misfortune in Thailand

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time in Thailand (1)
16 Dec 2003

clash into Yamamoto san place after I arrived in Bangkok. he took real care of me. took me to the India embassy the next day and travel agent, here and there, which bus to China town, which bus to KaoShan road...great! thing dosen't went smoothly I guess...! first the visa fee went up to B2100 from B1700, when the embassy man told me the price...I said what...!?!? and he point to the wall next to me where an A4 paper stick there said...B400 more for non Thai resident...!!!...in a small size printing! ok...you got me and I hand in my bhat and been told to come back after 4 days with a little piece of paper which said 19th Dec at 09:30am! and about the plane ticket...which gone up from 8600 to 9600 and departure at 05:00am...shit...I don't like it. and wonder why I need to push myself into this kind of situation??? I should have get the visa in HK, which only cost B1500 and only took 2 days. I could have travel long before this bloody holiday season or after it to get a better price. but see here...I pay more for everything now. to hell with it!!! I will spend 2 weeks in the island somewhere and fly to India after this bloody new year. I guess I deserve it after 4 years in the mountain. a two lovely weeks by the beach wouldn't hurt..would it??? beside...a friend of mine happen to be in an island somewhere down south. got company for the holiday...ha..haa.... beside....long time hadn't been around bikini women...haaa.......!

time in Thailand (2)
20 Dec 2003

guess it was the India syndrome. scare...am I???? otherwise I wouldn't be spending almost B800 for doctor to see my sore throat! normally in HK I will just eat some pill and be gone with it. but now...I am going to India!!! big thing!!! guess the medication will be worse in that part of the world. so I willing to part with B800...perhaps...!!! it started on the day I left HK, (see I still thought it was nothing while my body still inside HK), but this sore throat still annoy me after few days, so I walk into a hosiptal not far from Yamamoto San's house. or should I say it more like a hotel. a nice reception area, a book shop behind it, a cake shop by the front window, a kind of gift shop on the right side of the hall. woahhh...and a big smile from a young lady behind the counter welcome me with SAWADEKA!!!(of course...they speak english) I couldn't refused and fill in the appilcation form, in no time another girl ascort me by elevator to the 2nd floor where another nice decor sitting area with different clinic to attend different patients. handed me to another group of young nurses, took my weight and height, took my temperature then lead me into the doctor room. the doctor inspected my throat while pointing the torch into my mouth. he finally said...you had sore throat(of course I know!!!), don't worry. some medicine and you will be fine. 5 mins later and I was out in the street plus 3 pack of medicine and minus B800. but up until today I still had the sore throat. it was a pity that I couldn't eat my favour Thai food in thailand, cause it might delay its recovery. and not to mention if I heading to India now while there only curry(mean spicy), so...I decided to stay a little bit longer in Thailand to see if this sore throat will go away. so...leaving for Ko Lanta tonight, and fly out to Chennia on the 9th Jan next year, everything set, and I will enjoy the sun and the sea down south for a while!

down south
22 Dec 2003

Yamamoto san decided to join me at the last minute, perhaps he agree with me that the price for the transportation to Ko Lanta is just too cheap, only B380. and we should find out later why...they charge you almost double for you return trip, as you have to come out from the island one way or another! so...2 old man set out from KaoSan road 2 days ago. bus was good as promise...VIP bus. somehow I guess it was designed for westerner, since the space between the seat is too far, I can't even put my feet on the foot stand. we arrived Krabi the next morning and got couple of hours to kill before the boat leave at 11am. hot it was today, and we sail off 30 mins late then the departure time. also some people would left the boat for another island on the way. and it was funny to see it like the privat boat stop us in the middle of the sea, kipnap some people and sail off in disfferent direction with thier boat. we arrive lanta after 2 hours. and there was 2 other boat call in at the same time, also there are many people waiting to leave the island, so....the pier is so crowded. the outward way are so red in color I could vision many human barbaque port was shipping out the island while many fresh meat on its way in...haaa..haa...since Renata(my friend)stay in the the island, so...she booked us 2 bungalow in her place(B300), a lay back place with about 20 bamboo hut. but Yamamoto hut is a bit near the main passage and some building work was going on next resort as well, but still...we took it as it look alright to us. but the next morning Yamamoto complaint they was start building work by 8am already, so...he went to check out other resort and came back with a B200 bungalow. of course..I am just too happy to follow him to another resort, actually just next door! not much to do here as the first day we both was tired by the overnight journey. so...we slept it through!!! and day one and 2...haaa....beach...of course. as Yamamoto sam told me this afternoon that he saw a girl bathing somewhere on the beach ...topless!!! I said to him...is that alright!!!

