Last day in Pattaya

Saturday 10th

It was a quiet day for my last day here. After breakfast and dropping off my laudry, I headed for Tukcom, the tech centre. As it happened I was a bit early and so I walked down the road and around the temple there. I haven't been to this temple before despite this being my 3rd trip.

Back at Tukcom, I bought a game for a friend and looked at other options but didn't buy anything.

Back at the hotel I installed the game to make sure it worked (a golf simulation) and tested it out. I then had a brief swim before heading out for a late lunch. I had some Pad Thai at a fairly basic restaurant at the side of the road. I'd eaten there several times last year but when I'd gone there this time they'd been closed.

From there I tried to find the second hand book shop I remembered from previous trips but it seems to have gone, as does the one that was near the hotel. I caught a baht bus to the Central shopping mall but there was nothing there so after taking 2 more buses I got to Festival and bought "the girl with the dragon tattoo".

By the time I got back to my room it was getting on to 6 o'clock so I picked up my laundry and went to Le Katai. There were 3 of our group still there watching the replay of the Masters. We watched a fair bit of that before Bruce and I headed round the corner to the place that Marie and I ate at the other day. The food is fine but more importantly it is airconditioned. We were able to see more of the gold as well.

I've now packed my golf bag and most of my suit case so I just have to chuck in the bathroom gear tomorrow morning and I'll be ready to go.

Monkeying a round

Friday 9th

Today we played the so called Monkey course at Bangpra. Monkeys are quite common on this course and we were warned not to leave anything loose in the cart. There are stories of phones and cameras disappearing into the bush.

We saw the first ones around the first green and while they weren't everywhere, they were on a lot of holes. On the 17th there was a group of them having a swim in the water hazard.

I had a shocker of a round today but I was not the only one. My 21 points was the worst of my scores here and it was only a par on the last hole that kicked me over 20 points. Again my driving wasn't all that bad but chipping let me down and I wasted quite a few shots in sand traps.

The course itself was very good certainly as good or better than any of the others we played, with the exception of the greens, which had been cored. I didn't think I putted too badly nonetheless but others got very frustrated with the greens.

The course is very pretty with lots of water and flowers about.

When we got back to Le Katai, Danny got one of the buses to drive to our hotel with our bags. When I checked my email I found that the wife of a close friend passed away a few days ago. I was able to call him and will be back home in time for the funeral. It puts the bad chips into perspective.

The truth is out there, Scully

Thursday 8th

This morning we finally got to the Sanctuary of Truth. This is a large wooden temple like structure which has been under construction for 28 years or so and is expected to take another 18years to complete. One of the guys went there last year but I didn't know about it till after he gave me a copy of his photos.

Marie and Bruce came as well and we found a Baht bus driver who was happy to take us there for 100B total. He then waited and bought us back for a similar amount.

The entry was 500b and they tried to sell us a pony ride as well, which included a massage for 750 but we declined. We did, however, get the free pony ride from the entrance to the lookout point.  There you can get an overview of the building before climbing down the steps to the lower level. They give you a gard hat to wear since it is technically a construction site. However most of the workers don't wear them so maybe its a liability thing for the tourists.

The building itself is made from wood, intricately carved into scenes of gods, animals and so forth. Obviously a lot of work to create something like this as the wood seemed very hard. The workers were hitting their chisels with mallets to make progress.

The site is on a bluff by the beach with bays both sides. There are some small lagoons behind the building and there was a dolphin show but we didn't want to wait another 40 minutes for it. I did see one dolphin who seemed very lethargic. Maybe just resting up before his performance.

It was quite pleasant to get back to the air-conditioning at the hotel. Our outing took a couple of hours which was about right as we had enough time to enjoy the sight seeing without getting overly bored and hot.

I emrged a few hours later for lunch at Le Katai, having a pasty of all things. There were a couple of the guys around the pool but I decided I didn't really want a swim and that it was more pleasant inside than out. I eventually fell asleep and woke up after 6. After picking up my laundry, I returned to Lekati for Dane's 50th Birthday party.

