I was booked onto Enduro Madness on the 4th of May, but that was 8 days away. However, part of the deal is a taxi to pick you up at the airport. They happily sent my taxi a week earlier to my hotel and delivered me to Pattaya.
Now I have some days to kill. The hotel was lovely, placed at one end of the beach, quite some distance from the clubs at the other end, but luckily near a great shopping center.
Terminal 21 is laid out like an airport, with actual aircraft outside. Inside is a multi storey complex with areas defined as destinations. It has huge displays of iconic landmarks such as The Eifel Tower, leaning Tower of Pisa and the Golden Gate Bridge. I was fascinated with the place and the shops. There was even a cinema showing films in English. I found an Italian resteraunt and enjoyed pizza, a cheese board and a glass of red wine.
Each day involved at least one swim in the hotel pool. Often a refreshing break from the afternoon heat. On day two I walked the 3km beach finding more shopping centers and a market that had, of all things,another aircraft.
An ex Thai Air 747 was shipped here to be a resteraunt, but covid put an end to that, so it became a market area for street food vendors. In recent weeks the resteraunt idea had resurfaced and work was underway to give the aircraft a lick of paint. Although there were ladders to the entrance I couldn’t get access to the inside.
I was finding that the heat sapped my energy and most evenings I was not really up for drinking in the open street bars. The humidity was crazy and every couple of days I was visiting the launderette.
A bit of research and I located Coffee War, a weird collection of aircraft and memorabilia disguised as a museum come coffee shop. The cheapest and most direct route was to take a taxi. Using the Grab app’ I selected my ride and within 4 minutes, I was being whisked the 30km to Coffee War for just under £8.
Despite being an odd collection it was perfect for me. I had my first coffee and cake onboard the Tri Star, which had been the main attraction prior to the new Airbus that stood proudly at the entrance to the ramshackle car park and disorderly array of displays. The lovely taxi driver had asked how long I would be and did I want to call her to come and collect me. An initial glance around and I assessed, two hours should do it. She said that was fine and to just call her when I was done.
I walked amongst the fixed wing and rotary wing aircraft, took selfies with giant fibreglass models of, very, American looking soldiers. I ambled in the sun, perusing the odd collections of Jeep and patrol boats. Walking through long grass and gravel to get to some aircraft, my mind constantly telling me the snakes will scarper.
I was baking and made my way to the covered outdoor coffee shop. Sitting on an ammunition box with my iced coffee resting on a crate with yet more American markings and semi draped with the Stars and Stripes flag, I really only had the Airbus and army surplus store to look at. It was another toasty day, so there no rush. But then a familiar voice said, “Are you finished?” I looked up and there was the taxi driver, a bit like the shop keeper from ‘Mister Ben’, she just appeared. I wasn’t ready and I felt another hour at least was reasonable. She explained that she had been waiting in the car park for two hours and she wasn’t going to wait another one, she continued, saying that this area was remote and I’d not get another Grab taxi out here. I negotiated another ten minutes and rushed around the army surplus store before jumping in the taxi and just like that, it was over, I wonder if ‘Mr Ben’ felt that way about his 10 minute adventures?
On the way back I contemplated, not only the good nature of this lady who sat in a car park for two hours to ensure a further £8 fare, but also that this was the first time in months that I had cut short a visit to appease someone else. It felt unnatural and affirmed my continued delight in solo travel.
The days rolled on as I filled them with, walks, swimming and eating at some lovely places. However it was just a waiting game and I wasn’t, out there, mixing and meeting the genuine people that make adventures fun, Pattaya is a playground for much younger people than me. However the days ticked by as I waited for the Enduro Madness to start…….
Earth, Wind and Tyres 