On The Move Again

Saturday 7 October

Having woken up late – not used to these early hours (around 07.30) - I did not have time for one last dip in the pool, as I had planned. I only just had time to cram all those last minute items into my already bulging case and hand luggage, before accompanying Colin to breakfast, where it was really too early for me to eat more than some fruit. Even Colin only ate porridge and a croissant – whatever happened to the usual ten courses?

A taxi had been booked for 09.30 but it arrived about ten minutes early, so we only just had time to say our goodbyes before speeding away to the airport. We have had a great time here, and were very sad to leave. But we could be back on Koh Samui later in the month – it all depends on the weather in Krabbi.

On booking in at the airport we were asked if we would like an earlier flight, at 10.00, instead of waiting for the 11.20 plane we were booked on. We instantly agreed and as they were issuing our boarding cards, the call came for us to board immediately! We were on the plane and in the air before we had time either to appreciate the prettiest airport in the world, or think any more about leaving Koh Samui.

The flight to Bangkok was uneventful, lasting just over an hour, but we seem to taxi miles – doing a full circle at one point – to get to the “Arrivals” area. The new airport is a mass of concrete and what looked like “geostix” that the children play with – small metal sticks that magnetically hold together in triangles. It’s very ugy, uninviting and a veritable jungle to find your way around – busy escalators eschew outgoing passengers into the path of another stream desperately trying to reach baggage claim – it has been very well designed!!!! We were glad our bags were in the first batch to arrive on the carousel, and even here, the bags drop a foot or so from the moving belt on to the whirligig, which when they are heavy, can be disasterous.

We finally made our way outside, to the Airport Express bus stop, and were told that one of the buses, AE2, stopped right outside our hotel, and would be arriving in three minutes. We immediately bought two tickets at 150 bahts each and waited . . . and waited . . . and waited. What the girl had meant was thirty minutes till the bus arrived, and even then we had to wait a further thirty minutes until the bus was full before it started its journey to Bangkok city – the high rises looked far off in the murky distance as we landed. If I had known it was going to be such a long wait, we would have hailed one of the hundreds of taxis queuing nearby. Actually getting on the bus was almost impossible – three steep steps up, through a narrow opening, was challenging with our heavy cases. My case had weighed in at 25.5 kilos and Colin’s at 23.5 kilos at the airport.

But it was probably a lot cheaper by bus than taxi. It took us over three quarters of an hour to even reach the outskirts of Bangkok, some 8 kms away, along the new “highway” (the bus was traveling as fast as the taxis and cars along the triple carriageway) and a further three quarters of an hour waiting in traffic queues (traffic lights can take up to more than five minutes to change a full rotation at some junctions), and crawling along the busy roads. Jammed as far as one could see. The driver (who didn’t speak any English) and the rest of the passengers on the bus, managed to get us off the bus Lanluang Road, where the Royal Princess hotel was supposed to be situated (other’s helped shift all the backpacks and bags in the luggage rack to find our cases at the bottom and then helped Colin lift them off. We were stranded on the pavement, surrounded by all our bags and not a hotel in sight!

We were standing outside a sort of car mechanics shop, and after asking one man the way, another came from the back to point out our destination, marked by waving flags, on the other side of a six lane, one way road full of speeding traffic, about 100 yards further down. There was a footbridge over the road, nearby where we had been dropped (obviously the reason for being dropped there), but the thought of carrying our cases and hand luggage up about fifty stairs, across the walkway and down the other side was daunting. The first man came to our assistance. He called on yet another man from the alley at the side of the shop, who was seeing cars out safely into the traffic, to help see us across the road. All he had was a whistle – which he blew ferociously at each lane, to stop the fast approaching vehicles, so that we could walk across safely with our baggage. We pushed our cases down this busy, very uninspiring street to the flags marking our objective. I began to wonder just what sort of hotel we were going to find – the buildings all seem dark and dingy and antequated. But nestled back from the noisy road, we found a large white, L- shaped building, which at least resembled the 4* star hotel we were expecting. A porter rushed forward to collect our luggage and we entered the cool, calm foyer where they were expecting us.

Having booked in we found ourselves in a typical standard hotel room, similar to those in China, quite large, with two double beds, and thankfully tea and coffee making gear. We were in desperate need of refreshment and promptly put the kettle of for a cup of tea. When we had landed the weather was very overcast and even trying to rain, but by the time we reached the hotel, the sun was out again, and the humidity soaring.

Having consumed refreshments, we immediately set out again, this time to find the Fujitsu Technical Offices, somewhere on the other side of town. The porter called us a taxi, telling us that the address was some distance away, and likely to cost around 100 bahts for the ride and take about twenty minutes. The lobby was full of a double-decker coach load of what looked like a huge party of Turks – oh no! not another unfriendly, unsocial group from Turkey – they didn’t look very friendly - what have we done to be beset by these people again!

We set out, and had progressed no more than a couple of hundred yards when we came to a standstill for more than five minutes, waiting for traffic lights again, and this time the taxi meter was ticking. But we wove through heavy Saturday afternoon traffic, seemingly going in the right direction. But when we got near to what the driver thought was the correct area, he did not seem to know exactly where he was going, even doing a ‘U’ turn at one point. He then turned off the main road and wound his way through some back streets, and we suddenly came across a building with a large “Fujitsu” sign, at a road junction – the railway was up above us, although we couldn’t actually see Ploen Chit station. But I was very relieved to find the building – there also seemed to be people inside, so hopefully our journey would not be in vain. The cost of the journey about 150 bahts, the time, almost an hour.

