Our first New Years Eve after we’d acquired the Spirit Of Patong was a funny one for us all!
We’d ushered in the NewYear1981 as usual at Thai Garden.
Crazy Dave had put on a good feast, as usual, we’d been there partying since sun down and by Midnight were lathered into a frenzy.
David had bbq’d a big pig, put on a great Thai dancing show[courtesy of Lil Dao]and had his usual crowd and a few new ones to cheer in all the best to be.
Capt Somanant, his wife and son sat at our table, a bewildered look on their faces as Dutch Jeff babbled on hour after hour, but it was all in fun.
Texas Larry had arrived in that morning and was already well marinated, but the big Texan couldn’t or wouldn’t be stopped, his big leather boots full of sand, as he came back from a quick dip in the blue Andaman.
Canadian Art and “3” were back on speaking terms, it was a love/hate relationship, always starting out full of sugar, until the giant Canuk overloaded on hootch.
We took a small collection and donated it to the Patong school, one of Daves waitresses was a teacher there during the day.
At midnight, Dave set off about 5000 baht worth of firecrackers, shooting bottle rockets at friend and foe alike, we managed to set fire to one of the motorcycles, but it was quickly put out.
We managed to jam Guitar Noi, Patong Patty, “3” and me on the Spirit Of Patong and head down the beach strand[still a dirt road in those days]to Soi Bangla[Bar Road]where as we turned the corner at Lada Bar, Patong Maggie waved us down as her friend in a watering hole across the street took my favorite picture.
A lorrie was coming the other way, he didn’t appreciate it that thousands were all over the road, fireworks going off for hours, the streets FULL/PACKED curb to curb from Ladas to Brians, the funny insanity had taken over and Sanook Mak Mak was the order of the New Year!
We stopped by the Hard Rock Cafe, Guitar Noi and Sai played a few rock songs, we tried to sang, but mostly yelled and hollered and applauded our rock star heros. Then next door to Purple Haze for a repeat performance with the same cast, off to Guitar Nois house where we sat around the rest of the night partying and eating his dear wife Leks GREAT freshly wok’d cashews from their tree! Life was indeed good, good friends and the best of times. We saw the sun rising over the big mountain to the east of us and drove back to Thai Garden and had the best Thai omelette and Tequila Marys to wake us up. Sawadee PeeMai Y’all…
btw, this will be my last ThaiBlog with a picture until Nov. but, it’s certainly my fav, with all our dear friends, life in Old Patong was bliss that day!