bad krama
25 Dec 2003

you probably won't believe it!!! that was my X'mas!!! Lanta island is kind of long shape with beaches on both sides, but most of them are on the western side which is the side we are on(see...we know how to choose side!!!)so...from the top of the island(where the pier locate)all the way down are all beaches, we are stay at the long beach which is about 7km from the pier. nice beach actually and we did walk up and down the beach many times. so...yesterday we decided to rent a motobike to see some other part of the island. it was my 1st time after 5 years on a bike. and still a bit scare indeed. the road look promising for a while but after 10km it became a dirt track, some with pool of water, the road go up and down and sometimes it might get really steep too. so...I told Yamamoto that I don't feel much confident to go more further and wanted to turn around. but he said he would like to get to the national park at the end of this road. so...we part and I made my way back gingerly. off balance 1 or 2 times already. but this one on the slope down got me. the bike felt with one of my leg under the gas pipe. I could feel the sharp pain on my calf while a sign flash off my head said...your holiday is over...it was too heavy for me to move and lucky there was other motorbike just passing by and I shout for help. I didn't took much notice for that 15 second burnt since I can walk and move with nother broken. they help me to a nearby resort where a in-house doctor treat my wound. with his limited english he try to explained to me what my wound was like. quote with his word...your meat was well done(not medium), can serve to the table now!...he told me I need to go to hosipital for new dressing everyday. as it might need a long time to heal the wound. and then I began to sense the problem that was hidden behind. was it my krama...a bad one??? there wasn't a single day in Thailand that I need not take the medicine!!! start from the soar throat and then this burn. was it the India thing again??? was it a sign to tell me not to go there, or was it just something to test me before I set out for my destination? don't know...I only know I was laying in bed while the other was drinking and having fun on the x'mas eve not far from my hut! I was so despair that I don't even feel like write any greeting to anyone. people are celebrating X'mas. but...what it for?? are we celebrate or just spending it, only in the name of it, not for what it was mean I guess. at least...no develope country or industrial world really celebrate it for what its mean, it is all about business. those people in the bar are the same one there yesterday, and doing the same thing, drinking the same beer. but this night suddenly mean X'mas and need to be celebrate...ha...ha....

going home
27 Dec 2003

can you believe that!!! I am prepearing my trip back home to HK!!! as I find out later the wound is a 3rd degree burn. kind of serious(even it was just a small area), and it might need 1 or 2 or even 3 months for recovery. and I couldn't risk to bring it to India, see...was it really a Krama?? I not even start my journey and i'd already booked my flight home on the 29th. I came back on the night bus to Bangkok this morning. walk on to the main ghetto of KaoSan while the sun was rising, but my heart was sinking as I might need to go home. did a lot of thinking...my visa for Thailand will expired on the 12th next month, I need to leave anyway or do a visa run. and to stay mean more spending on room and foods, and of course medical payment! so...I better go home and I can claim it on the insurance, all I lost will be this extra plane ticket to HK. so...all set and I will go home...why not then!!! I hadn't been spending the Chinese new year in HK for the last 10 year, my mom would be the most happy one to hear about it! it had been a long time since I'd stay in KaoSan road area. now it seem more up market but...still you can find a bargain room. but...don't expect a big room that light up and with window. I decided to treat myself a big dinner and I choose sea food. there are a lot of shop that prepare grille sea food on the street. so...ordered myself 5 big king prawn for B100, so far the biggest single order I had in Thailand. it was good and I clean it up in less than 10 mins.!!! the main KaoSan road are crowd with people...all sort of people, now a day more young or even old Thai people came here to spend the evening do people watching. of course...here you will see nice dress...strange dress people, a set of shinny green shirt and pant on a man and total pink on a woman. young man with sub-zero weather hat on under this kind of hot weather because it was *cool*! a couple with a hippie style, the woman was pregnant, and the man holding a small girl walk along the street doing people watch. but their little girl kept staring at the man who holding a bunch of balloon for sell. that the lost innocent we all miss I guess. end my day with a falafel(Israel) by the side of the street. the last time I had it was in 1987 in Israel. every bite brought me back to a places I had been in Israel. some tourists ate in the shop as well. but gave me the feeling that they want to show people that they had been there before, not because they want to eat the food. no football tonight and I think I might just go back for the night.

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