FootLoose in Asia This journal is primarily for family and friends to follow our progress on our SouthEast Asia adventure through Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam, Laos, and possibly Malaysia and Myanmar (Burma). Hopefully there will also be some useful information to others planning a trip to thease areas.

Bangkok 21 – 25 January, 2007 The flight from Phnom Penh to Bangkok was uneventful, just as we like them. We didn’t have a reservation, but on arrival we saw a hotel reservation desk and found a room near Bangkok International Hotel where we had been referred to from Phnom Penh. We caught a taxi to the hotel and arrived late morning. D had an appointment for the next morning that we had set via email while in Phnom Penh, and as we could see the hospital from the hotel window we decided to take a walk to be sure where we needed to be the next day. It turned out there was no easy way from A to B, and after cutting through two construction sites and a dump, we finally found the hospital. We decided it was definitely a taxi ride for the next morning. On arrival at the hospital, D was signed in and issued a picture ID card within a few minutes. We were then sent to the waiting area for the doctors. It wasn’t long before D was called in to see the GP we were referred to, the head of the international unit. In typical bureaucracy fashion, all he had to do was interview D and refer her to the orthopedic surgeon. That done, we were escorted by golf cart which took us to the orthopedic section in another building 50 yards away. After a 45 minute wait there, D was called in to the surgeon. He glanced at the x-ray we had brought, and immediately stated it wasn’t a surgical condition, and all that was required was a sling for about four weeks. He discussed possible future complications due to the injury and healing process, but they are nothing major. D was also lucky in that she suffered no dislocation of the shoulder as do over 80% of people who sustain that type of injury. Our experience at the Bangkok Hospital illustrates just how far out of line some countries such as the US and UK are with their medical systems. The hospital is very clean and efficient. The waiting times are short, and the staff well trained (the orthopedic surgeon trained at John Hopkins). There were entertainers such as a flutist and pianist playing in some common areas, and staff were pushing carts full of water and fruit for anyone who wanted a refreshment, and at no cost. The best indicator of their success was the cost of the visit. The grand total to see both doctors, fill one prescription for pain relievers and one for anti-inflammatory medicine was approximately $125. Somewhat relieved that there was nothing more serious, we decided to move closer to the center of Bangkok the next day as the hospital and hotel we were at is somewhat out of the mainstream. We still wanted to visit the Night Bazaar and take another river taxi ride that we didn’t do during the first visit, and we also decided to move on to Vietnam on the 25th. We did move the next morning and visited the Night Bazaar that evening. It was then that D began to feel somewhat ill, so we retired from the market early. The following day we went to the Vietnam Airlines office to pick up our tickets, and then took the SkyTrain to the river to catch the river taxi. While on the taxi, D was still not feeling well, so it was another early return for a rest at the hotel for our flight to Ho Chi Minh City the next afternoon. Next Stop – Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam