About Feeds (RSS or ATOM)

I don't really understand this - but it looks as if Feeds are a way to check for updates automatically (and other things). If you are using IE7, then you will see a funny icon (mine is between the little house (Home) and the print button. Normally it's grey. If it goes Orange, that means a Feed is available.
Click the button, follow the simple instructions and in your Favourites panel you will have a new section - Feeds. You will find the site you activated shown there. Hover and it will show you whether the page has been updated (it is checked by your computer automatically - I think even without IE being open) - if it has - clicking will take you there!
The main Anna Jet site doesn't have a Feed. This Blog does.
When I make updates, I will post them on the Blog - and you will know without actually loading the site.
Bye the way - the feed is a simple machine print - won't show any pictures or stuff.
Saves a click or two.

New Pictures

Don't know if anyone is using RSS - but if you are - posted a new picture set today.

Opening new Disco : Mixx

Last night we were invited to the opening.
It's a very expensive undertaking - right at the far end of Walking Street - actually on the square by the Bali High pier.
Taking a leaf out of some of the clubs on RCA, it's actually got two separate areas: Hip-Hop and House with a short corridor joining them.
It's on the third floor of an up-market shopping mall and you take a glass enclosed lift to get there. You arrive in the Hip Hop section - theme is plush red with bad reproductions of nude 'old masters' around the walls.
We walked through as rapidly as possible into the House room - all in white, fabric banners on the ceiling and a huge plastic modern style light fitting that kept changing colour. Sound system was good ( funnily, supplied by the same people who supply us). The dance floor was a sort of dry swimming pool and quite small given the size of the place. Lighting levels were on the bright side.
Like at most openings there were lots of people and many already had clubs so there was a great deal of interest.

They had a European DJ and I simply couldn't stay too long. He was playing the same boring style of House as they play in Insomnia. No melody, just electronic beat with the occasional electronicly modified growns as singing. This stuff is so boring and a world away from Anna Jet, Casino and Marine.

Insomnia must be the No1 club at the moment, it's packed from about 4am. It's popularity is derived from them doing cheap drinks for girls and like everywhere else, where the girls go, the guys follow! I've hated it for about 3 months now - it's too crowded and the music too boring. I haven't stayed long enough to even finish a drink!

Lucifer has always had discounted drinks for girls and Mixx is issueing 50percent discount cards to girls. We tried to use one for my drink and were told it was for unaccompanied ladies only (same as Lucifer and Insomnia).

However, Marine is finally fighting back - they have ripped a lot of seating out of Marine 2, substituting with tables and stools. They have also cut Heinken prices (I think for girls only) to 100 baht. This is still bad compared with the 65 charged in Insomnia, but it's something. The only thing I like about Marine is the music (and, I guess, the tradition) so I'm happy they still aren't responding enough - gives me room to dance!

Anyway, back to Mixx. They were kind enough to invite us and I wish them well. I'm sure they will get reasonable custom from Thais if they are staying open late (I think the late night "The Beat" on Soi 4 has closed). But it's long walk from the main sections of Walking Street - lonely too. A bit like the walk to Boom in the old days. Maybe people from Jomtien will be happy - it's more convenient for them!

Escape - Koh Phangan

After a very dangerous and expensive night in Charlies Angels go-go followed by drunken meanderings around the Black Moon party, I decided I had better move on!

250 baht got me a taxi and boat ticket to Phangan and Hat Riin. This of course is the Home of the Full Moon Party. Since I was recovering from a Black Moon party I felt I would be safe!

The boat trip was depressing - no one under 16 seemed to be aboard! As I treckked (is this the correct backpacker term?) from the boat pier my impressions were confirmed. I was in a land populated by strapping boys carrying rugby balls and very pretty girls - the best speaking Hebrew. Hell, so what if I was "street furniture" again, I was here to explore and take pictures.

Hat (Haad) Rinn was completly unexpected. I had heard about the Full Moon parties and had understood that what made the venue unique was that one side faced the sunrise whilst the other faced sunset. And that is true. What they don't tell you is that there is a small hill and town separating the two. I had imagined a long sand-bar - what I found was a penninsula with a distinct hill at the end. Like Phi Phi, the town is bars, restaurants (showing movies) and Internet/travel agents.

Planning to be up with the sun, I was back in the hotel room before midnight - setting my alarm for 05.30. Still awake at 01.00, I abandoned my early start and cancelled the alarm. Luckily, and with great consideration, Anna called me at 05.00 to ask me what was today's date? So that was my night's sleep! Were the shots worth it? Well the rising sun was covered by clouds - but I'm sure there were one or two "keepers".

