To infinity pool and beyond …

There is the most beautiful infinity pool on the roof of our hotel and every morning I go for a swim there. I find swimming really therapeutic, almost a form of meditation, especially when you’re swimming in the heavens towards a view of the ocean, so I shook off last night’s icky feeling and prepared to start the day with a fresh outlook.

Joanne needed to investigate her boxing classes, leaving me to my own devices. I had a wander around but couldn’t find my groove at all. The beach was too hot and crowded so I decided to go shopping for some cooler clothes but none of the dresses were long enough or wide enough to fit me. And the little meandering market stalls, whilst pretty and colourful to look at, were like miniature sweat boxes. I bought some water and continued walking, not really knowing what I was looking for. Joanne had told me to avoid Bangla Road if I didn’t like Thailand’s sex tourism side but I’d walked so far that this is where I ended up. By this time I was so hot I didn’t really care where I was. The water wasn’t cooling me down so I did the only thing I could think of and walked into a bar, sat by a huge fan and ordered a Long Island Iced Tea.

From my new vantage point, I was in the perfect people-watching position. Across the road was ‘Rock Star Bar’ which was filled with a plethora of beautiful Thai women all enticing young (and old) men (and women) into their bar. A gaggle of gangly, very pale and obviously drunk boys were cheered enthusiastically when they walked into this bar. They were seated, their necks rubbed, served with beers, their jokes were laughed at and they were basically treated like kings. I could see that this was a transaction. It was just business. And from where I was sitting, it looked like both parties were very happy with said transaction.