Ponchos can be useful here if you need to keep your bag dry, but
most people just get wet, because it's warm and wet. Saw a poncho out
yesterday from a well-prepared German couple in their 50's. They've been
backpacking every year since they've been married, having both got the
bug in their 20's. Everyone was crammed into a longtail boat going from
Railey to Ao Nang (about 30 minutes) to get the coach to Bangkok. It
started raining hard and I managed to steal a piece of poncho to keep my
little rucksack dry (my big one was luckily at the bottom of a huge
pile at the front of the boat). We were chugging along nicely, although
slightly apprehensive after a guy got on and said that he'd seen a
longtail capsize the other day.
And then the engine broke down. It was a bit wavy and the german woman
next to me got a bit nervous. I assured her that the waves weren't big
enough to capsize us and since the wind was blowing us towards our
destination, at least we'd get there eventually. She seemed to settle
down after that, or maybe it was just her stoic german resolve.
Underneath my calm exterior however, I was slightly apprehensive, not
for my safety, because the water was warm and we were close to beaches,
but I really didn't fancy having to deal with swimming around retrieving
my rucksack.
After 15 minutes of everyone being deliberately calm and patient, the
driver got it started again and all was well. After a couple of
entertaining minibus transfers we eventually got on a rather nice big
coach for the final leg of the journey to Bangkok. What feels like a
long time ago (but only 2 weeks ago) I got a coach from Bangkok to go
south. Having been shown a very old photograph in the travel agents of
an absolutely awesome-looking coach (the V.I.P. coach it was called), we
were disappointed to find our coach looking nothing like the photograph
(this is not unusual in Thailand I now know). Yesterday, however, I
ended up on the coach that looked just like that coach in the
photograph. Two-tiered and you could put the seats all the way back and
actually get some sleep.
Getting shouted at by Thais, "GO NOW BANGKOK! LAST STOP! BANGKOK! YOU
COME NOW!" at 5.30 in the morning straight from sleep with your
eye-mask on and ear-plugs in, is not the best way to start your day.
Plus, the taxi-touts were one step away from being actually ON the
coach, looking up the stairs at us, "WHERE YOU GO? WHERE YOU GO?
TAXI." I'm usually very good at just blocking them out of my mind but
at this hour my patience was hanging by a thread. Me, the random dutch
physio and the german couple decided that we will share a taxi to Kho
San road, to save money. However, as soon as we stepped off the bus I
was almost certain that we were only 5 or 10 minutes walk from Kho San
road. A taxi fare for that distance should only be 30 baht (60p) I
explained to everyone else (they hadn't been to Ko San road before).
Typically, the taxi drivers were aware that alot of people have no idea
that they are only around the corner from their destination. If you
engage these people to ask for directions, the conversation typically
goes, "where is Ko San Road?".
"Ok Ko San road, 200 baht" (four quid),
"No. Where is it?"
"Ko San Road?"
"Yes"
"200 baht".
I don't know exactly why, but I've never got into these conversations,
but I've seen plenty of other people do. Maybe I've been to enough
countries before, or maybe it's because I just know that, if someone is
just trying to get as much money out of you as possible, it's best to
just not engage with them in the first place.
I told him 30 baht but he was still wanting 50 baht EACH for the
taxi-ride. I still strongly suspected we were only about 200 metres from
Ko San road and, at least, I always like to use the strategy of walking
away from the mob of touts waiting for you and flag down a random taxi
100 yards away. The German man was not feeling too well so they got in
the taxi anyway and me and the random dutch guy started walking.
We walked straight there in about 5 minutes and when we got there the
german couple got out of their taxi, having done a short loop of the
area. Despite my best efforts, I couldn't help but feel a vague sense of
smugness.
Now I'm back where I started only 2 and a half weeks ago but it feels
like easily a month. I was sad to see Marcel and Clare go (they're going
to Malaysia and then India) - I've had a fantastic time with them and I
consider them to be two new friends. Now I'm tired in Bangkok - not a
place to linger. But having been through this process before, I'm not
suffering from the same apprehension I was when I first arrived because
I'm confident that wherever I go in Thailand, I'll always be meeting
people, or 'catching another wave' ;-)
