The driver pushed on the accelerator, pushing the coach up the slope like a rider whipping hard at his horse.
The bus groaned and the engines roared. But the speed it climbed up the slopes of Kanchanaburi was excruciatingly slow.
Branches were sweeping before my face, as I sit in comfort of being an obvious misfit in the thick jungles of Thailand.
Just hours ago, the scenery was vastly different. With large bilingual signs pointing towards famous national parks, waterfalls, death railway monuments and grand homes lying to each side of the road. As the bus departed from Kanchanaburi bus terminal, the signs became monolingual, no longer needing to address the foreigners. The grand houses gave way to more greenery, ocassionally speckeled by simple wooden huts.
And like taking a cue from the signagtes, the bus attendants now made announcments in Thai only. The caucasian passengers had alighted in Kanchanaburi. And I was an ambiguous entity.
I felt a bout of panic, and reached for my Singaporean helpline - The Internet.
Where was I?
I had passed the last known stop Kanchanaburi, now how long more?
Heng ah, got buy data plan!
Ya right.
I really wasn't totally surprised when the phone just read 'emergency calls only'.
I switched cell phones.
No reception. I can't GPS myself. Neither can I call anyone.
According to calculations and asking different people before I got on the bus, I could arrive between 3 - 6pm. It was 4pm.
If I let this panic grow and sink in, I will probably be toturing my own mind and look like a fool.
So I sit back and take another bite of the crispy noodles from W.
-----------------------------------
Suddenly at 4.30pm we stopped at a very random provision shop looking hut.
There were no signages.
And the bus attendant was startled by an silent noise.
She turned towards me and gestured for me to alight.
'This is Sangkhlaburi?' I asked in my broken Thai, half embarassed that I had to project my voice to the front of the vehicle. All the Thais in the bus would've heard me, I was the last passenger in the back.
I alighted.
Clumsily with my barang barang.
It was raining.
And I don't know how to proceed.
A motorcycle uncle in a poncho approached me.
'Where are you going? Need a ride?'
It's a motorcycle taxi. Not a helpful passerby. So I looked at all my things, and we figured out I could never fit behind his motorcycle. So he sped off.
I texted my only contact.
He made no reply.
I waited standing in the rain, figuring out where I was.
Then I saw a sign. Very obscured if you weren't under that shelter.
It said Sangkhlaburi Bus Station. And below it a table.
There was a young chap seated there when I alighted.
Perhaps there was no more buses anticipated to arrive for the day.
So he disappeared.
I made a call.
No answer.
I flipped through the document sent to me for volunteers. 'How to proceed from the Sangkhlaburi Bus Station' Hmmmmm...
I should take a taxi.
And the bus attendant had pointed me in the direction of taxi stand?, maybe?, before she dropped me off.
But I couldn't really figure out what she was trying to say.
And I don't want to wander around with a crumpler, a guitar, a haversack and a bag full of food in the heavy rain.
30 minutes passed.
Countless vehicles passed by that I thought 'Hmm, this could be my ride', or 'That is too luxurious to be a mission hospital vehicle'.
And suddenly a large man approached the station in rain. He had been on the other side of the street receiving goods from people. So it can't be him.
'Are you a pharmacist?'
Yes!
'O, the car is over there. Please come!'
Pleasantly surprise and utterly relieved, I lugged all my ridiculous baggage onto the truck he came in.
The ride took much longer than I expected.
He was, N, the managing director of the hospital. Originally from Bangkok, N has worked here for 7 years.
They thought I was from Hong Kong.
And there was only one pharmacist in the hospital, who only just graduated from university.
She arrived 3 months ago.
For the 10 years before she came, there was no pharamcist.
She must be an answer to many prayers.
Soon I was showed my room.
The entrance was two doors, I thought it was a house
Peeking in there were 3 rooms inside and an entire large living room area with adjacent kitchen.
So I assume only one room would be mine.
I thanked N.
The first door was the bedroom which was humble but adequate. But there are no mosquito nets. I wonder what the night would be. The rain still pouring out yonder.
There was no bathroom ensuite. Just a foldable chair, a closet and a mirror.
The many drawers of the closet was not openable. I dared not use too much force so I left them alone. There's more than enough space for everything I brought anyway.
The second door opened to a dark dingy room.
There was nothing in it.
I couldn't even switch on the lights.
No furniture, just tiled floor. Couldn't figure out if it was meant to be a bathroom or another bedroom.
Creepy. Got out and closed the door. Bolted it in fact.
The last door opened, and I thought maybe I will stay in this bedroom instead if the toilet is in this one.
Otherwise, the bathroom must be a common one outside.
But it wasn't a bedroom.
