hat yai

Paid well over the odds for a cramped mini-bus to take us to Hat Yai in over 9 hours. What was worse was having to listen to the ever so haughty middle aged Australian woman gripe all the way about all things Thailand. Every whinge was followed by a glance around the bus seeking affirmation. I wanted to give her a dig each time.

Along the way we changed mini-bus and she forgot a bag containing gifts. She berated her husband and her daughter for the oversight but it was obvious to all that she was responsible. The loss was identified sometime after we had moved on. I was deeply disappointed when the driver arranged for someone to being it to us on motorbike. She didn't even say thank you. Another passenger with a piercing voice gave me good info on where to stay. A nicely priced hotel but we were to discover later that the ground floor bar didn't just sell drinks.

Hat Yai is nothing that special. A provincial town that acts as a transit town for folk crossing over/or from Malaysia. It is has resonable amentities and shops. Inexpensive restaurants and a some rather good bars. We stayed two nights anyway. A pleasant enough time.

The most notable thing to happen was my decision to buy a new camera. The camera I had bought in Tokyo was failing badly. It was the one I left outside me tent in Paraquay to ruin the telescopic zoom. The repairs I paid for there had finally unravelled and I had lost patience with it. So consoling myself with the thought that I had not really bought myself a Christmas present I splashed out on a $500, 10 megapixel indulgence. Over the top but it's a case of the difference between men and boys is the price of their toys.

And why not?