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Published: June 21st 2017
Geo: 7.73174, 98.7764
OMG has it been 7 weeks since I posted last! I knew its been a while, but jeez. It's not totally because I'm a slacker, not totally.
I decided that didn't want to post any more entries if the photos weren't ready to go up at the same time. I think the way I was doing it before (doing the entry that day and the photos when I could later on) was a bad user experience and confusing to some (not mentioning names Mom and Dad =). Tee-hee.
Ok so that was part of it and the other was that I got sick right after the last post on April 22 and was laid up for a week on Phi Phi. Nothing major just some kind of throat infection, but it required a trip to the hospital for some antibiotics. Which was a real experience (no photos, sorry). On Phi Phi you take off your shoes at the entry to every building, it gets to be routine pretty quick and you don't even think of it after a few days. A notable exception was climbing the hospital steps to see all the sandals/ flip-flops there on the side, just
like any other building. No shoes in a hospital? Nope. Not even the Drs and Nurses, no shoes. Crutches ok, just no shoes.
At the front desk I filled out my entry form (half a piece of white paper wanting pretty much just my name, address, allergies and why I was there - looked a little like a school permission slip). The attendant put it in a folder with a 90pt font "FOREIGNER" printed across the front and pointed across the room to the triage nurse (I'm giving her the benefit of the doubt that was who she was). My exam consisted of the non-descript young woman looking down my throat with a flashlight and then - with no attempt at a poker face in the least - gasping and saying "ohh, no, so big!". Yeah, I know. My throat looks like a walrus', and it really hurts. I'm really far away from home, I've had a fever and been in bed for two days, there is no one here who knows me, or cares for me, to help make me feel better so I feel like utter crap I need some help; I'm a little nervous going to a
foreign hospital in such a state and now you are letting me know I'm really up sh*ts creek because my throat is so infected it made my nurse gasp and reel back. Thanks. (I maybe over reacting a bit there, but you know how you get when you are just SO crazy-tired and stressed from being sick. Gimmie a little slack.)
She calls over another nurse, who takes a look for herself, says something in Thai to the first nurse who writes something on a piece of paper, puts it into my "FOREIGNER" folder hands it to me and points to the other side of the room. "Antibiotics, yes?", I ask. "Yes" she says and points again. I walk over to the guy, who is the pharmacist, get my drugs and that's it. No taking my temp, or my BP, no swab to go to the lab and ID the little buggers in there, no feeling my neck even, no Doc, just straight over to the pharmacy. (I later learn in Phuket that I could have just gone to any pharmacy and gotten the antibiotics myself, you don't need a Rx in Thailand for really anything.) See Mom, I am
Who need a corn dog...
Grilled fish on a stick!using my medical degree, all that tuition it wasn't a waste. I've self-diagnosed a few other travel nasties myself and been my own Doc whist here in Thailand. If anyone wants any goodies while I'm still here lemme know. Just kidding! I'm not taking requests.
So I'm totally fine in a few days, drinking lots of liquids, yada yada. In retrospect I'm surprised I'd traveled so many months without catching some kind of foreign bug. It seems like an impossible thing not to get sick at least a little from traveling so far from home for so long. Anyway, long story short (too Late I know) after about a week in bed I'd fallen out of the routine of blogging and well, guess I never picked it back up. I'm going to catch up as I can (this trip is not about sitting in an Internet Cafe, and the longer on the road I am the less I feel the need to be plugged in - which I guess is a good side effect of vagabonding.) So, without further adieu.....
I'm a little sad to be leaving this peaceful quiet little island. No cars, no motorbikes, no planes overhead; just a
bunch of glorious beaches, cool little 'long tail boats', perfect weather, fresh seafood, and relaxed people hanging out. I don't think there are many places like this on Earth and I'm really glad I got a chance to be here. This island will go on the short list of places that need to be re-visited in Asia. Yep, I'll be back here again for sure.
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![And the view from "The Beach" looking out.](http://photos.travelblog.net/54729/976258/t/9282202-and-the-view-from-quot-the-beach-quot-looking-out-0.jpg "And the view from "The Beach" looking out.")
joannesp
non-member comment
Glad your backin blog mode! Missed hearing and seeing where you were for those long weeks. Kinda' feel like I am tagging along when you keep us in the loop. This trip seems so serene. Not the fast paced tourist travel I am used to.
Nice! Keep in touch and please stay healthy. Love, Mom