by Gary Davies

Created on: August 31, 2010

The anticipation can almost sometimes be as good as the party. I love this time of the night! Preferably I spend this part of the evening alone; just me, the right tunes bouncing out the speakers and a few beers. It can be a time of reflection too, a time to assess the last few days of my life, but I don't dwell for long. I focus on the night ahead, play out different scenarios in my mind. Why I bother I'm not sure as I seldom predict right. Anyhow, the best nights are usually found with the least planning, too much thought complicates things.

When I feel the warm buzz of the alcohol I tend to change the music to something more upbeat, more uplifting. This in turn makes me feel re-energized, up for whatever the night throws at me. One more beer and I'm ready to leave my hotel room, out into the warm streets of Bangkok.

I meet English Johnny at a small Thai restaurant which sits along side the river and opposite a Lebanese cafe. He's tucking into a bowl of soup and noodles and by the look of the empty bottles he's on his third beer. I don't know Johnny very well, I met him a few nights ago at a small back-street bar. We clicked though, he was a likable person who dressed smart and spoke with a soft posh accent. He had a certain charm that seemed to draw people to him, as the night went on he collected more and more people. Tonight would be no different; I could tell Johnny was feeling particularly sociable and lively by the way he was talking and the over exaggerated hand gestures he made. He finished up and we made our way a few meters down the river to a modern looking two storey bar.

The clientele was mainly young and Thai with a few exceptions. I noticed a small group of Europeans in the corner, Scandinavians I assumed from their accents. We ordered a couple of beers at the bar and decided a game of pool was in order. Within twenty minutes or so we were playing against the Scandinavians, who, as I thought was the case, all turned out to be Swedish. We started to gamble to make things a little more interesting. Not for money though, which was my first suggestion, but for drinks. Half an hour later and everyone's having fun. One of the bartenders sees this and raises the level of the music up a few notches; now reggae music echoes around the room which seems to further please us, and everyone else for that matter.

On to the next destination. Johnny knows of a club with a roof terrace and which is open until the sun comes up. Everyone seems keen so we head

• 1
• 2
• Next Page >>