Pranburi

I had a long—way too long—train ride; it felt like it took forever. About fifteen stops, none of which lasted more than 3 minutes each. I arrived at the Pranburi train station around 8:30 p.m.; it was dark and there wasn’t a soul in sight. I have to admit, my stress levels shot up all at once… I decided to head toward the beach, telling myself I’d surely find a room or something there. There was no one on the road… but there were dogs everywhere, barking, and I was afraid they’d chase me… A few cars drove by, but they probably couldn’t see me in the near-total darkness… My heart was pounding—what the hell am I doing here? What was I thinking coming here? I was really mad at myself; I was on the verge of panicking! I pulled myself together, regaining my confidence despite the barking stray dogs, and finally, a young man on a tricycle offered to give me a ride to the village; we rode for nearly 25 minutes before stopping near a 7-Eleven. And right next to it were some available bungalows.

I had no choice—I couldn’t keep going like this since the place I needed to get to was 25 km away! I stopped at the first bungalow and, for 700 baht, I accepted—given the location, it was still a good value for the price! It was a new building; it smelled brand-new. As for the decor, I could have done without it… For those who know me well enough to realize just how much I hate pink… I was in for a treat. A Hello Kitty-themed bungalow, with pink curtains! A Hello Kitty headboard! But the bathroom was just gorgeous! More understated, more classy, with hot water. The bed is even more comfortable than the one I have at home! I slept incredibly well there… No, I didn’t have any nightmares about Hello Kitty—in fact, I actually had a wonderful dream…  But I was so exhausted that I slept until 9 a.m.

In the morning, I hit the road again, heading toward the nearest beach, 2.5 km away. I walked under the blazing sun, and a kind older woman stopped her tuk-tuk to pick me up and drop me off at the beach. A few meters further on,  a pickup truck pulls up; the couple asks me where I’m going. I explain that I’m trying to get to SamRoi Yot Beach, and they tell me they can take me closer. I climb into the back of the pickup, and we drive around the beach and back onto the highway,  or at least it looks like it. It’s incredible how they’re always quick to offer help when they see someone walking with a huge backpack. They drop me off at a corner and explain which way to go.  I walked along, taking a few photos, when a young guy stopped on his moped to offer to give me a ride to the beach! He spoke English very well. We exchanged a few words… Then he dropped me off… I was impressed by how helpful they were!

Using an app, I’d found a room for the equivalent of 14 euros, but I didn’t want to book it. I headed there, and on the way, a woman—the owner of a massage center—called out to me,  asking me where I was from and where I was going, if I was traveling alone, and if I was afraid to set off on an adventure like this. She asked about my plans, and so on… I replied with a smile, telling her where I was from and that my previous stop had been Bangkok. I was heading to the Blue Resort, and she gave me directions. I told her that the reason I was traveling alone was for the sake of freedom and to meet people. I tell her I’ll have to go now; she asks if I’ll be coming back this way—yes! I arrive at the hotel, ask about the price, and she keeps replying, “Are you taking the room?” every time… I gave up…  I turned back and walked past the massage center again, and there, she asked me what was going on, so I explained it to her… She explained that if I went to the hotel, I’d be comfortable—good bed, good shower—but I wouldn’t meet anyone. If I wanted to be close to the locals, she offered to let me stay here for a day or two. There isn’t much here—the bathroom and shower are far away—but it’s just us girls here. I agreed; she set me up, and we spent the day chatting about this and that with the massage therapists—Pranee, the owner, and Oye, a massage therapist from Pattaya, who also happens to be heartbroken but remains convinced that without love, life is worthless. Pranee lent me her moped so I could tour the city. That evening, I met Pranee’s husband—who’s Austrian—by the fire. He asked me quite a few questions and finally told me I should at least take their number in case of an emergency if anything happened to me in Thailand.