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Published: November 7th 2006
Well, I made it to Thailand, and so far it has not been kind to me. I know, I know, it's not Thailands fault I have pussy ears. But I am still blaming it.
I did catch up with my tour group, very easily, in fact. Flew in to Bangkok and moseyed my way to the airporter bus like I had done it a thousand times before. I was pretty worried about this part, as I had heard so many stories. But no problems at all. I would like to take this moment to telly you a little bit about BKK airport. I didn't get any look last time, when it was a mad dash from one end of the airport to the other and then back again, but it is a gorgeous airport. Brand new, it only opened just over a month ago. Beautiful artwork and displays all throughout, and so modern, it looks like a building from a sci-fi movie.
So an hour drive through the city of Bangkok, which I was not at all impressied with. I am biased though. Everyone who knows me knows how much I hate cities. Found my hotel with no problems
Kampung AIr
Just off the coast of KKat all (again, almost like I had done it a thousand times before), and as luck would have it my tour group was just convening in the lobby for their forward travels. Also as luck would have it, I didn't even miss anything that first day, as they had to change their plans due to one thing or another. So, I am with my tour group, and haven't missed a darn thing! (I guess in this aspect THailand was good to me).
It's on the bus to the city of Kanchanaburi. My ears are still sore, but not leaking anymore, so I think it's a good sign. But I am feeling incredibly nauseous the whole trip. Arrive in the city (another city!) and take a somlar ride to our hotel. A somlar is a little seat big enough for one person, being pulled by a person on a bike. *MY* somlar had two ppl, and four huge bags on it. The poor bastard pulling us! Let's just say we were very cozy, and very heavy.
To the guesthouse to check in and then off on a tour of the city in our somlars. We went to the war
Kampung AIr
Just off the coast of KK cemetary, and then to the Bridge on the River Kwai. It was actually all quite interesting. Walking through the cemetary was a little sad though, as there were hundreds of graves, and all of them just kids, mostly under 25. They say that 100,000 civillians and 60,000 Japanese POW's died while building the railroad from Siam to Burma.
Got to the bridge just at sunset, and was it ever pretty. And freaking busy. So many tourists there, all elbowing their way to and fro. But I did manage to get some nice pictures.
Back to the hotel for dinner with the group. There are 12 of us, 10 women and 2 men from Englad, Austrailia, USA, Scotland, Switzerland, and then me, the lone Canadian. Odd, I have't met one other Canadian so far on this trip! Had an amazing dinner (I freakin' LOVE Thai food!) then off to a cool little rasta bar for drinks. Had a really good night, actually, getting to know everyone.
I went back to the hotel early, as my ears were sort of bothering me. Took a couple of tylenol, then crashed, sound asleep until 2am when I was awoken by someone
Boat driver
To add more fuel he would switch one big bucket of gas to the other, all with a lit cigarette in his mouth. sticking a hot poker in my ear and up my head. No, wait. That's just my pussy ears. Remember when I said I thought it was a good sign they had stopped draining?? Man, did I think wrong! My ear had plugged up, so now all the pus is pooling in my neck and face and ear canal, and it hurt's like a son-of-a-bitch. And because it needs to drain somewhere, it's draining right down my throat, which makes me vomit. All night vomitting up the pus I am drinking. Is everyone thoroughly disgusted? Deal with it. I had to live through the shit. And it was disgusting.
So this morning I talked to the tour guide about seeing a doctor or going to the hospital. I guess in Thailand there is no such thing as a GP, because we had to wait for the ENT specialist to open his office at 5pm before I could see him. Well shit.
So I down a couple of T3's and toodle off with the group to the JEATH war museam. JEATH stands for Japan, England, Australia, Thailand, and Holland. These were the countries most affected by the war and the
bilding of the railroad. One side of the museum had pictures of propaganda put out by the Japanese, stating how good their prisoners were treated. The other side had pictures of the atrocities that really did happen. Very disturbing.
From there we took a songtheaw (basically a pick up truck with two rows of seats in the back) to the Erawan Falls National Park. It was really quite pretty, with seven waterfalls in one area. It was possible to climb up to all seven, however with my ears acting up the way they were I only made it to the fourth fall. I also didn't get to do any swimming either, which really sucked. I love the water, and it looked so beautiful!
Back in the songtheaw for our next destination. I would like to point out that the traffick here is out of control, and I am surprised I am still alive. I couldn't help keep thinking that if we were in an accident in the songthew we would be just a big pile of limbs and torsos, and none of them would be moving.
The next destination was the Tiger Temple, a home for abandoned
Seat built for two?
Honestly, the seat was really only big for just one of us. Not two and all our luggage! or ill tigers, where they are rehabilitated then put back to the wild. Some were born there in captivity, and these we were allowed to 'pet' while getting our photo taken. I was scared shitless the whole time. I mean, these tigers are huge! And they have huge teeth! And Sigread and Roy kept passing through my head over and over. All in all a pretty cool thing though. I petted a tiger!
By this time the whole left side of my face is swollen and hard and painful like you wouldn't believe. Time to get me to the doctor. This doctor experience was not nearly as pleasent and nice as the last one. First of all, the doctor couldn't understand why if I was already on antibiotics it wasn't getting better. His english isn't the best, keep in mind. Finally he looked in my ear, and withdrew awfully quick with a "whoa" sound. I felt like telling him 'I told you so'. Soooo....Thai doctor decides to suction out the puss. He reaches for the oldest dirtiest tupperware container I have ever seen, and chooses a metal tube from the plethora of dirty metal tubes in there. Attaches the
metal tube to a dirty, used plastic one, and turns on a machine straight from the 70's. At this point he jabs the \whole contraption in my ear and in a very liposuction manner starts sucking out my puss. Tears are streaming down my face, but he either doesn't notice or doesn't care. A change in antibiotics and an anty inflammatory later, and I am out on the street trying to stop myself from bawling like a baby.
Sam the tour guide was very good through this all, btw. Getting me to and from the clinic, translating, helping as best as he could. But at that time all I wanted was to go to my room by myself and cry. Actually, all I really wanted was to be in Canada with a clean hospital and my mommy.
At the moment it is feeling quite fine, so the pus sucking must have been some improvement.
Thoughts on Thailand so far? I see more white ppl than I do Thai ppl. Thailand is really not very English friendly. I am surprised by that. Generally I am somewhat unimpressed by the country so far. Keeping in mind that I have
been sick and tired and stressed the whole time I have been here. Perhaps it will get better.
Travelling with the group? It's nice to always have someone to talk with when you want to. Though, I do find it hard to make it about the thai ppl, when I am always with someone I know. Also, I miss the excitement/worry of buying my own tickets, or finding a hotel room. It's too easy when someone is doing it all for you. The group is great though, and I think I will make a good friend or two from it.
Everyone's comments are great. They really cheered me up tonight when I needed it the most. That and an expensive call home to mommy. Cynthia! It was great to hear from you! And Jeannie, I think of Keira so much here, whenever I see a freaking cute little outfit that would look sooooo good on her. I have no idea what size to get though!
Love you all so much,
Cathy
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Cynthia
non-member comment
Hang In There
Cathy, I'm thoughly enjoying reading your blurbs throughout your trip. I can't believe what you are going through with your ear! And the Thai doctor report?? With the nasty instruments?? I don't know how you are still sane...or wait...maybe you weren't to begin with... Keep your fingers crossed that your ear is on the mend, and then you'll be able to enjoy things more. You are a trooper though, I must say!!! Cynthia