage parlors (the ones in our area seem more legitimately offering just massages - no extras).  Enjoyed a nice pineapple smoothie (not a smothie) - our first time trying something from a street vendor, and it was quite refreshing, made with fresh pineapple.   We found that there are plenty of things within walking distance, should we decide to stay local for dinner.  We ended up returning to the Swiss restaurant for dinner - the owner seemed a little surprised to see us. We did enjoy a nice dinner here, and may return at a later date.  Nice to get to know the neighbors.