It Happens to the Best of Us?

Skipping ahead to Saturday, about 3 days after we arrived. We headed to the coast to catch a ride to the island, Koh Samed. We got dropped off at a resort on the sand surrounded by turquoise water and jungle greenery. When we got there it was boiling hot, and the rooms weren't ready yet.

We killed the next hour by playing pool under the shade of a straw canopy and ordering cool fruity drinks. I couldn't take it anymore. I already had my bathing suit under my dress, so I threw it off and ran towards the ocean. The water was pretty warm too, but it still felt good. I may have been imagining it, but it felt . . . saltier. My skin stung a little when I got out.

Then we took our bags to our rooms and headed to the pool. Someone was renting mopeds out right by the resort, so we each picked one for 300 Baht ($9)for 24 hours. I picked a red and black one.

We'd visited this same island last year, and it was my favorite part of the trip. I loved exploring the island and all the different beaches, resorts, and jungle areas on the moped. I wondered how well I'd remember to ride, but I took off just fine.

We stopped to eat lunch at a restaurant on the beach. The huge exotic trees decorated with bright Chinese laterns reminded me of the teacups ride at Disneyland. A ton of seafood, as usual, so delicious.

Then we took off to explore the island. Most of the boys went on ahead, but they'd stop and wait every so often. I didn't care how fast I was going because Kop and Rose were behind me. I wanted to take my time and enjoy the scenery. But we kept passing a lot of the beaches, and I wondered what the plan was.

Gop was in front, though and I figured he knew what he was doing. Because it was just narrow dirt roads littered with sharp rocks, you had to be careful. Cracks made by the rain posed the worst prolems; except, of course, the off-road taxis that took up the entire road and flew around corners at scary speeds.

I got to the top of another steep dirt hill. But this time, I found myself automatically in a rain crack. I tried to turn out of it, I was going pretty slow . . . but I felt myself falling. I don't remember if I screamed before or after I hit the ground. I just remember screaming as loud as I could so someone would know I fell. I knew I wasn't going to be ok.

The bike fell on me as I slid over jagged rocks downhill. My foot was the first thing I saw. The top of my right foot had been split open. It's an eerie feeling looking at your own flesh and muscle. I could see down to the bone. I glanced at the rest of my body to find that the whole right side had been shredded, especially my right forearm. I prayed that God would take care of me. I was in His hands now. We found out later one of the brakes didn't work.

I thought about what a small island it was. We'd probably have to go back to the beach, take a boat back to the main land and find a hospital. I didn't know how it was going to work out. Could I last that long?

I heard Kop and Rose ride up asking if I was ok. I tried to sit myself up so they wouln't freak ot too much, but I couldn't. They saw the minor cuts first. "you're ok" they said. I shook my head and pointed to my foot.

Gop had reached us by this time. "Oh my God, Oh my God, we have to get her to a hospital," he said. He picked me up and carried me out of the road.They poured a water bottle over my gash to wash off the dirt that covered my whole body. The blood washed down over my rainbow sandals, turning the leather red. That's when I started passing out. I knew I was in shock. I knew I should be feeling more than I was. I knew that it would hurt more later.

But for the time being, I was feeling warm all over. Their voices started fading out like someone was putting a blanket over my ears, or like I was hearing them from under water. I didn't want to open my eyes anyway. I didn't want to see it. But Josh kept saying "keep her awake!" I didn't want to be awake.

They shook me gently. "Serena! Stay awake." "No!" I snapped. I just wanted them to let me fade out, it would be easier that way. It was a pretty deserted road, but by then a passerby had stopped and they had carried me to the front seat. I remember thinking "this guy probably doesn't want a bunch of blood in his car."

But as soon as they set me down a taxi pulled up. "Ok, I'm sorry we're going to have to move you again," Gop said. I groaned as he handed me to Kop and Rose who were sitting on the benches in the bed of the off-road taxi. Kop held my legs and Rose held my head and arms.

I tried to support myself as much as I could, because when they tried to keep me upright over the bumps and jolts they'd inadvertantly grab my cuts. It was a struggle to stay on their laps. Rose, a typical Asian woman, weighs about 100 lbs. Every time we flew over a rock or bump and slammed back down I felt like I was crushing her.I kept saying "I'm sorry, I'm sorry." I was probably bleeding on them.

Every time I'd cringe or moan they say "We're almost there . . ." But we weren't. They actually had no idea where we were going. Thank God there was a clinic on the island for accidents just like that. We finally pulled into a gated courtyard that looked like a cross between a junkyard and an apartment complex.

To the right was what looked like a little office. There were signs in elementary English instructing us to remove our shoes. Kop slipped his off as he carried me like a baby into the room. I looked around, thank God- it looked clean. The man at the front desk stood up and motioned us into a side room with a hospital bed.

He put my foot on somethin that looked like a Bar-B-Q grate. He washed my wounds with water, which felt good. Then he told me he was going to inject the anisthetic. I was scared, because I heard that hurts the most. He held up a long, thin needle. I asked how far it would go in.

