10. Hua Hin: Storm and heavy rain

Starting at about 8 p.m. last night, strong winds and heavy rain moved into the area, maybe a spillover from the taiphoon over the Philippines, which is supposedly the strongest in history to have ever made landfall. Of course, my plans to head out of here where made obsolete.

The wind was so strong that I woke up from the incredible noise, the howling was amazing, the windows were rattling like in a horror movie; on the other hand, it brought in from the sea this distinct smell of salty ocean air which I like so much. I am only one block from the sea and I would guess that the waves this morning were at least between 6 and 10 meters high.

When I looked down from my balcony it looked like I was over night transported to Venice, Italy, to a place directly on a canal.

View from hotel lobby this morning.

Only people who really needed to go out where seen this morning. Walking in such conditions is dangerous.

Workers try to remove debris from the pump station near my hotel. Without success.

Incredibly tall waves. I am glad that I didn't stay near the beach.

What was once a little Soi behind the hotel is now a "Venice-style canal".

You need to know your terrain pretty well if you go by scooter down the flooded roads. It is dangerous even without the standing water, there are holes, raised manhole covers, or other traps you may need to avoid.

Since there was a power outage and I neither didn't want to wade through feces infested waters nor walk down six floors, I watched the neighborhood scenes.
This little umbrella was aimlessly moving up and down the neighbor's terrace; the awning is destroyed.

 At around 2 p.m. the power came back, the water level on the streets fell, and I went out to see what was going on elsewhere. I really didn't feel like wading in the murky flood waters, since I have a little cut on my ankle (I hit my ankle on the motorcycle panniers a few days ago when riding without boots), almost healed, but I didn't feel I need an infection.

At the beach, the entire line-up of little beach shacks where people sell knickknacks, such as towels, rubber mattresses, sun cream and so on, and all the beach bars have disappeared. The Thai Army is deployed to help with the cleanup. 

And what was once a 50 meter wide. white sandy beach is now the ocean.

Rescuing what is salvageable.

No chilled beer today, neither tomorrow: Destroyed beach watering hole.

Helping to clean up: Thai Royal Army.

The beach has disappeared.

But the kids in the neighborhood are happily back to their usual play, here with a kitty, and another one in a box.