Day 2,

as it was Saturday,

I decided to visit the Saturday plant market just out of town opposite the Bangkok Pattaya Hospital, 

it looks closed when you first look, but behind the stalls for the night market,

the plant section is there under cover, 

to keep the sun off of the customers and plants, 

from our last visit here some 6 or so years ago, it is a tad smaller, but nothing stays the same forever, in this stall a few whimsies, 

with plants hanging from them,

pomelos anyone?

as usual a few stalls selling woodcrafts, 

and more than a few stalls selling orchids, 

lots of them, 

all at prices you can only dream about in the UK lots of small ones in bundles, 

in this stall, 

large flowering individuals, 

beautiful,

next door some bonsai, 

I continued my walk, 

another of my favorite groups, cactus,

and as I have often said, if only we had a garden and a pond, 

waterlilies would be a must have, 

so many different plants to chose from,

looking around, there were nowhere near as many people milling around as our previous visits, the effects of covid I guess with people returning to their homelands, 

a few nice water features, 

back in the day there were at least 3 or 4 stalls selling only insectivorous plants, now just a few pots in the corner of one of the stalls,

just a few living stones, (lithops), not the hundreds there once were,

and the market is down to just one aquatic outlet,

but it was still so nice, 

to walk around looking at the stalls, 

at the end of the rows,

towards the rear of the market, 

bigger plants and trees were for sale,

I made my way back, 

coconut anyone?

to here, for a ice coffee, all of that looking and walking was thirsty work!

the heat was not helped much by these, 

cooking pans placed next to the seating area, still I guess it made you buy more cool drinks!

arriving back in town I did in fact go for another cool drink, 

at the Pattaya Beer Garden, 

next a walk to TukCom, it is a electrical outlet, where I bought a D-Link, so I could have 24/7 Internet and a mobile telephone for local calls, by now it was time for my evening meal, 

so a trip to Central Festival,

and then upstairs to the Hilton Edge, 

up, 

and then down, 

to my table by the window, 

it is a all you can eat buffet, The Edge dinner buffet costs 1,300 baht, the buffet includes: Seafood, Steak, Sushi, Desserts, International cuisine, European cuisine, Asian cuisine, and Thai cuisine,

naturally I also went for the free flow wine also, I think that was about 1,200 baht, so bubbly to start, 

I decided to have a look at what was on offer, 

lots of condiments, 

and I mean lots!

some salad, 

sliced meats including smoked salmon,

also so many pots to tempt you,

as you order food it is cooked for you,

although there are always a few precooked you are impatient, 

more sauces, 

steak and chops, 

as well as pizza, 

a few desserts, I have missed so many dishes, 

my first course, 

and second, 

free flow bubbly and wine of course, 

oh dear another dead soldier!

thirds, 

I was hungry!

as it happens the restaurant was quiet, 

crabs, squid, 

or more prawns?

no a streak, 

and a few desserts, I was so full, what a great way to start the evening, 

down in the lift, 

I really should not look down,

I decided to walk back past the Coconut Grove and TQ1, 

and was soon in Walking Street, 

past the Stones, 

and so many other places, 

some still here, 

some new, 

a old favorite of ours, I stopped for a nightcap in Dang's before making my way back to the hotel, and a good nights sleep.