Rose translated and they both looked down at me. "He says you don't need to know," she said. Dear Lord, not what I wanted to hear. Oh well, can't change things now. I turned my head so I couldn't see and bit my finger. I must have still been in shock because I was completely calm. I didn't even cry the whole time. The doctor kept telling (Rose to tell) me it was ok to scream.

I'll never forget that: "Scream! It's ok to scream, just scream!" they said as the needle went deep into my open wound about four times. I didn't. What's the point? It wouldn't make it feel better.

That's when Kop walked out. He couldn't watch anymore. He later told me how deep the needle went in, and when he injected it- blood squirted out everywhere. Then the skinny doctor touched my ankle. "Pain?" he asked. Damn it. "Yes," I said. He had to inject me twice more.

Then he roughly stitched me up. The thread felt really thick. The boys had arrived by then. They asked if they could watch. I told them they better take pictures becuse I better at least get a good story out of this. They said they felt wrong taking pictures. "Do it!" I said, "I want you to!"

But then the doctor pointed to my shredded right arm, and Rose said "he thinks you might need stitches there too." That was my breaking point. I was trying to be brave but I didn't think I'd have to do it twice. But Josh shook his head "I don't think you need them there."

I don't even know how that'd be possible. My arm was shredded. Can you stitch broken skin? But he examined it and said it wasn't necessary. Thank God. He finished bandaging me up. When I looked close enough to a mummy they carried me out to the office to get medicine and pay the bill.

That's when the shock wore off. I was sitting at the desk chair, and it happened again. Like a wave washingover me I got extremely hot and everything seemed fuzzy. I felt like I was floating and I didn't know how to steady myself. Every thing they were saying felt like distant dream. I put my head down on the desk and grabbed onto the bottom of the chair. "I'm going to pass out," I whispered.

They got me some water and I sat for a minute. Everything gradually came back into focus. Then Josh carried me out to the waiting taxi. When we got to the resort and Gop carried me to the room, the staff greeted us with the most wide-eyed, open-mouthed looks of horor I've ever seen outside a movie.

The guy who rented the bikes looked mortified. Maybe he knew the brake didn't work. But who knew if that was even the problem. It was just a complete accident. When we got to the air conditioned room they laid me on the clean, white bed.

Rose kicked the boys out and got a wet wash cloth. She gently wiped me down and helped me change into pajamas. I still felt filthy.

Welcome Home

This condo wasn't as nice as last year's, but still great. A huge living space and dining room ensures we won't kill each other. There's two couches and two rooms with queen sized beds, and two bathrooms. We agreed to a rotation of who sleeps where. I definitely didn't want any special treatment because I was the only girl. We're all paying the same amount anyway. Turns out the couches are more comfortable anyway ( : You'd be just as well off sleeping on the table if you're in the bed that night. So hard.

There's a small hallway that leads into the kitchen with a room not much bigger than a closet off to the right. Kop said it's the maid's room. Dang, I'd panic if I had to stay in that. Claustrophobia for sure. We just ended up keeping our empty bags in there.

As soon as we got home, we unpacked a bit and then sat at the table for "power hour." The driver had greeted us with two cases of Singha, Thailand's official beer. The rules are simple: you take a shot of beer every minute for an hour. Honestly, you get more full than anything. I've played once before, and made it to 36.


I have no intention of ever getting to the point of puking straight foam, which is a rumored consequence. The boys had a layover in Japan (mine was in Taiwan) and had bought painted shot glasses. However, they were huge. About a shot and a half.

We were snacking on things we'd picked up from 7-11 on our way to the condo, mostly weird flavored chips. Shrimp/seaweed anyone? I was so full by 40 minutes, I threw in the towel and just hung out.

We were meeting the owner of the condo (Kop and Gop's friend) for breakfast at 7, before he had to be at work. So we just stayed up. Since we didn't even get to the condo til 3, we started getting ready soon after power hour. It is amazing how gross I get traveling. A shower never felt so good.

Breakfast was downstairs in the main building, mostly American food with a little dim sum thrown in. Then we took off to explore Bangkok. We walked to the BTS (above-ground metro) and paid 20 baht (about 75 cents) to get dropped of at a central mall. We had completely forgotten how early it was- it wasn't open yet.


We went to Starbucks to wait. From previous experience I do NOT recommend getting coffee there in Thailand. Pretty much tasted like warm goat's milk. On our way back to the mall we noticed Thailand's usual street-dwellers: the homeless and dogs. THe homeless here are different though. They are actually incapable of working in some way, either crippled, blind or old. In sharp contrast to the fat, well-clothed homeless you find at freeway offramps in America, these beggars are actually starving, dirty, and shoeless with sorry excuses for clothes.

MBK (the mall) was so busy, with people, products, and smells. It's overwhelming. Every few feet there's a different, often contrasting, smell. It almost makes me dizzy. Ryan got a pair of the infamous knock-off jeans, then we headed to a restaurant.

It had a boiling pot of water in the middle of the table and we ordered all sorts of meat and vegetables to cook in it ourselves. The close proximity to a boiling metal pot made me laugh; if this were in America, there'd be a lawsuit a day. I was too tired to be hungry though, I hadn't slept at all on the plane.