It was an entire bathroom. Wait. So I have no roomies. This is a one person room. o.O
The bus groaned and the engines roared. But the speed it climbed up the slopes of Kanchanaburi was excruciatingly slow.
Branches were sweeping before my face, as I sit in comfort of being an obvious misfit in the thick jungles of Thailand.
Just hours ago, the scenery was vastly different. With large bilingual signs pointing towards famous national parks, waterfalls, death railway monuments and grand homes lying to each side of the road. As the bus departed from Kanchanaburi bus terminal, the signs became monolingual, no longer needing to address the foreigners. The grand houses gave way to more greenery, ocassionally speckeled by simple wooden huts.
And like taking a cue from the signagtes, the bus attendants now made announcments in Thai only. The caucasian passengers had alighted in Kanchanaburi. And I was an ambiguous entity.
I felt a bout of panic, and reached for my Singaporean helpline - The Internet.
Where was I?
I had passed the last known stop Kanchanaburi, now how long more?
Heng ah, got buy data plan!
Ya right.
I really wasn't totally surprised when the phone just read 'emergency calls only'.
I switched cell phones.
No reception. I can't GPS myself. Neither can I call anyone.
According to calculations and asking different people before I got on the bus, I could arrive between 3 - 6pm. It was 4pm.
If I let this panic grow and sink in, I will probably be toturing my own mind and look like a fool.
So I sit back and take another bite of the crispy noodles from W.
-----------------------------------
Suddenly at 4.30pm we stopped at a very random provision shop looking hut.
There were no signages.
And the bus attendant was startled by an silent noise.
She turned towards me and gestured for me to alight.
'This is Sangkhlaburi?' I asked in my broken Thai, half embarassed that I had to project my voice to the front of the vehicle. All the Thais in the bus would've heard me, I was the last passenger in the back.
I alighted.
Clumsily with my barang barang.
It was raining.
And I don't know how to proceed.
A motorcycle uncle in a poncho approached me.
'Where are you going? Need a ride?'
It's a motorcycle taxi. Not a helpful passerby. So I looked at all my things, and we figured out I could never fit behind his motorcycle. So he sped off.
I texted my only contact.
He made no reply.
I waited standing in the rain, figuring out where I was.
Then I saw a sign. Very obscured if you weren't under that shelter.
It said Sangkhlaburi Bus Station. And below it a table.
There was a young chap seated there when I alighted.
Perhaps there was no more buses anticipated to arrive for the day.
So he disappeared.
I made a call.
No answer.
I flipped through the document sent to me for volunteers. 'How to proceed from the Sangkhlaburi Bus Station' Hmmmmm...
I should take a taxi.
And the bus attendant had pointed me in the direction of taxi stand?, maybe?, before she dropped me off.
But I couldn't really figure out what she was trying to say.
And I don't want to wander around with a crumpler, a guitar, a haversack and a bag full of food in the heavy rain.
30 minutes passed.
Countless vehicles passed by that I thought 'Hmm, this could be my ride', or 'That is too luxurious to be a mission hospital vehicle'.
And suddenly a large man approached the station in rain. He had been on the other side of the street receiving goods from people. So it can't be him.
'Are you a pharmacist?'
Yes!
'O, the car is over there. Please come!'
Pleasantly surprise and utterly relieved, I lugged all my ridiculous baggage onto the truck he came in.
The ride took much longer than I expected.
He was, N, the managing director of the hospital. Originally from Bangkok, N has worked here for 7 years.
They thought I was from Hong Kong.
And there was only one pharmacist in the hospital, who only just graduated from university.
She arrived 3 months ago.
For the 10 years before she came, there was no pharamcist.
She must be an answer to many prayers.
Soon I was showed my room.
The entrance was two doors, I thought it was a house
Peeking in there were 3 rooms inside and an entire large living room area with adjacent kitchen.
So I assume only one room would be mine.
I thanked N.
The first door was the bedroom which was humble but adequate. But there are no mosquito nets. I wonder what the night would be. The rain still pouring out yonder.
There was no bathroom ensuite. Just a foldable chair, a closet and a mirror.
The many drawers of the closet was not openable. I dared not use too much force so I left them alone. There's more than enough space for everything I brought anyway.
The second door opened to a dark dingy room.
There was nothing in it.
I couldn't even switch on the lights.
No furniture, just tiled floor. Couldn't figure out if it was meant to be a bathroom or another bedroom.
Creepy. Got out and closed the door. Bolted it in fact.
The last door opened, and I thought maybe I will stay in this bedroom instead if the toilet is in this one.
Otherwise, the bathroom must be a common one outside.
But it wasn't a bedroom.
It was an entire bathroom. Wait. So I have no roomies. This is a one person room. o.O
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