A relaxing day at the beach...

Hua Hin, Day 21

Today we decided that after breakfast, we'd go for a walk along the beach and then we'd have a chilled day just enjoying the beach. I had visions of us reading our books, dipping in the water and then drying off again in the sun, and we did do this to an extent...

10 Dec 2024

Beach Bods, Bums and more

Now R and I are not your typical beachy type people - we positively avoid the beach as we usually find it too hot, too busy with the 'beach lover' crowds and after a little while, a wee bit boring. Hua Hin certainly seems a little bit different from your usual beach holiday type. For starters, there is every shape and size on the beach, although the average age is probably more about 70!

Most folks are getting some exercise in by walking along the beach, although some are doing more active stuff like windsurfing or running. A lot of the people are very wrinkly and have skin that looks like a dark tan leather - I guess these are the sun worshipper retirees who spend most of their time sun bathing and trying to get that 'all over body tan', but I think I have seen enough skin to last me a lifetime. I'm not sure if some old people get to the point of not giving a care as to how how much flesh they put on display but when you see an old guy in speedos that is spreadeagled and oiled like a rotisserie chicken and he is still trying to reduce the amount of cloth covering his modesty, it gives you the boak! Similarly, for some of the old and very large women, it's just too much!

Needless to say, R and I are the opposite of these individuals, and we were careful not to offend anyone (including ourselves) by showing too much skin..

We had a nice wee spot on the beach to ourselves, and the water was so warm and inviting that we would dip in and out, then dry off in the sun. Of course, we probably only stayed out for a few hours in total, and we had our Factor 50 on.

Whilst at the beach, I had said to R a few times that he should probably get his cap for his head as he didn't want to end up with sunburn on his head. He declined and said he would be fine, and his head was actually fine.

Dinner

Later in the evening, we headed over to the Market Village Mall for our evening dinner and walk. I had a very tasty fish and rice dish, and R had a fried rice dish for a change. He also bought these little chicken and prawn deep-fried balls and with some sort of shavings and sauce over them. They looked nicer than they were, as they were a bit on the bland front - perhaps they just needed a little salt?

A rookie mistake

It wasn't until later in the evening when we were going to shower before bed that we both noticed we'd got a bit of sunburn on areas that we had not properly used the Factor 50. I had some sun burn to the front and back area of my swimming costume and to one side of a foot, but R had complete lobster feet! Don't worry I don't have a photo but you will need to take my word for it.

I couldn't quite understand why his feet were so red-looking until he explained that the skin on his feet does not usually see the light of day, as he always has socks and shoes on. I, on the other hand, usually walk around the house and garden in my bare feet (weather permitting, of course!). So his poor feet must have been like a vampire in the sun, and the blast of UV light to his unsuspecting tootsies was completely alien to them, resulting in them frying a little.

So perhaps this was another warning that we are not meant to be beach bums, or perhaps it's because I was a little scathing of some of the types of people we have observed. Regardless, we have both learned our lesson and going forward we shall ensure we used the sunscreen on all exposed body parts, especially if having a beach day.

Hua Hin, Thailand