Thursday: the misadventures of my travels

Today I proved my dink-ness (like dingy, but dink). I woke up early despite a late night and struggled to shower and pack through  tired eyes. A friend was kind enough to take me to the local airport around 9:15 for my 10:20 flight. I was told the flight is actually pretty fun as you fly fairly low and it only holds 12 passengers. I was excited for the trip despite my sadness to leave Pai.

Goodbye Pai. I will see you again soon!

The runway of the teeny airport. And of course dogs were running about. 

There was no plane, no other travelers and no face at the desk. It seemed very laid back, not even having walls-just a roof over some typical airport style chairs. I stood there for maybe 2 minutes, looking for someone when a man pulled in on a scooter. He was the sole face of the airport. After he saw my confirmation email he pointed to his shirt that said "Kan Airways" and I had booked with "Nok Airways"...at another airport that happened to be 3 hours away. In my booking what felt like endless flights last night I had thought "Mae Hong Song" was the name of the Pai airport, not a town 3 hours away. Whooooops! 

So to breakfast it was! I felt as though the universe didn't want me to leave Pai. I enjoyed some laughs over tea and fruit after buying my $6 (puke) bus ticket. 

After breaky I said my goodbyes and loaded into the van. I looked up after sitting down and there was dried puke all over the back of the seat in front of me. Ewwww. Just as I realized this and was plotting how not to touch it, the bus driver alerted me I was in the wrong seat. I graciously moved to the front row. I popped in my headphones to distract me from my emotions and the thought of leaving this awesome place and soon passed out from the Dramamine. Thank goodness the only noises to wake me were a few random stops to drop people off and an ID check point by the police. I really didn't understand that part, but it seemed they were only checking the locals.

I arrived at the Chiang Mai bus station around 2:20, but my flight out to Bangkok from CM was at 12:05. My lesson today was to be in the moment and enjoy the journey. Everything was going beyond wonderful, so I needed a little balance to remind myself of what to be grateful for. I hopped in a tuk tuk headed to the airport. On the freeway. This was a first!

I got to the airport and decided I packed ridiculously too much stuff. This bag is beyond heavy! 15.2 kg, whatever that is in pounds. I'll google it later! It's like toting a small child around and up and down repeatedly. Lesson learned: when you think you packed light, you didn't! Pack far less! I haven't even worn or used a fair amount. Such a girl!

After about an hour of hopping from counter to counter, I lost the value of two tickets (not much!) and had a flight to Bangkok for the night. I tried with all my might to get another flight to Koh Samui (island), but they were all full for the day. 

So, "One night in Bangkok" it was! My flight to Koh Samui is for 7:55am, getting me out of Bangkok ASAP! 

I arrived in Bangkok in just over an hour, grabbed some snacks and hopped in a taxi. The taxi service is so strange! You go to an outside mini counter where they ask where you are headed and hand you a receipt which you give to the driver. There is a line of drivers standing, waiting their turn to take you away. My driver happened to be parked the farthest away. This bag is far too heavy. My driver kept looking back and prompting me to what seemed to be "walk faster". My short legs can't go any faster with this thing! 

My driver didn't quite know where my hotel was so as we were driving in the area he was told it was, we were searching for the place. We saw it and he pulled over after passing & apparently was done. Walking back down the street & down the long driveway-with my bag! 

I settled in my room quickly then headed to the nearby night market, which I discovered was for locals. The booths were filled with cheap clothing (not cool fisherman pants for tourists) and food items for sale, cooked and groceries. 

My first sighting at the market, 3 kittens rambunctiously playing. So sweet and innocent. And then...

This market was a first for me and makes me strongly consider becoming vegetarian. Remember when I said don't buy food with meat?! This is why....

A snake thing (thinking eel) lower right, frogs complete with hearts on left, and random part and pieces which I could not identify.

More parts and organs 

Squid and shrimp

Fried chicken feet

Random snacks and pink eggs. Pink eggs are dyed to let you know they contain a small fetus of a chicken. They are left to fertilize for a bit before being collected.

Complete chickens in yoga

I hurried through to find something non meat to eat and get out of here! I grabbed a coconut which the lady hacked open for me to drink, a veggie omelet and dessert. They put everything in plastic bags here. My dessert was condensed milk with a jelly type substance that looks like green beans. I had tried it at Elephant Nature Park and loved it. Here it was the bag of green jelly, with another bag inside that with the milk. 

I headed back to my room with my food and ate dinner out of plastic bags. Thankfully I did pack my bamboo silverware beforehand! The silverware was much needed weight in my bag. 

To bed I go, I'm exhausted from little sleep in Pai and a day of travel. SO anxious to be on an island tomorrow!