Last Minute Shopping Before Leaving Hatyai

THE VERY NEXT MORNING AFTER OUR BUFFET BREAKFAST AT THE HOTEL, we took the Tut-tut to the market which was just a ten minutes drive away.  We have a few hours to while away in the market, that is where our goodies were bought...  Yes, most of the stuff belongs to my girl, no new clothing though, just a backpack, dry foodstuff and a set of Zebra thermos.  That is the most worth buying item, I can say......

No pictures on the market..... but on the way back in the Tut-Tut cab, we saw this.... 

A group of pretty ladies were singing on the road....

Not sure they are singing or rapping or promoting something... 

But they sure look like they were enjoying themselves... 

Back at the hotel, we packed up our stuff and checked out.... 

It was about noon and our transport would only arrive around 3pm...

With a few hours more to go, we checked out the shopping complex just beneath the hotel....

Security at the entrance.... 

There was some event going on, something like Thailand got Talent contest... 

We went up to the second level where the Idea Market was held.... 

Lots of souvenirs for sale.... kind of tempted but our bags were already full and packed up...

We only got some earrings... 5 pairs for 100 bahts.. 

Heard that Swenson's is worth eating over here.... 

Since we were still full from the buffet breakfast, we just ordered a "light" one to try...

One piece of chocolate moist cake and one scoop... 139 bahts... almost RM15?

Slurpilicious! 

The van arrived at the hotel punctually at the scheduled time... 

Driver was obliging, took us around to see the outskirts of the town

 and stopped at a convenience store.... 

Recommended us to buy these "Giant Vitagens" home.... 

And so we did!

I think it cost around RM4 plus for one bottle.... 

That is the end of our short stay in Hatyai...

The next time we go, we will plan for a longer stay!

Fiery Hot Tomyam And Massage In Hatyai

A VERY LIGHT DINNER AFTER ALL THE TASTING OF THE NEWBIES AT THE NIGHT MARKET... We went to a corner coffeeshop, situated just at the entrance of the night market.  After some pointing and broken spoken Mandarin, we managed to get what we wanted...

A clear meehoon soup with fish balls... 

Fine with me... 

Then my eyes saw something nice on other tables.... TOMYAM!

One must not leave Hatyai without trying that!

Innocent Looking Tomyam with seafood treasures beneath....

The soup was fantastic.... Fiery hot and sour.... 

Tomyam at its fullness...

Took two bowls of that... and felt my stomach on fire....

That taught me a lesson...must never take too spicy during the night!

Washed down the fiery-ness with Sticky Rice and Mango.... 

By the time we finished our dinner, it was almost 9pm...

Time to go for a Massage before the shops are closed...

To end the night, we had one hour and a half of massage

on our weary legs, hands and shoulder.... 

Cost 400 bahts for each of us...

Indeed very effective...

Once we hit the pillows in our hotel room, 

we were in dreamland.... 

No tossing.. or sleepless night on our new beds... 

Night Market Along Lee Garden Plaza Hotel, Hatyai

BY THE TIME WE REACHED THE HOTEL, it was almost dark. This time round, we took a longer rest in the hotel... my girl might not need it but I certainly did!  After recharging around 80% of my body strength, we were ready to explore the streets again.

Our hotel is really a strategic spot for us tourists.  The street vendors were all ready to boost their sales in front, at the side and along the whole stretch of street where we stayed.  Left, right, front... the place was filled with people and tourists like us... I could hear some of them speaking my dialect, we felt kind of at home instead of being tourists....

Besides the street vendors in front of the hotel, there was a night market just five minutes walking distance away from our hotel, Lee Garden Plaza.... Maybe they only opened during the weekends?  I am not sure about that.. .anyway, we were kind of excited to see all the bright lights along the street....

Come... Let's Go!

We started from the beginning of the street... 

A few policemen were on the patrolling around the area.. 

We felt safer...

More like food paradise... so much of this and that... 

Food I have not seen or taken before... 

Two interesting ladies selling something good here... 

Know what these are?

Otak Otak... We bought a packet to try....

Oh my goodness.... so heavily spiced and spicy!

Ingredients filled to the brim... 

Saw a crowd here... went nearer to look..

Selling slabs of cooked pork ribs... 

Must be good otherwise no buyers...

Er... this, I am not sure.... how I wish I could try every stall..... hahahahaa...

Hey, are those pomeloes?  Ipoh mali?

Cute ladies selling these.... 

I think they are sticky rice with red beans and stuffed into the bamboo...

See, how I wish I could try a piece here and there.... 

Bought three packets of these for 100 bahts... 

