We settled into our hotel and then we went out to get some food. The four of us headed off to an Italian restaurant that they had been to before. There we enjoyed some amazing Italian wine and some delicious pastas and pizza. Following our amazing Italian supper, we went to Hua Hin's red light district to Sue's bar where we met up with some South African boys that some of the girls had met the last time we were in Hua Hin. I met Freddie, CP and Jean for the first time, but after the two glasses of red wine I had at supper, I was feeling sleepy and not in the mood to be in a bar. The girls were enjoying a few drinks and some pool with the guys, so I found myself a tuk tuk back to the hotel where I slipped into my swimsuit and went for a swim in the pool. I enjoyed a lovely shower before heading to bed just in time for the group to arrive at our hotel and decide they wanted to take a dip in the pool. I was too tired, and fell asleep shortly after they arrived.
The next morning I was awake bright and early, and so was my roommate. We decided to go for the free breakfast at the hotel (which was great!!) and then for a swim in the lovely pool. While we were enjoying our swim, the rest of our group showed up and we all decided to go to Cha-am beach for the afternoon (about a 20 minute drive from Hua Hin). We spent a long time trying to find the guys since they came on scooters after us and we took a tuk tuk. We walked up the beach for a while before finally finding them. They were ready to rent a sea-doo and tube and go tubing for a while so we let them take off and do their thing, but they came back and invited us to go tubing, too! It was fun for a while and I had forgotten the thrill of being on a tube!
After our long day at the beach, everyone was feeling a little tired. We headed back to the hotel and had supper there (where I enjoyed Pad Thai and a fried banana and ice cream, with a glass of red South African wine!) and then we picked out some movies that we planned to watch. I took a short swim after supper, but to my surprise everyone else had pretty much fallen asleep while I had been swimming! We all went to bed quite early that night!
Sunday morning, I woke up early again. I headed down for breakfast in hopes of finding out some details about para-sailing and about elephant tours at Hutsadin Elephant Foundation. I didn't manage to get any information until after the others were up and came down for breakfast. I found out that they only have para-sailing in Hua Hin during peak season, and so I wouldn't be able to find it there now. However, she told me how to get to Hutsadin Elephant Foundation and even called me a cab. I went up there and had an amazing time! My cab driver was nice enough to stop at the train station so I could snap a couple of photos there, too, before heading up the "mountian" to the foundation. When I arrived, I got to go in and see the temple and then they signed me up for a ride, and a picture. I went out and met Lugme (the beautiful 23 year old elephant that I was going to get a chance to ride) and the driver, Nine. We took off for a one hour tour of the Foundation riding the elephant, and then returned where I purchased a basket of bananas and fed to the elephant, before being handed my picture, a glass of cold water, a plate of sliced pineapple, and a bowl of ice cream. I was asked to sit on a specific bench so that I could see the show, that was only for me and my cab driver because we were the only ones there, while a 3-yr-old baby elephant played a harmonica, danced, posed in different ways for me, played basketball, put a hat on my head, played soccer with me, and then painted me a picture that I got to keep! It was so much fun!! I ended up giving the little guy all of my pineapple because I just thought he was so cute! The best part of all of it was that the money that I spent for the rides and photos and such went back to the animals to pay for food and purchasing more retired and sick elephants to care for.
After my excitement with the elephants, I decided it was time to return to the group that I had arrived with (they had seen elephants the first time we were in Hua Hin and weren't too anxious to see them again) and I headed back to the hotel. When I arrived, I realized that nobody was there and a quick scan of the room informed me that they were not at the pool or the beach because their swimsuits were hanging around the room. I sent a text to one of them and found out that they were getting a massage and I decided I wanted to join them! I was on the hunt for a taxi or tuk tuk but upon finding out that either would run be 100 baht, I decided that I would try a scooter! So was "taxied" by a scooter which cost only 30 baht and was a little scary for me but he really took it easy on me! I arrived in one piece, and enjoyed a wonderful Thai massage done by the same ladies that had previously given me a manicure. Then we went for lunch at a Euro Bakery, then stopped for bread at a German Bakery, and headed back to the hotel to pack up. The drive home was only a little bit shorter than the drive to Hua Hin.
I went for a few days without internet at the apartment. This shouldn't be a big deal, but somehow you feel lost when you are trying to search places to see, or how to get around a big city and suddenly the fastest and easiest way to learn about a city this size in a language you can understand is inaccessible. I was sick on Monday night and missed school on Tuesday because I had horrible stomach cramps. I had a minor panic attack when I started to wonder if I had a second round of food poisoning, but thank goodness it passed!
I've booked my flight to Chiang Mai, but other than that I'm not sure what's going on. I'm hoping to find out soon. Being sick for a day and not working in the office but rather working in the classroom has me a bit separated from the group so I'm a little out of the loop. I am looking forward to the weekend though, and I'm sure everyone has a lot planned! I feel that this short weekend will not do this city any justice!
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