December 27, 2009
We stayed last night in a hotel near the airport. It cost us 1400baht for the three of us to get a room with 2 king sized beds, shower, Western style toilet, rides to and from the airport, and a 2 egg breakfast. We think it was a bit of a scam/tout, but then, we didn't have to worry a lot about finding a place to stay, it wasn't that expensive (less than $20USD each), and the hotel staff were very helpful. So, while we probably could have found cheaper accomodation, we don't regret our decision.
Sleeping, well, that's another story. For about 5-6 hours, we lay in our beds with the AC on lightly (it was 27 celsius outside last night, warmer this morning, humid, and very hazy/smoggy over Bangkok), with all of the lights out, trying to at least pretend we were not awake. We all agreed that we got maybe an hour of sleep, not surprising, really, when you consider we had just launched 14 hours into the future (yes, this is a message from your future!), and so it was really just after work that we lay down our heads. Anton, surprising myself especially, was silent through the entire night. Me, I lay there, doing breathing exercises, trying to avoid thinking at all, because I know that's not going to help me sleep. Even still, I sent some fond thoughts back home, hoping that everyone had a good Christmas and Boxing Day.
Vanessa has been a real trooper though. She's put up with sitting beside Anton all the way, despite, as she put it, winning the award for earliest need to visit a clinic on the trip - as I type, she's at the medical clinic here in the airport, getting some antibiotics to fight off a developing infection.
During the drive to the airport this morning, I could barely see the city of Bangkok for all of the haze. Peering through the haze, it didn't even look to have much of a skyline, although what little there was would be occassionally pierced by the spire of a Wat, rising like a needle into the sky. we also got to see the Thai version of the family car. While we were stopped at a stop light, a scooter pulled up beside, around, and then in front of us. On it, wearing helmets, was a mother and a father. Sandwiched between them, not wearing a helmet, was a young boy, who appeared to be about 3 years old.
This is a very different world, where population density causes close contact to become normal, and personal space does not exist. Given the density, it's probably a health adaptation. But, it does take some getting used to.
That afternoon, we were on a plane, on our way to Krabi town to meet up with Tammera. Going through the airport went very smoothly - the check in line went quickly, and they didn't even mention that my bag was overweight, and the security check was a dramatic change from the passport control lines the nigh before, when I stood in line for far, far too long.
Taking off from Bangkok, I tried to look at the city, but again was thwarted in this by the thick smog, hanging like a miasma above the city. It was definitely relief I felt that we were heading away from it, down to Krabi on the Andaman coast.
As we flew, I began to make out the East Coast of the Malay penninsula, with the remainder of it being enveloped by popcorn-like clouds. I was surprised by how flat the land appeared, noting with soem excitement a small mountain range, rising by the coast, promising adventure. It's amazing how mountains, for so long not a part of my life, should now become symbols of life, adventure, and home. This thought gets me thinking about Remembrance day 2008, when I took Anton and Kyle on a hike up Mount Kostuik in Tumbler Ridge. I still recall battling the cold and blowing snow with them, though they were, neither of them, prepared for either, grinning from ear to ear and realising that, at that moment, mountain the ridge for the summit of the mountain, as the wind howled and tore at my clothes, that this was a moment that I felt most live, and most connected.
Eventually, we flew over the penninsula itself, heading into the Krabi area. As we passed over the land, I looked down and saw that all of the trees and large vegetation I could see had been planted by humans. I knew this because in every block of vegetation, every plant was in a row and grid. This caused me to recall a comment made by Jimmy Paige in It Might Get Loud, how, when you're going through a managed forest, it appears to be chaos and random, until you get a flash where the trees line up, and you realise that they're all in straight rows.
Well, we landed in Krabi, met up with Tammera, took a bus to Ao Nang and then a long tail to Tonsai, where we would be staying. Tammera had secured bungalows for myself (in a smaller bungalow) and Anton and Vanessa (in a nicer one with a huge balcony, known simply as The Balcony). At 250 baht per night, I'm not about to complain about my simple bungalow - it's got a private water closet (okay, shared with a very large mouse, but he mostly keeps out of sight), a double bed, fan, and mosquito net.
For dinner, we went to the local Indian place, just down the hill from our bungalows. Then, when others went to bed, Kevin, Tammera, and I went down to the Small World bar (picking up some climbing partners on the way in the form of a few people Tammera had met earlier in her travels), had some Chang Beer, and attempted the slackline they had set up. We did horribly, but thankfully walked away with no injuries to anything but our pride. While sitting at the table, Kevin jumped up and back, and we all saw what had caused this reaction - a 3-inch-long praying mantis had begun swinging its mandibles at him, swaying as it did it. We all stepped back as it began running around the table. Eventually, one of the bar staff mentioned to us that they're friendly and don't bite, demonstrating this by putting his hand near it, letting it run on, then placing it back on the table with his other hand. Well, I decided to test this, putting out my hand, which it immediately climbed onto, whereup it did not stop, but rather climbed all the way to the top of my head, where it sat dancing for a while, until it was removed thanks to Tammera, while Kevin was nice enough to grab my camera and take a picture of it up there.
After that, it was time to head to bed and see about shaking this whole jetlag thing by actually sleeping!
How I have missed sleep these last couple of days. But, that night, I was finally able to sleep, getting about 6 hours of good, interrupted by quality, sleep in.
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