Tasted like love letters with a bit of black sesame...

Beautiful sweet smiles from the Thais... 

And not only that, they can be very sporting too!!

Yes, I tried their Papapa Tea .... 

And this auntie can speak Cantonese...

We tried a bit of the above... 

Oh dear, a bit of this and that... our tummies were almost full...

So we opted for a very light dinner... 

Well, we are small eaters ma... 

hahahahaa...

The Central Festival And Asean Night Night Bazaar, Hatyai

FROM DIANA SHOPPING COMPLEX, we took another tut-tut cab to Central Festival... we need to negotiate with the driver on the rates, but no worries, the ones we came across were friendly and pleasant.  It cost us another 60 bahts to go to Central Festival Mall which is supposed to be one of the largest mall in Hatyai.  During the time I went, there was no megamalls then...

This is at the entrance.... 

Some grand sale was going on..... 

Must get ready to expect some $$ flying away.... 

Anyway.... Let's go in!!

 

 Safer to attack the food court first.... for some desserts after our heavy lunch....

We explored around first...  

Too "flowery" to choose what to order....  

Really don't know what to choose.... 

 

And indeed very colorful too!

At first I thought they were for decorations...

But no, I saw someone bought a bit of this and that... pickles, anyone??

 

I am more attracted to these... whatever they are.... 

And these look kind of cute too.... 

After buying some of the desserts, we went to look for Pad Thai... 

My girl loves their fried noodles... 

 Eventually settled for these.... and a sweet drink....

Eyes were greedy but the stomach said No More Entry....

Better start walking around....  

 

And taking pictures... it is safer than entering the shops... right?

Someone is still a kid.... 

And part of the mall.... just s small portion I managed to take... 

One for the album before we left....

 By the time we left the mall, the pedlars were just getting ready for their sales right outside....

 More things to look see, look see.... and it is free and easy....

 Food is always available... but ours were still "No entry".... too full to go in as yet...

Walking around can certainly shed off some calories....

Besides that, my pocket was still intact... 

hehehehe...

 From the mall, we asked for directions to walk to the Asean Night Bazaar.... 

Just a ten minutes walk.... and we reached there without any hassle..

 It is a very big Bazaar... for shoppers, this is the place to get cheaper stuff....

As for me and my girl, both of us were very good aka *kwai*

All we did was just Talking, Walking, Resting, Browsing...

And before it turned dark, we went back to the hotel by Tut-Tut....

Phew.... Great to be back in the room to Rest My Weary Legs!

Food Then Shopping At Diana, Hatyai

WASTING NO TIME SINCE IT IS ONLY A ONE NIGHT STAY, we hit the streets as soon as we have checked out the room.  No lingering, no napping inside the cooling air con for even a minute.. just deposited our bags and call of nature, that was it!  Come.... let's go!!

Rushing not for shopping but to fill our tummies!  We were famished, it was already 2pm Malaysian time... Good thing is, at every hotel, the cabs aka tut-tut cars are waiting for passengers such as us.  Just tell them where we wanna go, how much... and that was it.  Normally it cost around 20 bahts per person if there were 4 or 5 passengers.  Anyway, we just mentioned where we wanted to go, goodness knows where it was, we just heard that the food in this place was good.... and off we went inside the tut-tut.  For our case, we were charged 60 bahts...

Inside the tut-tut cab.... it is wind-con... 

so be prepared for a natural blow-dry on the hair...

As we were driven, I captured some of the developments...

It has been more than 10 years or 20 years, not sure since I last came... 

Everything has changed except for the tut-tut cabs... hahahaha...

Saw something familiar... 

CIMB THAI ... 

don't play play... 

After some 5-10 minutes of turning here and there, we reached our destination...

Yes, one must not leave Hatyai without tasting these.... 

Braised Pork Knuckle, Thai style...

Must dip the meat with heir seasoned ginger and chili ...

hmmmm... Best!!

Must try their "Siow Bak" too... 

Want to taste any different or not with Ipoh ones....

Ipoh ones are more juicier in a way... that means more FATs...

Theirs is crispy and less seen fats... 

So that explains why we Malaysians are "rounder?"

And of course, one must try their rice... Thai rice is somehow very fragrant...

I can eat one whole plate of rice... and I like their flowery plate... 

See whether can "borong" back some.... 

For our lunch, it was around 300 bahts.. 

So what's after lunch?

Shopping la, of course!

Spent around one hour plus here in Diana....

And got something very little actually.... 

OK, Let's not waste time... 

One picture is enough...

Got many more places to go... 

Depending on how durable my legs can carry me... 

Next... Central Festival!