Pattaya, Thailand

It must be Pattaya because it says so on the back of the photograph, although I don't remember the boats and the landing.

But wait, right in the bottom left hand corner, surely that is Buni's little speedo thingy? No, not his swimming trunks, one of those zappy things to travel out into the sea.

My memories of Pattaya are few. The first one, is of the endless street of sex shops as the bus came into town. Girls asking for sex. When I say girls, I mean girls. Not young women, or teenagers. Girls. Under age sex, aka rape/paedophilia.

Later in Sydney, I met a Canadian who eventually confessed that he couldn't have sex at the time (er not with me I hasten to add very hurriedly) because he was recovering from an STD contracted in - Pattaya.

The next memory is of pineapples. Huge, juicy, cheap pineapples sold by the street vendors. So huge that by the time you had got half way down you were sick of the sweet/acid taste it left on your tongue. We took it back to our tidy, basic, and cheap room. I can't remember if we ever finished it.

Mostly I remember the beach though. And Buni of course.

When Travelling Companion and I were planning our trip, sometimes talking about it at work in the newspaper office, one of the other reporters thought the idea of lying on a tropical beach sounded rather nice.

And when we were finally lying there, on the fine golden sand, in the glorious sunshine, we sent him our virtual best wishes. In the days before the virtual world existed of course.

It was very hot. I suspected I was getting sunburned. We started chatting to some Thai boys who obviously spoke English. As they do.

Buni offered to rub some oil into my back. A free Thai massage? How could I resist? I didn't. And it was very good, I must say.

Then he seemed to think it was a good idea for us to go gallivanting off on his little speed thingummy. The local beach lads made a living out of taking tourists out to sea on these things. This offer was for free though. To a nearby island.

I decided I had taken enough freebies for one day, and gracefully declined that one. It was still a great massage though, thanks pal.