As soon as we got back to the condo I crashed. I don't know how, but the boys headed straight for the gym. They woke me up to get ready and P'Rose came over to take us to dinner. (P' is a respectful prefix of someone's name if they're older than you). We took a taxi to a restaurant on the Mekhong river.

One of the best parts about eating in Thailand is the "family style" serving. We order at least a dish per person and all share.

Expect the Unexpected

Day 1

Despite having only three days to prepare, an insufficient bank balance, and initially unconvinced parents, I left for Thailand on June 16. I bought the ticket the day before, then finally allowed myself to believe it was real enough to actually start packing that night. Packing for 3 weeks is no small feat and I reluctantly pulled an all-nighter.

The next day I was off to my "Happiest Place on Earth." I had visited last summer with some of my best friends, and I literally had the best time in my life. The people are friendly, funny, and hospitable; the food is spicy and delicious; and the sights are incomparable: from islands that are as close to paradise as you can get, to ornate golden temples and palaces, to exotic jungles and elephant rides.

Although I had to catch a different flight than my friends (with no complaints as it was $400 cheaper) I met some interesting people along the way. I even happened upon someone from Redlands with whom I had mutual friends! Ludacris.

However, you get what you pay for. The seats felt as if they were leaning you forward and there were no TV's, which is very unusual for an international airline. It ceratainly wasn't a deal-breaker though as I always come prepared with an excessive supply of books.

When I arrived at immigration I realized I hadn't been given an arrival slip (stating your reason for visiting, where you'll be staying, Passport number,etc)on the plane. Of course I waited 20 minutes in line before I was informed I'd have to fill it out. Being such a short form I expected her to hand me one. To my dismay she just looked past me and said "Next!"

I asked her where to get one, and she waved me off with a dismissive hand and said "somewhere over there," motioning broadly to where I'd just come from: a large room and hall. As soon as I turned to look where she was pointing, hoping to see some sort of sign, she screamed "You CAN'T stand here!!!!" so loud it made me jump. I felt my face getting hot, and I flushed with anger. Quite possibly the least helpful person I've ever met.

I wandered around looking for papers laying about and thankfully found them quickly. I got back into a longer line and tried to look like I knew what I was doing. Hopefully I filled out the right form. A larger Irish couple in front of me glanced back. I knew they saw what happened and were just glad it wasn't them. A group of Thai men behind me clapped at a mosquito that was heading my way. I nodded and smiled.

I like how everyone nods at each other here, or puts their hands in a praying position in front of their face as a sign of respect or a greeting. Respect is such lost art in America. I'm pretty sure if I nodded as much there as I do here, people would just be slightly afraid of me, or think I have a tick.

I looked for the upstairs restaurant we'd eaten at last time that was to be our meeting point. But after I stepped off the elevator I wasn't met with the smiling faces of my friends, but construction and a roped off door with a sign reading "Sorry, Restaurant Closed."

They had given me the number of the driver in case I couldn't find them, because they hadn't bought an international phone/card yet. So I looked for an exchange booth, changed $5, and headed for a pay phone. One tiny problem. I forgot the driver doesn't speak English. I just kept repeating my friends names "Kop" "Gop" "lost" and "airport." I glanced helplessly at a young guy lounging in a chair next to the phone, obviously on break from the exchange booth.

"Do you speak English?" I asked, hoping he could translate my simple message. I was sure they'd landed already and had been in contact with the driver. He just smiled and shook his head. Hmmmmm. In times of need the "land of smiles" is more frustrating than endearing.

I walked to and fro covering as much space as possible. I tried all three levels and scanned other restaurants. I whispered a prayer for help finding them, I did not want my first hour in Thailand to be dominated by stress and fear. No thanks.

After about 30-40 minutes I saw a sign for a designated "meeting point" and decided to give it a try. I saw them immediately. Gop and Josh had split up looking for me, and came back shortly. They'd all been waiting at the restaurant (turns out I went to the wrong one) and had eaten dinner. Sweaty, tired, and starving, I had to make an effort not to resent them just a little.

But their excitment was contagious as soon as we got into the van. For three of them (Ryan, Josh, and Jason) it was their first time. Their reactions to everything were a sort of deja vu: The neon green and pink taxis, the palpable humidity, the beautifully-framed pictures of the King everywhere.


We arrived at the condo, and it was just like I remembered. Not that it was that long ago. Two men dressed in Marine-officer-looking attire with whistles waved us into the driveway and saluted us. The Bandara condos consist of two bright orange and white buildings, which oddly enough, fits in with Thailand's theme of shocking colors.

We were in the second building this time. After we checked in by showing our passports, we headed through the lobby of our building to the elevator. The lobby was actually an elegant-looking wine bar. Framed by ceiling to floor windows, and decorated in an edgy, minimalist style of black and white, it looked like a cross between a lounge and a spa. There was fountain and pond with lily pads under the stairs, but if you stayed too long there was a risk of mosquito bites.