They had a pig on a spit and it was just melt in your mouth delicious. There was also a smorgasbord with chicken, salad, spring rolls and fruit. There was a big turn out - most of the Collier crew plus a lot of the other golfers he'd met over here plus his family who'd flown over the previous day.

I left about 11 and answered a few emails before heading to bed.

Great play at Great Lakes

Wednesday 7th

Today we played the Great Lakes course at Rayong country club. Danny had put the 4 ladies together today - Myself and Marie, with 2 Thai ladies, Pim and Jenny. Since I was only playing with ladies, I played off the red tees, which is where I should play all the time since that is the basis for my handicap. However when I'm not in a comp and playing with men I usually play off the same tees as them.

The course really is much shorter from the reds, in this case 1300 yards shorter. This didn't necessarily make it easier as the pars 3s were only 85 to 109 yards long so I couldn't take a full swing. I missed one long, one short, one right and hit the last for a birdie.

I finally found some form today also scoring a birdie on the par 4 second and 7 pars. overall I had 38 points, 2 better than my handicap. The Thai girls had 45 and 41 with Marie bringing up the rear with 37, still better than her handicap.

I was playing so well I almost forgot to take any photos but took this pair that show 2 of the par 3s that are effectively side by side although one is the 5th and the other the 12th.

One of the guys had a new video camera and unbeknownst to me, took a shot of one of my drives. This confirmed my suspicions that I have gone back to my old style - pre lesson and that is why I am getting a sore elbow. Finishing with elbows apart like chicken wings. Actually it wasn't too painful today and my knee which gave me lots of trouble just around town yesterday was also not causing any problems today.

I only had a couple of drinks and then came back to my room. I have changed my flight to Thursday extended my stay here 1 night and booked a hotel in Bangkok.

No golf today

Tuesday 6th

Now that I don't have to be back home for pennants on Sunday I am plannign to have a few days in Bangkok. I'd originally planned to stay there before I came to golf but finished up going to Wichian Buri instead. Of course I have to check that I can change my flights first. I called the Qantas number in Bangkok and found out today is a public holiday here. I was transferred to an international call centre but gave up after 10 minutes.

I was wandering down to Le Katai after a late breakfast and dropping my laundry on the way. I heard my name called and turned around to see Kevin, the last of the Collier Park group to arrive waving from his taxi. I dropped my laundry and went back to see him. We both then headed to Le Katai.

Dane, Dave and Jason were there and we had a few drinks and then headed for the Soi Bua Khao Markets. These are under canvas and within a very short time after entering I was dripping with sweat, enough to elicit comments not only from the guys but from one of the stall holders. If you weren't in front of a fan or getting some breeze it was stifling. I wasn't in any state to try stuff on, even if I foiuund something than may have been in my size. I wandered ahead of the guys and when they didn't catch up heade round the corner to the air-conditioned Tukcom building.

Here is where they see the technical stuff. Phones, cameras computers and DVDS, CDS etc. I looked around for a while but didn't buy anything. eventually I took a baht bus back to the hotel, put on the air con and read for a while, possibly having a nap as well.

At 6 i returned to Le Katai and 15 of us got on a baht bus and when to Porn's restaurant. She is a "friend" of one of the guys and her niece is with one of the others. Her place was the other side of the main rad to Bangkok and certainly no place we would have gone to accidentally. Most of us had steak and then she presented everybody with a "lady drink" these turned out to be some 39% proof spirit with some sickly cordial in it. very sweet and quite potent, if you could stomach the sweetness. Most of the glasses didn't get finished. we also had plates of sweets and then apple pie and fresh fruit. All this and some soft drinks for under $7.

They had a fish tank in the corner with one very large white fish in it. When I put my face close to the tank it shook its head opened its mouth as if it was laughing at me. Some of the others come up and it did the same thing to them, to everybody's amusement.

