Day 5 - Patong Beach, Thailand

I actually arrived here yesterday morning via a shared minibus, after departing my "hotel" at about 6 am. Arriving in Patong, I was more than a little surprised. It's quite dirty and seedy. I plan to spend as much time as possible on the beach (which is very nice), away from the tourist trap that is Patong, and hope to volunteer at an organization focusing on the sex trade that is so prevalent here.

One of the biggest draws to traveling for me, is experiencing new cultures. I normally shy away from tourist-laden spots that solely exist on the revenue generated from visitors, because they end up catering to those visitors with cheesy, kitschy shops, and their culture is then lost in the commercialism. I totally get that they do what they do because they DO make money from vacationers, I just prefer a more authentic experience. I'll take advantage of this town by taking a Thai cooking class, which will connect me with the culture a bit more. I love cooking, so I'm really looking forward to it. :)

The food has been ridiculously good so far. Digging the $2 beer and fantastic curries. Everything is served in large portions, so to save money (and not waste food) I'm sticking leftover curry in the fridge in my room, and then buying a side of rice to go, for 60 cents for each meal to stretch it out.