Took the shuttle bus to BKK at 2 PM. Worked my way from the domestic terminal down to the international arrival/departure gates.
I sat and watched the international travelers stream past.
Yesterday, before leaving KTM (on a 777 which boarded hundreds of people headed to BKK), there were some Arabs doing their prayers in the middle of the departure area. It was jam packed with almost 98% of the seats taken, carry on bags everywhere, and people squeezing by all the time attempting to get to their boarding gate.
There was a group of 6 men. One was in the front leading the prayers. Blankets were laid out. They started kneeling. They were wearing white hats, white scarfs, long and droopy white shirts and baggy white pants. Sandals. They all had long beards. I...like others....stared, then I squeezed past the group of six kneeling on the floor.
Another group of six sat near me in the boarding area. The flight was an hour late leaving KTM to BKK so there was plenty of time to people watch.
It was hard not to stare at the Arabs dressed in white. I did anyway.
I looked as western as they looked Arab and with my ponytail, I was probably just as odd to them. They stared at me. I stared at them. There were no women traveling with any of the men.
Ceremoniously, I put on my Bose earbuds. I cued up "Dark Side of the Moon" on my iPod and hit play. I then acted like I was checking critically important text messages from the U.S. Department of State about travel hazard warnings on my i Phone. There were no messages or email, but I acted like I was interested in the phone anyway.
I thought, "We live in different worlds. Us and them".
The Qur'an states that all Muslim males, not only martyrs, will be rewarded with virgins in "Paradise". Thie concept is grounded in Qur'anic text which describe a sensual Paradise where believing men are rewarded by being wed to virgins with "full grown", "swelling" or "pears-shaped" breasts.
My "Paradise" is salmon fishing on the Columbia River. I might even catch a salmon now and then.
I want my ashes spread where I fish, and then I will be in "Paradise".
I thought for a moment. Could a sane man cope with all those virgins anyway?
I glanced and then stared at them and listened to "Us and Them" on "Dark Side" and thought about the Arabs and the lyric "After all, we're only ordinary men".
Us and Them
Us and them
And after all we're only ordinary men.
Me and you
God only knows it's not what we would choose to do.
'Forward' he cried from the rear
And the front rank died.
The general is sat and the lines on the map
Move from side to side.
Black and blue
And who knows which is which and who is who.
Up and down
And in the end it's only round and round. And round.
'Haven't you heard it's a battle of words'
The poster bearer cried.
'Listen son' said the man with the gun,
'There's room for you inside.'
"Well I mean, they're gonna kill ya, so like, if you give 'em a quick sh...short, sharp shock, they don't do it again. Dig it? I mean he got off light, 'cause I coulda given 'Im a thrashin' but I only hit him once. It's only the difference between right and wrong innit? I mean good manners don't cost nothing do they, eh?"
Down and out
It can't be helped but there's a lot of it about.
With, without.
And who'll deny it's what the fighting's all about?
Out of the way, it's a busy day
I've got things on my mind.
For want of the price of tea and a slice
The old man died.
Songwriters: ROGER WATERS, RICK WRIGHT
The flight today to Surat Thani, 1.25 air hours south of BKK - had only only 5% of the seats taken. In the 70 seats in front of me, 13 were taken.
Seldom have I been on such an empty flight - except maybe the two flights from PDX east to Kentucky on the frist flight travel day after the nationwide air travel closure following 9/11. Those were almost empty flights and the airports were empty.
Most vacationers fly directly from BKK to the island of Koh Samui, a dozen miles or so to the east of Surat Thani. Samui has more lodging than Phuket. There is a Four Seasons that has rooms that start at $720 a night. I am sure there places that charge thousands a night.
Arrived in Surat Thani, inquired, and took a local bus for 300 Thai bhat vs a taxi. It was about 10 miles. I had tried to make sure the driver knew where I wanted off, but after a while I began to worry. We had gone too far, I thought. Then I realized that I was measuring Surat Thani metropolitan traffic on Nepali traveling time......silly me.
The near empty bus stopped, the driver pointed to me, then down the side road, and said, "Hip Box 26". It was dark. I got out of the bus with my backpack and daysack.
It was a long side street that had street lights every 400 feet or so. I started off backpacking down the dark street, stopping several times for assurances about Hip Box 26. No one spoke English. After the third affirmative, I knew it was just a matter of walking an unknown distance further with the backpack and the day pack.
After 1/2 mile of walking and a final finger point from a guy that that appeared from nowhere behind me on a motorcycle........I arrived.
Hip Box 26 is a modern, clean, Ikea style accomodation facility. It has a pool, screaming inet and an exercise room. The room is clean, has fresh paint, tile floors, AC, shower, power plugs, good light, a nice bed, TV.
The 26 rooms are guest house funished rooms inside shipping containers!!! I am in unit B17.
Nice room for 390 baht, or $11.86.
Will hang here for another day, explore Surat Thani by bicycle, locate the harbor, the ferry departure locations and times.
Will head out to the island of Samui - to the east - via ferry on12/4. Going to "hot pack" my accomodation and see what I find.
