Pattaya City

We covered both Bangkok and Pattaya city in October 2009. While Pattaya city was the first destination we paid a visit to, Bangkok was the place which etched itself in my memory because of its cleanliness and the gorgeous shrines and monasteries.

Pattaya also known as the "Sin city" of Thailand is truly a bachelor's paradise with its exotic night life and sexy drop-dead good looking girls catering to the needs of the tourists. With an estimated 40,000 women working in beer bars or Go GO bars, massage parlours and some working as freelancers, Pattaya City has a lot to offer in terms of pleasure for men. Besides the night life, Pattaya has some exotic beaches with plentiful beach activities, spanking posh malls, roadside delicious Thai foods and Gem Factory.

Pattaya City comes alive mostly in the weekend. With an hour drive from Bangkok airport, plenty of tourists and residents of Bangkok choose this place as destination for their weekend revelry. When we reached Pattaya, the first thing that came to my notice was the beautiful sight of the beaches. The scantily clad women roaming around with tourists or partners along the beach side road also was another bizarre thing to strike my attention.Immediately I realized I have come to a "funky" place.We resided in "Hotel Beverly Plaza" and the first thing I enjoyed was a gourmet meal with fried noodles, omlette and fried rice prepared in authentic Thai style. Pics below:

 
 

After the lunch, we slept tight for few hours before we got ready for the night stroll along the Walking Street and the beach road. Since we were really tired due to the nightlong journey in plane (it takes about 3-4 hours in flight to reach Bangkok from Kolkata and about one hour from Bangkok to reach Pattaya City.),we didnt keep much program for the night. Mostly I indulged myself in shopping. It was Friday and the Walking Street came into life around midnight.It was really exciting to saunter through the Walking Street lined with Go-Go Bars, Dance bars with loud music blaring out and skimpy dressed women calling out for attention. Some pics below:

 

 

 

Next morning we headed towards the Coral Beach. Debu tried parasailing there and it turned out successful. As for me I chickened out at the last moment because of my height phobia and also the fact that after you take off in parachut they will first dip you into the sea before pulling you up on the boat gave me a cold feet. I dont know swimming and floating in the middle of the sea was quite a petrifying idea for me. Some snapshots of Debu flying up in the air are below:

 

 

After the stunt with parasailing was over, we ferried to Coral Island famed for its natural picturesque beauty with crystal clear turquoise water and white sand ringed by mountains. We milled around the beach a while before bathing in the salty cold water. Since I dont know swimming, I didnt try going far into the sea. I let myself afloat as far as I felt pebbles beneath my feet. But I loved watching Debu as he plunged himself deep into the water bobbing up and down with the waves. At that a moment a wistful thought came over me that I should learn swimming. 

After having a refreshing bath, we had an appetizing lunch at an Indian restaurant located inside a posh nightclub but since we visited the place during the day, only a small section of the club was open to the tourists.The meal comprises chicken and mutton curry, zeera (cumin seeds) rice, daal, vegetable curry,raita, some kind of fish (which I found awful in taste), payesh etc. Then we returned to our hotel for an afternoon siesta.

Our evening was fully booked for the famous Alcazar show but before that we did some shopping in a nearby mall. The ride in tuktuk was another memorable thing done that evening. Tuktuk is a mode of transport akin to the autorickshaws in India, though, it looks different in shape and size in different cities within Thailand. The tuktuks used in Pattaya are larger than that of Bangkok. Tuktuks in Bangkok are more colorful whereas its counterpart looks bland albeit fascinating in Pattaya.

After a satisying shopping venture, we headed for the famous Alcazar Show.This show will surely take your breath away with its glitter and the dazzling performances by a troop of artists clad in shimmering gowns. The outstanding colourful costumes and the artful display of lights by creating a perfect kaleisdoscope of illusions kept me totally transfixed for three hours and I felt fully entertained and sated after it was over. However, the most interesting revelation was the fact that all these performers were transgenders. Inconceivably, looking at their grace and X-factor not for a single moment any flicker of doubt entered my mind about this astounding transition.

After taking the memory of the famous Alcazar show imprinted in our minds, we began our night stroll along the beach side road. We saw swine being roasted on grill. Swine being roasted might not be an uncommon sight but my curiosity was aroused by the swine face yet attached to its vertebra when it was placed above fire.      

