Rented a 4 wheel drive for a day

We rented a 4 wheel drive truck and took off to tour around the area and specifically more of the beaches further along than Patong.

The first stop though was at the go-kart racing. It's so much fun and the karts are able to move pretty fast. Not like in the US where they are slow-karts, not go-karts. People don't normally sue in Thailand whereas the US fears that from any customer.

Ya Nui Bun near Kata beach was lovely. Kata beach is somewhat similar to Patong except it was way less touristy. It still had the umbrellas and chairs and the inevitable vendors but it didn't have the regretable girlie bars of Patong.

We had lunch at the Palms right on Kata Beach which was fine, if a bit expensive. But then I guess it is a bit more 'up market' than what we usually go for.

The most interesting beach was Nui Beach. Luckily we had a four wheel drive as the road to this beach was literally a dirt track and up and down-hill. We travelled along it at a snail's pace avoiding the huge pot-holes and other debris along the way. Finally at the entrance to our surprise it had a cover fee. And this was expensive. A whopping 250 baht each. Yet looking down on the beach it looked like it was worth it. So we paid up.

The beach had about a half a dozen very well spaced chairs and umbrellas. It was just about possible to catch the sound of a neighbors conversation on the breeze. Quite the opposite of most of the other commercial beaches. The entrance fee included a soft drink. The bar was set at the back of the beach up on the hilltop so it was a bit of a hike to get to it.

The sand on the beach was rough with large grains of sand, really good for an exfoliation actually. The waves came at the beach from two angles, and there was a large undertow. Close to the shore it took only moments to go from knee-high to shoulder-high water levels because of a steep shelf. I can imagine in rough weather this is not the place to be.

Despite the undertow and the steep shelf it was so great to swim in and against the waves.

As we left the beach 2 other tourists were enquiring about the entrance fee. They decided it was too much for them and began walking back up the steep hill. They'd left their motorcycle some distance away to walk the final road down to the beach. As we pulled out of the parking space we offered them a lift. The girl knew quite a bit of Thai, her companion I think was from France and had neither much English or Thai.

Later at the Guest House that evening we met Carl from San Diego, a new resident just arrived that day, and already 2 sheets to the wind. Jeff stayed and chatted with him while I went up to pack and shower. Later joining them for a glass of wine.

Carl used to be a Chief Petty officer in the Canadian Navy. As Jeff and I left to get dinner - some chicken soup at the local vendor's stand, relly good, I figured Carl would be completely soused by the time we got back.

Dinner was followed by stopping off at the Aussie bar Two Black Sheep for a couple of beers. To entertain ourselves we started playing a game of Eye Spy. I know, there must have been much more entertainment available simply with the passing crowds, but you get really really tired of watching the white Farang guys with the tiny Thai girls attached to their arms. Most of our game was around the signage we could see. It's amazing how many signs there are in this partular part of Patong. They tend to actually obscure what they are attempting to promote as they make little or no sense in lots of instances.