I was happy enough to come back to the hotel once we returned. It is reasonably pleasant out now but it was very hot and humid during the day. Marie and a couple of others played golf and she is quite burnt on her shoulders. I wore the same tank top I wore in the garden back home one day which left me sunburnt for 3 or 4 days. This time I made sure the sun screen reached all the way to the edge of the shirt.

We're in the Navy

Monday 5th

Today was the first official round for the Collier competition, although since I am no longer a member I am not part of it. In fact there are 3 tourists who are not members as well as some others from Le Katai who are playing with the group as well. Only Dane of our foursome was actually competing.

We played at the Royal Navy course at Plutaluang about 40 minutes south of Pattaya. Last year we played the East and West courses and this time we started on the South. Once again my short game let me done with some lovely drives turned into bad scores, although I did start to get more confident on the putting. I had a run of 2 pars on the  from 9 for 11 points. I guess the most "interesting" hole was the 9th. I was sharing a cart with Gerald, another Canadian and after birdie-ing the 7th he'd had a bad score on the 8th. My drive was within 100yards of the hole but Gerald's drive hadn't even rolled all the way down the slope in front of the tee, then he had a miss and was still well behind my drive after his 3rd. When he asked his caddie how far it was to the creek in front of the green I replied " about 3 shots the way you hit them". He then had another miss before passing my drive with his 5th shot.

However, I stuffed my 2nd into the water, dropped out, hit the bank with the next shot and dropped back in before chipping onto the green and 3 putting for a 9, the same as Gerald. The other two had likewise hit into the creek and had 7 or 8.

Then things got a bit unsettling. The caddies first directed us to the East course but we wanted to play the North, since we hadn't played it before and it has the signature lighthouse hole. We were so far ahead of the next group that Gerald rightly suggested we'd better send a caddie back to tell them where we were going so that we all played the same holes. Dane and Jason meanwhile had already hit off and weren't happy to have to wait. Things settled down after a bit and we did play the Lighthouse. I overshot and had to drop and play a second ball, Gerald and Dane (in red) gave up after a couple in the water but Jason (in Yellow) manage to hit the island an putt in from off the green for a birdie.

In the end my back 9 wasn't too bad with 16 points - 2 over my handicap. My 18 hole score was still dismal - 27 points, 9 over my handicap.

I had no problems with me knee today but my elbow was very sore at the end and for the last few holes, every shot was painful.

Ditto

Sunday 4th

It is Easter this weekend and the second year in a row that I have been in Thailand for the holiday.

The weather here has been hot and humid since I arrived, with temps in the mid to high 30s.

This morning the 5 of us who are staying at the Areca headed up to the Pattaya Sports Club. Dane had been given applications forms and photos by half a dozen of us so he could join us up before we arrived. However I was the only one who had actually read the form and realised that a 1" x 1" photo was required not the usual passport size. Consequently only Dane, who was their in person for a replacement photo and myself were actually enrolled. The other 4 were heading there to get their photos taken and make their application today. We grabbed a Baht bus and the process, once we arrived was fairly quick and easy.

After that we went to Lotus where I got some more coat hangers and Marie a power converter. We didn't get inspired by the clothes. We'd left the boys to make their own way but they were still in the coffee shop when we came down. We joined then for a drink and then Marie and I headed off to the Festival shopping centre. Lots of nice shops but again no sales for me but Marie bought some gym gear. WE visited Grand Plaza after that and then headed back to the hotel. We actually went passed it and had lunch at a cafe around the corner.

After that we went back to the hotel and joined the boys at the back pool. I had a few swims, read a bit and had a short nap. Tough job but somebody's got to do it.

About 6 I headed to the embroidery shop and picked up the caps and took them to Le Katai. The same 4 were there and just as we were heading off for dinner an hour later, the bus with some of the others pulled up so I gave out theirs as well. I then caught up with the Areca group for dinner at KIss followed by a walk through Mikes mall and a coffee before retiring.