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Published: October 29th 2009
My brother Howard picked me up and drove me to the airport-I remember how cold it was-I could see the vapor from my breath as I got into his car. At the airport I thanked a stranger for letting me know I had dropped my boarding pass --. As I am going through the check-in process I experience a kind of euphoria and I attribute it to getting ready to 'escape' this hectic life (which isn't really apparent until you visit another culture where life is... slowed down). To add to that there is a transformation I undergo which coincides with the passing through of many time zones - the reality of what I am doing sinks in-I am going to the other side of the world (duh, they're 14 hours ahead in Bangkok!). I have to tell you-damn near everything is different-the smells (oh the smells), the signage, the weather, the sounds, the trees, cars, canals-it is quite a bit to take in all at once. Because there is so much new, time seems to slow down to allow me to soak it up.
About 8 or 9 hours into the flight a little bit of claustraphobia sets in-kinda like when you feel a bit of vomitus trying to make it's way up your esophagus. But I have to tell my self that there is not a damn thing I can do about it. That seems to help, and then there is resignation. There is a change of planes in Incheon, South Korea. At the gate there is an elder guy slumped over, ashen in appearance-but alert and oriented. He denies any heart issues, COPD, stroke history-The man reports he has Parkinsons and believes he took a pill "an hour ago." He has two sets of medisets and they are duplicitous-two for am meds, two for lunch time meds, two for dinner, and two for bedtime. Some are filled, some are not, or partially. He is a poor historian and yet after speaking to a Thai MD and the airport personnel we all concur he is safe enough to travel. He is from Iowa, has a Thai wife, and comes to Thailand for six months each year. The time flying coupled with crossing the dateline can confuse one if there are scheduled medications.
At the airport in Bangkok I am now the minority. It's an interesting feeling - I really have to be on my best behavior (you always hear horror stories about the foreigner disappearing from some troubles country without any sign). I get a taxi to my guest house-it is one of those with an incredible view of the Chao Praya (the large river that winds through Bangkok) but that is found only after following smaller and smaller Soi(s) (streets) until there is nowhere to go-and there you are. The next morning I am the first one in the restaurant which is located on the top floor, and so I choose a table with views both up and down the river-magnificent. Many of the restaurants in town are not closed-up owing to their pseudo tropical climate-I think average temperature is around 84 degrees. Today I need to purchase a rail ticket up North to Chiang Mai (google it), get a SIM card for my phone, and by some Thai pop music CDs for a friend. More later----
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angela
non-member comment
Awesome
You're a great writer Pea and I love how even on vaation you get to triage. ;) I wanna see pictures!!!