Sunday 12 May 2013

An (un)fortunate series of events: Jayne and Pippa on tour

I had been anticipating and planning Mom's visit for months. In fact, even though the rest of my south-east Asia travel with friends has been "plan-as-we-go" and on a serious budget, I'd made a concerted effort to have a basic schedule for each day of the short two weeks Mom was with me. I researched the best routes and accommodation areas and gathered information from friends who had done the same trips before. I sent Mom email upon email of travel tips and reading preparation. Sometimes, however, all the planning in the world does not help. Before Mom even arrived, things started to go a little awry. 

I went to the Hua Lamphong train station in Bangkok a few days early to book a scenic day train and bus to Krabi, in the south of Thailand, so that we could enjoy a bit of the Thai countryside. What I'd failed to notice while doing all that previous research was the major fact that it was Thai New Year. And over Thai New Year, Thai people travel. Bigtime. Needless to say, there were no train seats available for the day or night. There were only overnight buses, so Mom and I would have to forego our first night's accommodation in Krabi and spend it on a bus. I booked a "direct VIP bus with air conditioner", hoping it would make the experience a little more pleasant for all concerned.

Little did I know that Jayne's plane to Bangkok would be delayed by nearly seven hours. Therefore, after travelling for close to two days, I then subjected her to another uncomfortable 14 hours but not before an "interesting" attempt at a shopping day in Bangkok, being royally ripped off by a tuk-tuk driver and dropped in the middle of nowhere, a good old catch-up and a hearty lunch supplemented with several Chang beers in apology.

Lowlight: Ripped off by tuk-tuk driver
Highlight: Reunited over beer and laughs
It took very little time for Mom and I to realise that the bus was not at all VIP, nor was it direct as promised. We were also delighted to learn that some passengers had paid half the price and were travelling even further than us. Ben, a German-Kiwi seventy-year old man was our saving grace throughout our non-direct trip. At each stop, he made sure we were on the correct mode of transport at the correct time. He entertained us with stories of his extensive travel experience and his various business adventures. He is truly a remarkable man and a reminder that one is really never too old to travel. 

By the time we arrived in Krabi, we were both relieved and exhausted. We spent a splendid six days there swimming, walking, visiting the beautiful surrounding islands and beaches, eating good food, spending times with friends from South Africa (they had also completed the “VIP” bus trip which we laughed about for hours) and swimming some more.  Mom turned even browner than ever and slept better than ever. 

Highlight: Bamboo Beach, Phi Phi - magnificent water and swimming
Besides both of us suffering a few minor travel ailments, everything ran very smoothly. We even managed to fit in a Thai cooking course with Bin and Noh. We learnt so much about the country's culture as well as the delicious food. We sampled so many dishes that we inadvertently steered clear of Thai food for the rest of the trip.

Highlight: an afternoon of Thai cooking at Siam Cuisine
Both of us were devastated to leave Krabi a day early again for transport reasons. We convinced each other that it was part of the real Thai experience. It was a lengthy trip; first by bus to Surat Thani, then a long wait at the train station and lastly the sleeper train to Bangkok. Mom's period of sleeping well was over but we saw some magnificent scenery and enjoyed the cooling relief of the rain.

Lowlight: a six-hour wait at Surat Thani train station but still smiling
I had booked what I thought was a hotel on the infamous Khaosan Road for a night. We'd have easy access to some good eateries and Mom could do a bit of gift shopping and sightseeing. Our timing and my booking could not have been any worse. For one thing, it was the opening day of Songkran, the water festival held all over the country in celebration of Thai New Year. The Grand Palace and other sights were teeming with tourists and locals and absolutely none of the shopping stalls were open. What we did find were throngs of people armed with water pistols and buckets of freezing water to throw on us unsuspecting few.

As for our "hotel", it was actually a filthy hostel in a dark alleyway called Susie Walking Street. The staff was unhelpful, we had to drag our bags up 6 flights of stairs, there was cat pooh all over the corridors (tail-less cats kept appearing from all over the place) and the walls were surely made of paper. Heck, we didn't even have a basin in the bathroom.  Mom found it all rather amusing (it took me a little longer to see the funny side). We took cover at a restaurant and watched the madness unfold around us while consuming a lot of Chang beer in wet clothes. We even caught a glimpse of the Queen of the Thai royal family on her way to officially open the New Year celebrations.

We left for Cambodia early the next morning as the water festival party-goers were only going home, having done no shopping or sleeping. Looking back at Mom and I sharing the equivalent of a single bed, giggling and cursing at the couple next door having a ridiculous drunk argument for several hours, inventing ways to block out the rave music coming through the window (besides it being "closed") and dodging the cat pooh, I still can't quite believe it. One thing is for sure; Jayne is a better backpacker than I will ever be. 

I had been to Siem Reap, Cambodia, two years previously. A friend and I had stayed at Palm Garden Lodge, a lovely little guesthouse with a convenient location, quaint atmosphere, good prices and the big selling point: a pond where the fish would nibble at your feet. I found the website and booked there again for Mom and I. My friend, Bronwyn, also booked there upon my recommendation. The three of us were dropped us off at the Palm Garden Lodge. But hang on. This was not where I stayed two years ago. We checked the address and the website and sure enough, this was the guesthouse I had booked online. It had just mysteriously changed location, manager and the general ethos of the place. By now, I was a giggling-swearing mess of a human being and resigned myself to the fact that all forward thinking should be thrown out of the window. I think Mom was most upset about the lack of the fish pond.


Highlight: Fortunately, we still managed to have the fish eat our feet
The Angkor temples are something of wonder. We happened to be exploring the temples on the first day of, wait for it, Cambodian New Year. Although it was ridiculously busy, it was a fantastic experience to see how the local people celebrated with music, dancing and good food. We moved on to the capital of Phnom Penh via bus. Cambodia’s capital city was pleasantly surprising and we spent a culturally-enriching two days learning and being shocked by the country’s violent history, driving through the outskirts of the city and ambling along the wide streets of embassies, temples and government buildings decorated in gold.


Highlight: Angkor temples
Our only minor issue at our last destination was when we took our laundry to a little place on a side street. When we went back a day later to collect it, they couldn’t find our laundry at all. In fact, our bag of laundry had not been touched at all and was sitting along with the bags of rubbish ready to be thrown out. Mom and I looked at each other in disbelief and shrugged. It was nothing that a Chang beer and some hand washing could not fix.

Unfortunately, hardly any of my planning proved successful. While travelling in south-east Asia, sometimes it is better to simply go with the flow and have no set schedule at all. Fortunately, it was an unforgettable two weeks of laughs, tears, ridiculous journeys, some of the most beautiful sights in the world, more laughs, major perspiration, fresh food and fruit and too much Chang beer.

And fortunately, I have the most wonderful mother. She makes the absolute best of every situation. Not once did she complain; she simply took it all in her stride. In hindsight, we'll only laugh at all the mishaps and treasure the best memories of a most (un)fortunate series of events.

Highlight: Railay Beach, Krabi and Leo beer