First Thing And We Were Off,

to immigration for our 90 day check-in,

there were just a few people in front of us so we were out in no time at all, we were going to have breakfast at the Surf Kitchen, but the road outside it was packed with bikes, although the restaurant had very few customers most of the area outside it had been cordoned off, so parking was impossible and with the police box opposite that meant we could not park there, so off we went to Pattaya for breakfast, but first a stop at the food market almost opposite the top entrance of Soi 5,

 lots of fresh fruit to chose from,

 some cantaloupe melon, coconuts and pomegranates and we were on our way,

 the market here was very busy despite it still being early in the morning, with cars and bikes now parking on the other side of the market road,

 we decided to do some shopping on the way into town, stopping at the lights at the intersection of Third Road and Pattaya Tai we noticed this new venture taking shape, an Australian pub/bar/restaurant, the Walkabout, looking at the work in progress another few days should see it open for business,

 next stop on Pattaya Tai the Friendship supermarket,

 

we bought some wholemeal bread amongst other things, but we also indulged ourselves with the purchase of 2 cream filled pastry horns, a treat to go with our mid-afternoon tea,

 as we were in town we parked in the banks car park and I called in for some money whilst Diana walked across the road for a table in the Pattaya Beer Garden,

 the Samsung television not working this morning,

 we knew it was early, the bars in front of the restaurant had not opened yet,

 but some joss sticks had already been lit on the bars shrine,

 looking past the Pattaya Beach water treatment plant some early morning tourists were lining up for speed boats,

 I had at first thought they were going to the coral islands,

 but I was wrong,

 they were being ferried out to floating pontoons in the bay, this is one of the boats I thought they were being brought out to,

 to experience the thrill of paragliding,

 if being towed behind a speedboat strapped to a parachute is your way to start the day this is the place for you,

 but for us we both preferred to sit in the restaurant and watch,

 as we were the first customers I took a few pictures of the restaurant itself, this looking towards the kitchen area which is past the central bar,

 from our table looking towards Bali Hai pier,

 and across the bay looking towards Nakula,

 our breakfast arrived,

Diana ordered chicken fried rice with an egg, for myself chicken korma with rice, I was going to have a beer to go with the curry, then remembered it was it was still not even 10.00 in the morning, a bit early for a beer even for me!

 breakfast finished we decided to drive along Walking Street,

 Diana taking pictures as we went,

 other than a few early morning tourists,

 the street was almost deserted,

 even the beer trucks,

 had not made an appearance to top up the beer consumed last night,

 just a few motorbikes,

 and that was about it,

 only one customer in the 7-11,

 we turned left at the road that runs up to Second Road,

 and comes out opposite the newly refurbished VC Hotel and made our way home from there,

we watched some satellite television during the early afternoon, then Mark called round just as Steve from the UK called on the telephone, so we had a small 3 way chat, after saying bye to Steve Jay called in for a tea or two, then just as Jay left Don called in for chat about telephones and restaurants, soon it was time for our evening meal after our friends had left, the good news was that a number of shows we had not watched before were being shown, plus the best 41 'bits' of Top Gear were being screened, then for our late evening entertainment Poirot,

Hercule Poirot's Christmas
   

The tyrannical patriarch of a dysfunctional but wealthy family summons his adult children for a Christmas reunion, but prior to the holiday his throat is slashed apparently by one of them.

then for us we were off to bed.