as this semester of teaching slows down, so has my weekend traveling around thailand. i have still traveled, but my adventures are more scaled down. i have chosen more relaxing trips to secluded beaches and quiet towns, over the hustle and bustle of the tropical destinations and megaurban jungles. 

two weekends ago, sarah and i made a short journey to hua hin, which is on the opposite side of the gulf. hua hin was advertised as a weekend getaway for bangkok residents and retired ex-pats.

after a couple of minibus trips and a traveling time of about five hours we reached hua hin on friday night. we entered the little “walking” streets on a motorbike, as we searched for a place to stay. our motorbike taxi zig-zagged us passed vending carts and pedestrians that spilled out of the little bars that lined the narrow walkway. once in our 3rd-floor hotel room, we dropped off our bags went out to find some food.

we settled on an italian restaurant along a road that was parallel to the beach. there have been times when we have simply craved for western food. we wanted to add some variety and change to the nightly pad thai/sushi diet of chon buri…. so, we got pasta.

the next day was our beach day. we woke up well passed our normal sleeping schedule and walked over to the white sand and clear waters. when we first arrived, the beach was empty, so we found a shady spot near a palm tree and each read a book. as i continued to read my book, the beach quickly filled up. after each chapter i would look up to see more and more older European couples strolling the shore. a few more chapters and the i could then see the familiar sight of young, attractive thai women hand-in-hand with overly obese western tourists. by the time i was finished with the book, there were even horses galloping along the beach. seriously.

our next stop was the massage spot neighboring to our hotel to the left. although i have been here since october, this turned out to be my first thai massage. in fact, it was probably my first massage ever. a young thai girl gave me a rather unforgiving massage and then asked if i was single. go figure.

the nightlife was just like any other place where foreigners congregate. the bars were, again, spilling out onto the small streets. blatant prostitution bordered each pub, and lady boys performed in the middle of the foot traffic.

it is pretty sad to see how the sex trade and the influence of sex has become so prominent almost everywhere foreigners travel in thailand. i guess it comes down to the fact that some people travel to experience the natural beauty and culture of thailand, while other people simply come here to get laid.