When it Rains, it Pours

My prediction in my previous blog that it "might rain" was proved correct. It was, however, a slight underestimation of the deluge of water that fell on Pattaya that day and then again on Sunday. In the tropics there's none of that pathetic drizzle that can last all day, or even days at a time, in England. If it's going to rain, it properly rains, there's no mucking about here. And rain it did on Friday and Sunday. It began with just a few fat droplets falling from the sky, but quickly escalated into a full-blown rainstorm. The rain thundered down from the clouds and the noise was deafening. This lasted for perhaps an hour, then downsized to moderately heavy rain for a further hour before it stopped completely.

Saturday saw blue skies and sun, as did Sunday morning. It lasted just long enough for us to get a couple of hours of tennis in before we hit the showers, planning on walking to a little restaurant by the sea. When we went into the changing rooms the weather was fine - a little breezy but no hint of rain - but when we emerged twenty minutes later it had started to rain. That lasted for about fifteen minutes before clearing to allow us to sit at a table right by the sea to eat lunch (clams with chili paste and fried rice with squid - delicious). We then went for an aromatherapy oil body massage (absolute bliss) and we came out to rain-soaked pavements. It wasn't until later however that it really hammered it down. The occupants of the house across from us didn't have enough time to take their washing in from where it was hanging on their patio. It came from nowhere - it just started throwing it down and within a minute everything was soaked. The great thing about rain in Thailand though is that it isn't cold. Even the whiff of potential rain in England lowers the temperature by about five degrees C. Here it just pleasantly clears the air. And I just love that smell of rain on hot tarmac!