Scenes from the City of Pattaya

After the first day of the conference, my colleagues and I took a tour of the city proper. We were billeted in the quieter side of the city, and so this was an opportunity for us to see local color and perhaps buy a souvenir or two.

except for the thai script, this look like it was taken from quiapo

see the "jeeps"?

this is a common mode of transportation in pattaya. cheaper, too

looks like manila bay, no?

i wonder if this was what the beach along roxas bouelvard looked like ages ago

souvenir shops line the streets

kiosks selling more souvenir shops

When I look hard enough, Pattaya seem to be an amalgam of the familiar cities in the Philippines, but with more people of South Asian descent. I wish I had more time to explore the city--two nights were not enough to get a sense of the place. A compatriot studying in Thailand speaks highly of how laid-back the people were, and how easy life is in the country. I'm definitely intrigued. 

Pattaya Food Diary

I was excited when I heard that I'll be sent to Pattaya for work. I had fond memories of my trip to Bangkok almost a decade ago, which includes eating an excellent beef noodle soup in a makeshift stall. So you could just imagine how much I was looking forward to some free time to try the street food in Pattaya.

Bangkok, 2003. Several pounds lighter, but already a voracious eater

Alas, we were billeted in an area with no hole-in-the-wall eateries in sight. Ambulant vendors though, drop by regularly. The offerings were good. Not pictured here is the best tofu-on-a-stick I had the fortune to try. I can still remember how silky and flavorful it was, dripping with sweet-and-spicy sauce. 

Chicken on a stick, with bits of  grilled green pepper, and pineapple 

Fish balls

Wednesday night our hosts treated us to dinner at a beach-side restaurant. I wasn't able to get its name, but I  highly recommend you try it.

This was our view

The friendliest of cats curled up on my feet during dinner

After a moment, the food came. I wasn't able to get the names, but they were delicious (the fish and seafood  were fresh). And spicy. I was sweating like a pig while eating, but that's okay. There's no point eating bland food in Thailand.

This bowl packs a lot of heat...

...as you can see here.

The dips were lethal as well.

At the Asia Pattaya Hotel

Like I mentioned in an earlier post, I stayed for a week in Pattaya for work.

Pattaya is the second most visited city in Thailand, and is about two hours away by car from Bangkok. It is a popular beach destination.

We were fortunate to have a view of the ocean in our rooms. Imagine waking up every morning to this

Travel opens the mind, providing a vista to other cultures.

Look closer. This is not the usual Bilble by the night lamp.

Shots from the beachfront and the garden.

The food for breakfast was modulated--not too much heat. Fortunately, many of the lunch and dinner fare came in spicy, which I prefer.

Pad Thai for breakfast 

iced dessert

There was no free wi-fi in the hotel. To keep tabs of what was happening back home, i.e. the impeachment, we crossed over to the Elephant Bar fronting the hotel. A bottle of beer allowed us online access. Next to the hotel, the bar was our home away from home. During the conference, we relied on the text messages of friends back home. We Filipino delegates were multi-tasking--attending to the conference and tallying the Senate vote. That was quite an afternoon.

Birds were everywhere in Pattaya. Not just sparrows and the occasional pigeons, but aves grandes like our feathered friend featured below. A conference colleague told me Thais leave animals alone. Immediately I was transported to childhood summers spent in the province, where slingshots were popular with the neighborhood boys.

Asia Pattaya Hotel's Beach Front

The best feature about Asia Pattaya Hotel where I stayed for a week last month is its beach front  (more on  the hotel here). The water is a little rough for swimming, but the view is spectacular, and a little walk along the beach in the morning is just what the weary needs. Enjoy the photos!

The view once you exit at the back of the hotel

Our descent to the beach starts here

The vista

Dennis walking ahead

Saw this somewhere 

On our way back to the hotel

We saw someone doing yoga here earlier 

At the Souvenir Shop

When we stayed in Puerto Princesa City, close by our hotel was the Tiangge Tiangge Pasalubong and Souvenir Shop. This is where our driver brought us after our Ihawig firefly watching activity (read about it here).  Since it was quite late, the open air stalls were closed, but the air-conditioned  section was still open and buzzing with tourists.

I took a few shots of the merchandise, in case you happen to drop by.

freshwater pearls in neon colors 

more pearls

dreamcatchers 

more necklaces

crocodile stuffed toys

wooden crocodiles 

sea-turtles 

dried fish

cahsew nuts 

corn snacks

Since I live in a tiny condo, I avoid buying things that would only clutter what limited space I already have. I tend to buy food

"non-spicy" tamarind candies, which turned out to pack a little heat

and, for non-perishable items, things I'd use, like this mug I bought from a mall in General Santos City.

isn't she pretty?

In Pattaya, I broke the no-knickknack rule and went for these glass tortoises. How could I resist?

tres tortugas marinas