24 hours of traveling fun

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So because I didn't make the mistake of drinking the night before I actually managed to wake up when my alarm went off at like 6:45 in the morning, finish packing myself and then drag everything down to the beach to wait for the 8am ferry. I sat and waited with Olaf, a random couple who HAD made the mistake of drinking all night, and a big Swiss character that did his best to convince me to stay for the rest of my trip in the Islands.

Olaf and I were lazy and took a "taxi boat" the 200 meters to the ferry's pier and then we set out for the mainland. Got in about 8:30AM and I went off with Achmed ( a NYer who has been "in business" in Thailand/Malasia for the past seven years buying and reselling souveniers wholesale). We shared a taxi to Khoto Bahru with a taxi driver who must have been practicing for his spot on the Amazing Race. I could have walked faster. I even considered getting out and walking occasionally, just to stretch my legs and all. We finally made it to Achmed's friend's parents' house where he dropped off his bags (for the month) - we had to stop three times to ask for directions, even after his friend TWICE told the driver exact directions, in Malaysian no less.

We finally made it to the border, and through immigration, easy on the Malay side, grumpy on the Thai side. And in my head I'm like I'm AMERICAN, LET ME IN!!! Charming right? Anyways we negotiated with the motorcycle taxis to take me to the minibus and Achmed to the train station, and I rode my first motorscooter!! Which we were SPECIFICALLY forbidden from doing in Laos because of the inherent dangers. It was awesome. Except that the man kept insisting that I really wanted to go to the train station and I insisted that I knew what I was talking about. Either way I finally got dropped off at a minibus stop and was told it would leave to Hat Yai in "40 minutes" so I found an ATM and wandered through a produce market, and at some point Achmed showed up at the stop because the train didn't have air-com and about an hour later I was told we would leave in "fifteen" minutes. So I took half a sleeping pill, and spent the next half hour fighting to keep awake long enough to make it onto the minibus.

We made it to Hat Yai just in time for me to miss the last government bus to Surat Thani, so I bought another minibus ticket and spent the next hour at an Internet cafe. When it was finally 5pm someone beckoned me to follow them and then literally led me down an alley to where the minibus was parked. At least we were on our way right? Wrong, we got five minutes outside of Hat Yai and stopped for half an hour to wait for a few random Thai workers that we would then drop off at home on the way to Surat Thani. We passed by a few police checkpoints and finally stopped for dinner at a roadside stand where I had the SPICIEST thai food I've had so far this trip (which obviously I LOVED) - yellow vegetable curry YUM. We kept on going and at some point we pass by a scene where there is a motorbike laid out on the roadway, police cordon and they stop and search our minibus as though someone might be hiding in it. Very strange. Eventually we end up in the Surat Thani area and I realize that I have NO idea where I'm being dropped off but it's 9:45pm and the night boat leaves the pier at 11pm. So I spend the next half hour attempting to communicate this to the thai man sitting between me and the driver. He keeps insisting that I want to go to Ko Tao, wait no, I want a hotel for the night! Wait, I want to go to Ko Samui? Tonight? Can't do it! Yes I CAN!! Finally I get dropped off in the middle of a freaking dark alley by the driver with only the man I've been speaking to all night with me, and he finally realizes that I want to go to the "sleeping boat to Ko Samui". And his friend can take me! How much will it cost? Free!

Great, I'm going to be raped and then murdered by this man and his friend, but I don't really have much of a choice, so I duck into an Internet cafe and send my friend a message that I should see him in the morning (so if I don't get there he'll know I'm dead right?) and then head out to this man's car, clenching my pen in my fist, because if anyone tries to fuck with me, I'm stabbing them in the jugular.

And of course the man's friend drives me right to the night pier where I buy my ticket on the night boat, sit and listen to some Matisyahu for a while and then head off to Ko Samui.

You can hear all about the delightful night boat in my next post!

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Comments

[Traci Haback]

I don't know what to write here
But your posts are really giving me faith in the goodness of man. You really have met some great sounding people along the way! Good job not getting raped (and being prepared in the off chance) adn getting to your destination! I always felt like Scarlett O'Hara when she said "I always depend on the kindness of strangers" or whatever, but in your cases and my experience; it tends to be true.