Since we ate Indian lunch in the afternoon, our plan for the night was to try Thai dishes. So we began our hunt for an authentic Thai restaurant. There are bars aplenty across the Walking Street and the Beach road, but we were on the lookout for a restaurant with cozy corner so that the two of us could steal some romantic moments with each other. We dined in a small eatery with a pleasing ambiance but less crowded and I tried the popular Fu yung there. The food was quite delectable and I boozed to my heart's content almost entering a vertigo state.

Next morning before setting out for Bangkok, we paid a visit to the Gem Factory of Pattaya. Gem factory is an ideal place for gem enthusiasts. Our journey in Gem factory began with a toytrain ride through a makeshift tunnel demonstrating how gems were extracted from mines and then polished and fine-tuned into sleek pieces of jewellaries. The simulation journey in toy train was followed by a visit to the manufactory showcasing workers busy burnishing the gems of different sizes, from large to minuscule. I learned about the intricacy and eye-strain involved in creating those dazzling pieces of diamonds, pearls, rubies, emeralds, sapphires and topaz. There were a couple of huge showrooms selling varieties of exquisite pieces of rare gems, pearl and gold jewellaries. I could not take my eyes off the fine pieces of gem-studded gold necklaces and earrings feeling literally tempted to buy some but our tight-fisted pecuniary condition barely allowed some gems to be affordable and I had no option but to stay content with what was coming within our budget :(

Gem Factory was the last destination we visited in Pattaya. Then we started over our journey for Bangkok.

Gangtok Trip

Gangtok is the capital of Sikkim lying at an altitude of about 5800 ft. After Darjeeling, Gangtok is another sought-after hill station in the north-eastern part of India.The distance between Darjeeling and Gangtok is 94 kms and it takes somewhere between 3-4 hours to reach Gangtok depending on the driving skill of the driver along the steep precipitous road of mountains. We reached Gangtok towards the evening and lodged in an army guesthouse the credit for which be given entirely to Virender for his father worked in army. The first thing we did on our arrival to Gangtok was lunch with our friends. Then we headed for ropeway ride. Pics are below:

The next morning, we went to Tsangu Lake. Tsangu Lake also spelled as Changu Lake is a beautiful lake surrounded by snow clad mountains. Situated at an altitude of 12,400 ft, it takes about 2-3 hours from Gangtok to reach Tsangu. The roads are quite treacherous and steep. The hairpin bends through landslide prone zones will give you goosebumps at every turn. I took some shots of vodka before starting the journey to ward off cold. However, the hair-raising drive through the narrow steep roads of mountains diluted the euphoria of drinking. The first thing that touched my skin once we stepped out in the biting cold of Tsangu was the freezing cold wind numbing my sensation of fear and excitement.We managed to take some pics while shivering in stinging cold.

The Tsangu lake was a treat to the eyes. The blue lake with the reflection of azure sky glistening in the transperant water amidst snow-clad mountains is quite a sight worth taking the journey for.

Another interesting thing was the yak ride from Tsangu Lake to a nearby mountain where you can indulge in trekking. I had some funny moments during the trekking. I have height phobia popularly termed as "Acrophobia" . Encouraged by my hubby, I started climbing the mountain and during the climb, I not once looked back down below. But suddenly I stumbled against a rock hidden under the soft snows and fell a step down and then my eyes travelled down below and to my utter shock, I realized I have climbed quite high up than I was planning to and with that realization I lost my confidence and lying prostrate, I started sobbing. Self-confidence is one of the requisite items to carry while undertaking a venture like trekking and if you lose that in the middle of your dare, then nobody can help you unless you try gaining your confidence back and help yourself. I sobbed there for some several moments resisting every attempt of persuasion by my hubby and friends to budge from that position. Some playful friends took video and snaps of mine then:

Later Debu and Sashank diverted my mind by talking about this and that and I sat bolt upright. The person who suffered a serious fall was Virender and he received a hairline fracture at the joint of hip bones. He writhed in pain throughout the rest of our journey back to NJP station and therefrom to Kolkata.

