M-whY

I checked out and expected to see Liz and Jennie already waiting in the car. But it was just me. We drove over to where they were staying at, and caught them in them in the middle of breakfast.

"He's early," one of them said. "And I thought he was going to pick us up first."

"I did too."

But it wasn't that big a deal. Liz and Jennie finished eating and we were soon on our way. We were dropped off at the Malaysian side of the Thai-Malay border. We walked across, collecting our Malaysian departure stamp enroute. On the Thai side, I drew a disgruntled immigration officer, who scrutinized every single page of my passport, even the blank ones. He finally granted me my visa, then tossed rudely tossed my passport back at me. Where was the legendary Thai hospitality??

The girls were originally going to take a train to Ko Pha-Ngan, but on the taxi, changed their minds and were now headed to Krabi. I myself was also headed there. Krabi isn't located on the main train line, so we'd have to take a bus.

"How far away is the bus station?"

"I think it's about a kilometer walk from here?"

"I heard we can take one of those rickshaws there."

That was probably a good idea, since we didn't know where the bus station was anyways. "To the bus station," is where we told the rickshaw drivers to take us, but instead, they dropped us off in front of what looked like a travel agent. A ride to Krabi cost 350 Thai baht, roughly the same amount as what using public transportation would've cost. So we booked our seats and waited half an hour for the next departure.

Our 'bus' was actually just a van. I felt cramped, with the low roof and insufficient leg room. This is going to be a long ride, I thought to myself.

Back in Singapore, Dr Fwa had recommended crossing into Thailand by air, as there have been reports of unrest and uprisings near the border. No disrespect intended (advice I receive on the road is sometimes the most helpful), but plenty of travellers take the land route, and I'd figure I'd take my chances. We passed at least a dozen blockades, usually consisting of cones strewn across the street. Armed military personnel carrying rifles stood watch. Most of the time, our van drove past unopposed, but twice, we were pulled over, where one of the guards peered in through the window before waving us on.

These weren't our only obstacles though. Once, a cow wandered onto the road, with complete disregard for traffic. To me at least, that was a bit unusual. How many times have you had to slam the brakes cause a cow decided the grass on the other side of the road was better?

We would have to change buses at Hat Yai. The Thai passengers got off at various points around town, while Liz, Jennie, and I dropped off in front of another travel agent.

"I think I left my book on the last bus," said Jennie as we waited for our connection.

She went up to the lady at the front desk and explained the situation. But it appeared she'd have to get a new copy, as our new bus (van) was set to depart before it turned up.

We pulled away, but after four left turns, ended up back where we started. A man brought forth the lost volume. Through the magic of cell phones, our previous driver had been contacted, and he'd circled back to return it. Now there's the Thai hospitality I've heard so much about!

We made several more false starts, returning to the origin to pick up last minute passengers. Finally, we were on the road to Krabi. From the Thai border to Hat Yai took four hours. From Hat Yai to Krabi would take at least four more, with only a short break for dinner. This wasn't the longest trip I've taken; my 17 hour trip from Yogya to Jakarta and 24 hour trip from Alice Springs to Darwin were longer in duration. But it definately felt the longest.

"I don't think we're ever going to get there," said Jennie at one point.

By the time we arrived in Krabi, I just wanted a comfortable night's rest. Liz and Jennie booked an air conditioned room, and I followed suit.

A splurge after a hellish trip is always worth it.

Thanks to everyone for their support and comments! Knowing people are reading keeps me motivated to continue the updates!