This is Adrian writing. I have a rather lengthy story to tell, and it involves the highs and lows that can come along with traveling. It may get a little woo-woo at times, but you're just going to have to deal with it. Before I start the story, I have to preface it with a little description of my intention going into this trip.
As we were planning our Thailand trip, I committed myself to fully going with the flow during our travels; letting the journey be the guide. In essence, I believe that if you fully turn yourself over to fate (some might call it God, or spirit, or something else), it will take you where you need to go.
My intention has been helped by the fact that I have recently been reading the series of Stephen King books called the Dark Tower; I brought book five of the series on this trip. In these books, the main characters are all following "the Path" toward their collective destiny. This destiny/fate/path/journey is called "ka." Although this series is fiction, I have experienced "ka" at times throughout my life, and truly believe that it works. That's where we join this story...
Yesterday (Monday, Dec. 11), we left the little town of Krabi (grah-bee) where we had been staying for several days. We had come to really like Krabi, so it was a little hard to go. But we decided we really wanted to see Koh Phangan, which is a small island on the south-east coast in the Gulf of Thailand.
We packed up our bags and set off. It was a full day's journey. First, a semi-open-air pickup-truck/taxi called a sawngthaew to the bus station. Next, a four-hour bus ride through the countryside picking up locals as we went. Then, off the bus in the SuratThani bus station; twenty-minute wait, then on to another bus for a half-hour ride to the ferry terminal. After than, a two-and-a-half hour ferry ride to Koh Phangan. Finally, a twenty minute ride in a pick-up truck to our "bungalows" (more on that later).
While we were on the second bus--going from SuratThani to the ferry terminal--I was fiddling with my small backpack that was on my lap. I noticed that the zipper on the side pocket was half open. That seemed strange as I am pretty fastidious in keeping everything zipped, snapped, tied, and shut. I immediately went cold because I had been keeping my mom's digital camera in that pocket. (I borrowed the camera from her to use as a backup in case anything went wrong with our camera.)
I reached inside the pocket, and my mom's camera was gone.
As I began to sweat, I started patting down my shorts pockets and going through other pockets in the backpack. No camera. However, as I was doing that, I discovered something else. I had been keeping a wad of Thai currency in my left side pocket, and it too was gone.
I started thinking...where and when could anything have happened? Then I remembered. As we were getting off the first bus in SuratThani, we stepped straight into a crowd of what appeared to be taxi drivers, all shouting, "Where are you going? Where are you going?," and jostling for business. The whole scene was totally chaotic and disorienting. We didn't know exactly where we were yet, and didn't know quite how to make the transfer.
It dawned on me...I just had my pocket picked...big time. The currency was no big deal. I couldn't remember exactly how much I had in my pocket, but I thought it was probably the equivalent of about $20. But the camera...OUCH! The one thing we had borrowed for our trip! And we had promised we would take care of it! Damn.
I kept running things through my head. I remembered putting the money in my pants pocket that morning. I had thought at the time, "Maybe this isn't the best place for all this cash. But Thailand has been so safe so far, and it'll probably be fine." I also remembered thinking about the camera while we were packing in Krabi. I had thought a similar thing, "This isn't the best place for this, but it's fine."
So, as we got to the ferry dock, Kerry and I were talking this through. Kerry was pretty upset, but I felt like it would be ok. We bought traveler's insurance that specifically covers stolen items, and had only taken a few pictures in Bangkok with that camera. So, it could be replaced...no problem.
As we got to the ferry dock and didn't know quite where to go, a very nice Thai woman pulled us aside. She asked about where we were staying on the island, and we said that we didn't know yet; we would get something when we got there. She told us that she could sell us an air-conditioned room, which would include a ride waiting for us at the ferry dock when we arrived. That sounded great, so Kerry paid the lady and we got a receipt. Then we got on the ferry and took off.
As our ferry rode across the warm blue water, Kerry and I talked. We talked about traveling, and impermanence, and not being careful, and how "things" are not that important, and at least we're safe and unharmed.
It seemed that while the incident had happened, we would learn from it and be okay. However, as I was sitting there thinking more, I realized we knew almost nothing about the lady who had sold us that room on the island. We had a vague receipt, no phone number, no address, a brochure for a different resort that she had said was "owned by the same people." That lady had our cash and was long gone.
The dark clouds began to settle in...there was a very good chance that just hours after getting our stuff ripped off, we had just gotten totally scammed. We were going to get to the island, there would not be any ride waiting for us. The "resort" would not exist, and we'd be out even more money.
At that point, both Kerry and I were thinking, "What are we doing here? This country sucks. Why are we such idiots? I wanna go home." Those things, and various swear words.
So, I got to sit in that funk for at least a couple of hours. I was brooding and very unhappy. My whole philosophy of traveling seemed so idiotic and naive. I was clearly a chump.
As we pulled into the island, Kerry and I looked at each other. The island did look very nice. We said to each other, "Maybe this will all work out. Maybe it'll be great." But our hearts just weren't in it.
We got off the boat, and immediately saw a guy standing there with a sign for the place we'd paid for. We showed him our receipt, and he said, "Ok. We'll leave in a couple of minutes. I'm picking other people up too."
Ok. So at least the place is real. (Of course, once we got there it turned out to be pretty run down. Comfortable enough, but super grungy. The staff were all really nice, but they were also all drugged to the eyeballs.)
So, we got to our grungy little filth-box of a room. Flopped on the beds; exhausted.
I start going through my big backpack, looking for my shower supplies and some semi-clean clothes. (It's in the mid-90s and humid everyday here, so everything I own is constantly drenched in sweat.) I unzip the mesh pocket where I keep my towels. (I had actually gotten into this same pocket on the ferry because it was where I had been keeping my money belt, rather than wearing it. After all my dumb moves, I figured the least I could do would be to start wearing the money belt again.) I reach into the mesh pocket and grab something that feels palm-sized and hard. I didn't expect to find anything like that, so I pull it out...it's the camera!
I show Kerry. She starts laughing. I can't believe it. For some reason, as I'm standing there stunned, I start patting down my shorts pockets. I realize my back pocket is buttoned shut. I'm sure I checked it already, but I check it again. I open it, and pull out a big wad of money. I show Kerry. She's in hysterics. I still can't believe what's going on.
The camera didn't get stolen. My money didn't get stolen. We're safe and sound in the place we paid for at the ferry terminal.
This is where my interpretation of this experience gets a bit woo-woo. I have thought this series of events through and through. I clearly remember putting the camera in that side pocket of my small backpack. I do not have the faintest recollection of moving it into the mesh pocket inside my big backpack. I clearly remember thinking about what a dumb place my side shorts pocket was to keep that cash, but doing it anyway. I have no recollection of moving that money into my back pocket. Not only that, but I am positive I looked in all of those places on the ferry and did not find either camera or money.
My conclusion...fate/God/Universe/ka is working, but it was also sending a message. We (particularly me) were not traveling safe. We were not being "situationally aware" (as Kerry's uncle Jay calls it). We needed a smack in the face to remind us to be safe, but apparently we didn't need to actually lose anything in the process.
To have this experience on this journey has been very profound for me. This took what has so far been an enjoyable tourist excursion, and turned it into something much deeper. All of this is particularly compounded by the fact that Thailand is a deeply, openly spiritual country.
If you made it this far, I thank you for allowing me to vent off some of the impact that this incident has had on me. I feel that this really captures some of the insanity that is involved in travelling like Kerry and I do. Wheeeee!!!
