Day 104 – Going to Hua Hin (15/11/2015)
We were so not in the mood to travel today but we had to, we’re running out of time. We still had no idea how to get to Hua Hin, which was a bit stupid. We would have had so much time to figure it out yesterday but we were just too lazy. So we had a quick breakfast at the hotel and then we left. We just started walking, hoping to find a good deal. We found a travel agency and booked. Of course we had to wait for a while because most buses leave in the morning. It wasn’t too bad because we still had to get lunch. So we got picked up by a taxi, which brought us to another travel agency where we had to wait for the bus. It was supposed to leave as soon as we get there but the bus just didn’t come. We were waiting and waiting and waiting. Traveling in Thailand is nerve-wracking. We were delayed for three hours before finally leaving.
In Hua Hin we were going to meet a Thai lady that works with Caleb. Her and her boyfriend have an apartment there and they invited us to stay at a hotel, close to their place. We were really surprised about it and it made us feel a bit uncomfortable but they insisted to pay for two nights. After a six hour ride, which felt like it was never going to end, we finally arrived in Hua Hin. The “funny” thing was that the bus driver dropped us off somewhere on the road, in the middle of the city. We had no idea where we were. We were already quite out of nerves and that made it even worse. We had no choice than getting a ride to the bus stop because that’s where Noi and Urs were waiting for us. Two guys offered us to bring us with the motorcycle. Caleb on the back of one and me on the back of one. That’s the life of a traveler. You never know what comes next. So we eventually made it to the bus stop and met our friends. Together we took a tuk tuk to our new home, which is called Lunar Hut Resort. They booked a bungalow for us with hot water, A/C and WiFi. The hotel has a pool and we have a breakfast buffet included. Pretty amazing. We had a beer together and then we all went to bed. It was already about one in the morning.
Day 105 – Sightseeing in Hua Hin (16/11/2015)
We were excited about the breakfast buffet. Last time we had that was on Gili Meno at the fancy Seri Resort. It was nice to have such a big selection of food but you can’t compare it to the one on Gili Meno. The food here was all quite dry and the staff wasn’t very friendly.
After breakfast we went to our friends apartment (it’s kind of weird to say friends because I didn’t even know them until yesterday plus their my parents age but you know). Their apartment is in a really nice building with pool and gym and everything. Today the weather is amazing. Finally! Only from walking for about ten minutes, we were covered in sweat and couldn’t wait to go swimming. But first we went down to the beach. We walked along it and then we went to the other side of a hill, that separates the beach into two sides. On the bottom of the hill is a huge Buddha, which is looking out towards the sea. The view from there is really nice. It looks a bit like a smaller version of Miami Beach. Higher up it was even better.
On the way back we stopped at a hair and nail salon, where Noi was getting her nails done. Caleb wanted to get a hair cut for a while and he decided to get one there. That was a bad decision. When she started shaving his hair off I was almost screaming. She had no idea what she was doing. Unfortunately it was already too late and now Caleb has one of the worst hair cuts ever. Of course I feel bad for him but it’s also quite hilarious. It kind of had to happen at one point.
After that we finally went swimming. The pool at their place is amazing. After swimming for a while, Caleb and I went back to the hotel to get changed. Later Noi and Urs picked us up with a tuk tuk, which we had for the rest of the day. First we went to Rajabhakti Park, where they have statues of the seven Kings of Siam. We only stayed there for about ten minutes. Took some pictures and off we went to the next place. The driver brought us to Wat Tham Khao Tao, a temple with a really nice view on the ocean.
After that we went into Hua Hin city. First stop was at PlearnWan. I don’t even know how to describe that place. It’s kind of like a market but with mostly small shops and it’s really really nice made. But for dinner we went to the street market. It was pretty crazy. Way too many tourists. We had a great dinner at a nice sea food restaurant and Noi and Urs didn’t let us pay for anything.
After dinner we walked around for a while and later we got some cocktails.
Day 106 – Sightseeing in Hua Hin (17/11/2015)
Our day started with a breakfast buffet and soon after we went to our friends place. Because it was so hot, we decided to enjoy the pool until the sun is less strong and then do some sightseeing.
We hired a tuk tuk driver for the whole afternoon. First stop was at Hua Hin Sam Phan Nam Floating Market. I honestly don’t know why it’s called floating market because it’s not. It’s a pond with shops on/around it. It’s a cute made place but nothing that special. After walking around for a bit and having a quick lunch, we went to Huay Mongkol. The place is famous for its huge statue of one of Thailand’s most famous monks. It was nice but it was so hot. It was almost a torture to be without air-condition.
After that we went to Khao Hin Lek Fai View Point. The view was pretty cool. And we saw two snakes on the way.
On the way back home we stopped at the bus station, where we got tickets to Chiang Mai for tomorrow. At home we couldn’t wait to jump in the pool. While Caleb, Urs and I were swimming, Noi went to get some food. Later we had a nice dinner at their place. The most amazing thing was the bread. They bought real bread like we have it at home. I ate so much of it that I almost felt sick, I was so excited about it.
We had a cozy night with good food, wine and whisky and it almost felt a bit like home.
Back in the room I was really tired but I finally had the chance to talk to mom because she was back home from her vacation. We had so much to talk about, I think we could have talked all night. But at one point Caleb turned the lights off and we eventually managed to say bye.
The Travelling Smiths 