Hedonism

Those of you who know Penny, the person i'm travelling with, know that there are certain differences between the two of us. Although I must stress that this has not been anything like a problem. To me, these differences are summed up by my the fact that I am ruled by hedonism to an extent that Penny can't match.

I have only been in thailand for 2 and a half days but i think that what i like best is to just completely stop and give in to soaking up whatever it is that is coming n to one of my senses.

It could be the sight of the sun setting behind a sparkling old buddhist temple sitting on top of a mountain that extends into the ocean. It could be the feel of the sea washing away the heat of walking up the mountain with the temple on it during the hottest part of teh day. It could be the sound of two old thai guys playing thai love songs mixed interspersed by one of the best renditions of 'hotel california' that i've ever heard, played on a tinny old electronic keyboard with equally tinny artificial drumbeat. Usually, however, it is the taste that really gets me into the hedonistic mood.

Walking around the night market in Hua Hin last night I wanted to stop at every little food vendor and try everything they had. As it was I had to settle for Duck Noodle Soup, some kind of meat on a stick, 2 kinds of Chinese fried dough balls, fried banana thing on a stick and some king of ice drink with a flavour that I couldn't work out. Penny just had the soup and waited untill she was in an internet cafe before I got the dough balls and banana thing.

Although I may not always get the third street meal, spend that third hour on the beach or stay out late with other tourists at places such as 'Heidi's Musikgarten' or 'Coconuts'. This morning we caught a rickety bus with a wooden floor about 9km south of Hua Hin and walked and swam about three km to a mountain, had just the one squid salad for lunch then walked up and down and through a mountain covered with temples and hidden passages, monkeys and monks.

I can't help but think of what I'd be doing if I were here with friends like Tim or Ines. After walking round the Spanish festival in Melbourne eating at least three sausages, ice cream with a whole lot else I can only imagine what she'd be like here. And the sort of sitting on the beachfor hours with fish and chips that we've done on South Melbourne Beach would work much better here.

Oh well, as Penny is asleep upstairs I am sitting in the restaurant of the Jolly & Jumper Restaurant and Guesthouse in Cha am. It is 9pm and I am looking across a dusty road lined by sweet smelling food vendors, talking to German backpackers, listening to 'Hotel California' being played amongst crazy Thai love songs by two old Thai guys on a tinny little synthesiser and guitar, and I am raising my glass of Singha Beer to everything that the first three days in Thailand has offered.