Darjeeling Trip

Talking about Darjeeling, the first thing that comes to my mind is the quote of Mark Twain "The one land that all men desire to see, and having seen once-by even a glimpse would not give that glimpse for the shows of the rest of the world combined." Located in West Bengal, India, Darjeeling is a popular hillstation that gives a breathtaking vista of Mt Kanchenjunga clad in snow.Those wishing to find relief from the bustling city life might warm themselves up here in the soothing lap of nature. Known as the "Queen of hills" Darjeeling is also the birth place of Oscar winning actress Vivien Leigh. We made our trip to Darjeeling in 2009 March in order to get away from the sultry heat of Kolkata summer.

The first few things that I remember is my tryst with two puppies whom I fell instantly in love with the moment I had my eyes laid on them. I wanted to take them home but my husband didnot quite approve the idea so I dropped my plan. Anyway, here goes one click with them:

 

Another good thing was the ITC guesthouse we stayed in and the food served to us.Hot steaming rice with mouthwatering chicken curry and freshly baked rotis with a tasty vegetable dish were just awesome to take the tireness of nightlong journey away (O forgot to mention, from Kolkata, it takes about 12 hours via train to reach NJP station and then the remaining journey through cab from NJP to Darjeeling takes some 3-4 hours.) Some snapshots of the guest house are below:

Some of the sights we visited in Darjeeling include tea plantation, monasteries and the zoological park.When we reached the tea plantation, it was all foggy and raining torrentially. After the rain subsided, I tried on the colorful kimono sort of robe that women working at the plantation drape around and clicked some nice snaps. Darjeeling zoo features some endangered species including red pandas, snow leopard, Tibetan wolf and Himalayan Salamander. Besides housing the animals of near extinction, this zoological park also showcases animals like blue sheep, Himalayan blood pheasants and Himalayan monal.Pictures are below:

 

Our tour of Darjeeling-Gangtok was a compact tour of three days. Since we could not take more days off from our busy schedule, we had to stay content with the abridged trip. However, it's recommended that if you plan your itinerary for North Bengal, you should atleast have two weeks in hand.We covered all these sights including the zoo, monasteries and tea plantation in one day.In the next morning one of our fellow trip members went to Tiger Hill.(I was dead asleep and somehow couldnot garner the enthusiasm to wake up in the wee hours of morning to visit Tiger Hill.Debu too was sleeping by my side.) Tiger Hill is the pinnacle of Ghoom, the heighest railway station of India and it's famed for its sunrise view over the Himalayas.Unfortunately, the sky was overcast when we made the trip to Darjeeling. Hence the snaps of sunrise came quite fuzzy. So not posting them here.

 

Next to Darjeeling, we visited Gangtok. On our way to Gangtok, we dropped by Batasia Loop and War memorial. The toy train that leaves from Ghoom station takes a loop round Batasia Loop which gives an awesome panoramic view of the entire Darjeeling town set against the beautiful backdrop of snow-covered Kanchenjunga. Some snapshots below:

Before leaving Darjeeling, one last thing was left to be attempted and that is River-Rafting across Tista river. I was seated at the front row of the boat with two men by my side for rowing and I was told to sit on folded knees and duck my head as and when the boat was passing through a heavy current. I got completely drenched and Debu and Virender seated at the middle row had their hands reached to a breaking point out of oaring continuously for some several minutes. Rowing definitely requires physical strength and the men on the boat who were rowing got thoroughly exhausted. My main concern for myself was that I dont know swimming and if by any means, the boat capsized nothing in the world could save me from drowning. So I was trying my best to keep balance. Anyway, in retrospect, I think river-rafting was one of the most amazing feats I had attempted in my life and it gave me a great deal of pleasure doing that regardless of the risks involved. Some pics below:

 

Prelude

I am a travel enthusiast and I take absolute delight in exploring different exotic places around the world. Since in the growing years of my life I had very limited scope of taking a trip down the majestic isles or the mystic mountains or the lush green meadows, I made it a point to pack my bag and set sail when grown up. Thanks to the Almighty, my husband is equally fond of travelling as me. So all our pennies painstakingly earned are spent on travelling extravaganza, but we dont mind as long as our happiness lies in it :)


In this blog, I will post photos with a minute description of our tours.