April Fools Day 2005 was no joke. But I had to wonder. I woke up in a huge bed made with luxurous white linens to the sound of waves lapping up on a tropical beach in Thailand. A gentle breeze was billowing the sheer curtains on our balcony and the ceiling fan bathed us in fresh sea air.
The sun was already high enough to chase away shadows and the air had that "it's going to be hot later" quality. With no place to go and all day to get there we decided to stay in bed longer than absolutely necessary.
We ordered room service breakfast and ate on the veranda so we could watch the aqua-blue waters change hues as fluffy white clouds
cast their shadows. We splurged on the room and got the executive suite. It set us back almost thirty bucks, but what the heck, we're worth it. And besides, the Thai economy needs our tourist dollars. We even went the extra mile and got TWO massages each day and ordered wine and dessert with every meal.
In fact, three nights and four days at this exclusive resort cost us almost a week's wages. Thailand is a vacation destination where the poor and obscure can feel like the rich and famous.
We rented a jeep and drove up the coast to go diving one day. The water was 86 degrees so there was no need for a wetsuit. The
visibility wasn't great but at least I got to dive some more. I miss Egypt for that aspect. The drive was actual quite fun as well. They drive on the other side of the road and build their cars backwards so I had to shift with my left hand. I gave Marcey a few scares by edging a bit close to the side of the road. But at least I never
inadvertently played chicken with anyone.
We also got to see much of the damage done from the tsunami. One particularly low-lying area we drove by was completely wiped out. Piles of rubble, sand and trees were scattered haphazardly where beach resorts had once stood. Our dive guide had a
horrific story about waking up in his bungalow that morning to the sound of rushing water. By the time he got out of bed and reached his front door the water was half way up it. He escaped the house and clung to the eaves until the water receded. He saw everything float by from furniture to cars. Frightening for sure, but get this. He lived two miles from the beach. Isn't that crazy? Topography determined what was destroyed and what was spared. A low-lying resort would be completely swept out to sea while a neighboring resort on a small hillside would be totally untouched. It was fascinating to see.
So we enjoyed three days of tropical beach living, eating well, and getting massages. It was a nice way to end our high adventure week. Earlier we had spent some time in Chiang Mai in the mountainous north. Still hot and tropical, but in a more jungle way and less beach way. We went hiking and bought coffee from hill tribes. We went on an elephant trek and dodged banana branches on the back of a
pachyderm for an hour. We went bamboo rafting in a semi-swift, nearly ankle-deep raging river. We saw lizards, monkeys and exotic birds. We meandered through the bustling night markets and bought lots of local crafts and wares. Especially bootleg DVDs. At two bucks each it's difficult to "just say no" to breaking international copyright laws.
Bangkok was a brief stopover, but we managed to see the Golden Reclining Buddha and the Shameless Reclining Strippers. One is a cherished national icon which everyone around the world identifies with Thailand and the other is a big shiny statue lying on its side that doesn't do anything lewd with ping pong balls. We were careful not to be unwitting drug mules for anyone since we had read "The Damage Done", a book which recalls the true story of an Australian man who spent twelve years in a Thai prison for drug
trafficking. Think "Midnight Express" with cockroaches and tropical disease.
So after a week of tropical vacation we were rejuvenated and ready to return to work. That lasted about two days. We immediately started to plan our next trip, a five day weekend in Cyprus at the end of April.