We entered and found the technical desk manned by staff who spoke hardly any English! – but on showing my poorly backspace key to the man who appeared in charge, he took the computer to one side and tried to get the key back in place with a few sharp pushes. It wouldn’t catch – I had been trying for the last week, and knew there was something more major wrong. He went away and got a replacement key and when he tried again to attach it using the same sharp movement, he was successful. Hooray! The Thai Shite is whole again – I just had to fill in a form for administrative purposes and we were on our way. We were lucky that the second taxi we hailed agreed to take us back to the hotel – all for 65 bahts and in 20 minutes this time, despite further interminable traffic jams along the way.

The hotel boasts a patisserie and bakery, and we were tempted to buy sausage rolls when we returned. We just had time to munch these, shower and change before we had to be at the introductory meeting in the Lobby Bar, where we would meet our fellow travelers.

In the bar our Tour Leader – Pok – was already there, with two other ladies (both looking in their fifties). We all introduced ourselves and were told that there would be twelve of us in total – all Australians, except one New Zealander, who, in fact, turned out to be Linda, one of the ladies we had just met, who now lived in Australia too! The rest of the party soon followed – all between mid forties to late fifties (another man is 60 next year too, like Colin – but I am still the “oldie”), except Phil who is 28. They are all typical extrovert Aussies, except Gustavo – a Colombian, who has resided in Australia for just six months – and not yet inherited typical Australian characteristics - he is very quiet and has been roomed with Phil. While we supped cocktails, Pok explained the itinerary for the coming nine days – it seems the tour is split into three parts – first nine days takes us on a circular tour into the northern highlands, where we will be trekking, and living in remote villages, sleeping all together in one room, for about three nights!!! The second part of the tour takes us as far as Krabbi (or Koh Samui again if the weather is bad), and the third leg takes us down through Malaysia to Singapore. It sounds at this stage as if there may be five of us on stage two, and we may be on our own for the last stage – but of course others may join along the way – we will have to wait and see. A lot of activity seems to have been packed into the first part of the tour, including an afternoon cycling – Colin literally blanched at this – remember, he cannot ride a bicycle - but another lady was also very skeptical about taking part in this ride, so he may escape yet.

Pok agreed to take us to a local restaurant for dinner and led us to hail some tuk-tuks (similar idea to tut-tuts on Koh Samui - but these only have three wheels, hold three people at a squash and are operated by motor bike handlebars controls. But first we had to cross that main road again. This time we went to a zebra crossing, where there were flags in a bin attached to the beacon poles. Grabbing a flag, Pok walked out on to the crossing, waving the flag at the on-coming traffic, which miraculously stopped and allowed us, lane by lane, to proceed across the road, crocodile style. This is another dangerous city where the traffic has no respect for pedestrians.

We needed four tuk-tuks to transport the ten people, plus Pok, going to the meal. Once the first one stopped, three others soon congregated at the roadside. Pok gave the instructions and told the drivers they would be paid 40bahts per tuk-tuk. The first set off with a couple on the tour to celebrate their silver wedding anniversary (Paula and Rob), and someone else’s husband (Mick – a brick layer from Brisbane). The rest of us followed in the remaining tuk-tuks. When we reached the appointed destination, only three tuk-tuks arrived! The first to leave was missing, although had been seen en route by others. We hung around for a few minutes before setting off through a pedestrianised street of evening market traders, cafes and bars to find a restaurant called TomYum, located up a small side alley, at the far end. At least the name sounds hot and spicy.

Pok went off to see if he could find the missing travelers and was gone some time. Meanwhile we perused the menus and found out some details about our fellow trekkers. Mick (who was missing was married to Donna and traveling with friends Garry and Michelle). Phil hails from Perth – the rest of the Aussies come from the east coast. Gustavo was very quiet, taking in all the conversation. Pok eventually came back with Mick – he had been wandering around looking for us - but the Paula and Rob had returned to the hotel, not happy at being “lost” and left alone in Bangkok. We all chose spicy food, some hotter than others – neither Colin nor I felt it was as hot as some of the food we had eaten recently, but it was tasty and typically Thai. Once the food was ordered Pok returned to the hotel and we were left to our own devices to get back. We wandered back through the market again, and round the corner, away from the touts offering taxi or tuk-tuk rides at premium prices, and managed to negotiate a price of 50 bahts to take us back to the Royal Princess – not bad for amateur hagglers – we have obviously learnt from Juz and Dave how to drive a hard bargain.

Just time for another quick cocktail – Red Margaritas are on special this month – Tequila, lime and grenadine, in an elegant glass with salt around the rim – very tasty – I could get used to these - before retiring for the night to blog (not lots of time during the day now) and sleep – our last lay in tomorrow morning for a while – a 09.00 start, compared with 07.00 - 07.30 later in the week! It had been an energetic day and we were exhausted.

PS: Welcome back to everyone who has had a break from the blog while we have been relaxing in Koh Samui. The adventures are about to begin again.