Then a hair rasing taxi ride to a dual bay up in the North East - Thong Yai Pan. The road was mainly a sandtrack - winding it's way through the mountains. Beautiful. Thankful that I hadn't opted to hire a bike.

The two bays are really beautiful - white sands, bungalow resorts (not sure about these - mine hasn't got a TV) and not an Estate Agent in sight. Bliss.

But ....... boring at night! I remember I went Koh Samet at this time last year with my son Sam. We were asleep by 10pm. Hat Rinn had quite a few people but here ....... Probably only 2-300 tourists spread between the two bays. The restaurants are lonely - they don't even show movies - how much does that cost for Christ's sake? These guys are living the dream - untill the money runs out.

And NO GIRLS! The thing about Pattaya, Patong and Bangkok is no matter how quiet things get - there are always GIRLS, and they always fancy you! Here there are so many Caucasian nubiles desperatly seeking their holiday bunk-up and (as Anna once said) giving it away free the Thai girls have given up. Never seen this before - even Phi Phi had girls hanging around. If anything, what I've seen is European girls with Thai guys. Wonder if their wives are as understanding as the Thai guys who live off their girlfriends?

Tomorrow I've a flight back to Bangkok at 8pm. So normal service will resume. Anna says we have been doing really well - so maybe I'll be travelling again soon!

Are these islands a substitute for Pattaya? Well, no.
Phangan is a beautiful island and far less developed that Koh Chang - I certainly plan to come back - but I spend about 48 weeks a year in Pattaya. You guys get the chance to get to Pattaya for 2-4 weeks. You would be disappointed if you used some of this in the islands.

A few pictures are in this gallery: http://www.annajet.co.uk/shoot%202/index.html?detectflash=false

Escape to Samui.

Had to get away. Visas all done. So get away - from everything!
Two nights so far, staying at P&P Resort on Cheweng beach. Have stayed here a few times, nothing special but it's mid range (1150/night) for a beach place but still 3 minutes from Soi Green Mango.

It's about 2 years since I've been here. Lots has changed. The really busy bit of Chaweng has been made one-way - heading SE. You come back on a new road by the lake - a nightmare at night - no lights.

As in Pattaya, lots of places have changed or simply disappeared! Upmarket restaurants have replaced the mid-range pubby places. My favorite - Ninja, is still here but it's cleaner, new menu and staff. No sign of the Japanese guy who used to run it (presuambly the Ninja) or his wife. But they might still run the place, they now have another in Lamai and a "Garden Resort" to boot.

The new "terminal" is in operation - still unique and a tribute to Bangkok Airways who had the balls to build the airport in the first place. I'm split between admiration and resentment for them. They did, afterall, open Samui up - but are now harvesting the rewards. Same as their flight to Siam Reap - they are the only ones to fly and can therefore charge about a 30 percent premium. Their travel service is even slicker than AOT - you simply don't think to choose another taxi service - but their taxi to Cheweng was 500 baht - it should be 2-300!

I love Chaweng - fantastic beach (except Dec - Feb), good style in Soi Green Mango (even 3, very shy, Go-Go's) but the rest of the island is getting really bad. It's just being turned into luxury resorts and housing. You can buy your own piece of beach frontage - but since everyone else is doing it - it's the only beach you can go on! All the little coves, headlands and views are now fenced off. Yesterday I got up at 05.30 (yes, really) to look around on a motorbike and had to fit a really long lens to take pictures - I couldn't get within 500 meters of the sea!

The corruption is also obvious. Thai law prevents building on slopes in excess of 45 degrees. Here, it resembles the stuff that was built in Spain (before they fell down), houses hanging off cliffs and mountain slopes. I took the bike up a peak near Lamai - the road was so steep that eventually I was so scared that I got off and walked! But everywhere new villas were being built - terraces hanging out over the mountain-side. How long these places last will be very interesting (to me) and tragic for the investors. If they don't collapse, the Thais will take them back - they have probably got illegal Land Documents.

The "Influential people" will simply wait for the money to be laundered (buy a football team?) , check which haven't collapsed and then arrange for them to be taken over again. The prices are so high that probably the buyers are Bank Robbers or Casino owners - so no harm done. Just hope someone hasn't sunk his pension into them!

Q Bar (ex Bangkok) has also opened since I was here last. A couple of Klicks out of Chaweng and near the peak of a hill. Magnificent position. I arrived as they opened at 6pm - really just wanting to take pictures from their terrace. I left at 7 - the only customer. I was surprised, I thought the smart set would be there for 'Sundowners'. Maybe there is somewhere better? Or they were all checking their Land Documents?

Enough already. Time to get on the beach - can't stay long - lots of friends are due in the next few days.