On a more active day, we took the girls out for a snorkel at the southern end of the beach. We saw a lot of fish, some more colourful than others. Jen and Emmi also went for a pedicure and a massage. After three pedicures in the last two months, Jen's feet have just about recovered from trekking in Nepal.
Whilst the girls were having a great time at the Hilton, we were facing an accommodation crisis. The previous guest house developed a rotten egg smell that made us gag and retch. Searching for another room was difficult, as Karon Beach has a limited supply of budget accommodation. The best budget hotel was full, and the receptionist there had the sour face and customer service skills of Carol Beer from Little Britain: “The computer says no...”
We finally found a guest house with no name or proper sign outside. The pregnant lady running it was having a stand-off with her Grandma to see who could be the laziest. Even though they offered laundry facilities, the crusty bedsheets hadn't been cleaned for a long time; the room needed a clean. Getting no help from the lady or the gran, we stole a broom from the cupboard and swept the room ourselves.
In need of some luxury after a sharp decline in our standard of living, we treated ourselves by joining Sanni and Emmi for a Hilton breakfast. We arrived late and only had 1 hour and 15 minutes to eat as much as we liked/could. Following a first course of top quality bacon, eggs and sausage, we moved onto pastries and cheeses, before finishing off with a plate of fresh fruit. The bottomless coffee pot aided digestion. Afterwards, Andy felt like a Komodo dragon that had eaten a whole pig. Indeed, it was a full 12 hours before he ate again.
Claire and Massimo stopped over at Karon one night on their way back to Bangkok. We had a tasty Thai meal followed by some take away beers on the beach. After being thrown off the beach, we moved on to a bar in town. The “bar” was three tables and some more chairs in a open air parking lot, with a one-man-band performing. Not quite what we'd expected, but it didn't stop us. Andy and Emmi even performed a couple of songs to a hysterical audience.
The small portions in one restaurant lead us to the pancake man. His stall was a hotplate on wheels (a scooter), and we became regular customers. The nutella and banana pancake was a real hit. We also introduced the girls to mango with sticky rice which they loved.
