Big Mango Bar
drink and blog

Day 11 by ~h

Posted by John Obama | Reader Submissions | Posted on June 14th, 2006

#111 showed up at exactly 8:15 as I was eating breakfast at my hotel. I grabbed my bags and we waited on the street for a few minutes for the cab driver I booked the night before to show up. But in classic Thai fashion he didn’t show. It was 8:45 AM and we had a plane to catch to in Bangkok to Cheing Mai at 12:30. What to do? #111 led us over to a Baht Bus and she told the driver to get us to the bus station ASAP. We caught the 9:10 to the closest station to Bangkok Airport. We got on a big air-conditioned Greyhound type bus. And we started our stress free journey to Northern Thailand. As thanks to her I gave her my ipod headphones and I played DJ for the next hour straight. I played her some of my favorite music. I just gazed out the window watching the Thai countryside pass by on our way from Pattaya to Bangkok. It was a delightful ride except for the red ant that was munching on an old mosquito bite on my ankle.

We get to the end of the bus ride, grab our bags and head right for the
metered taxi stand – bypassing all the touts who wanted to rip us off.
#111 knew the game and saved me some serious baht. Taxi from Pattaya to
Bangkok on a good day would be at least 900 Baht. Today for two of us
all the way to the airport was less than 400 baht. Got to the airport
one hour early and relaxed at the terminal where they have
complimentary food and drink and newspapers. We board the plane and we
are having a great time laughing and joking. We take off get served
lunch, read Lonely Planet about Chiang Mai. We make a stop to refuel
and take off again, in the air for another 25 minute and land in Cheng
Mai. A guide from the company who is leading our trek through the
jungle greets us. We go to the office to check in, sign some papers and
I look over at #111 and she does not look happy. We get back on a bus
and we are dropped at our hotel The Royal Hanna. Bad sign, the hotel
was right in the middle of three existing construction sites, it was
dusty and dirty looking from the outside. #111 was frowning, trouble
was brewing. We go into the lobby and check in. The people were very
nice. A bellboy leads us to our room on the 11th floor. We get off the
elevator and I notice I can barley see through the floor to ceiling
windows because they are so dirty. We walk down a hallway that is
covered with black scratch marks and exposed wires, a chipped tile
floor and room after room with pad locks. We are led to a very basic
Holiday in type room. #111 and I are pretty unhappy with the situation.

After the bell boy leaves I go right back down to the front desk to
complain about the filthy room. They show me another room, which is
just as poor. The lady tells me that this hotel doesn’t have any star
ratings. Well how swell is that? I go back to my room and tell #111 we
are going to leave this hotel. I call my Bangkok Travel Agent and tell
him I will report him to the tourist authority if he doesn’t get me
into a good room right away. Ten minutes later our trek guides are
downstairs and we go to another hotel.
We arrive at a much smaller intimate place called The Ramming Lodge, how appropriate.

#111 and I both let out a sigh of relief and an additional 1,500 Baht
for the three nights, we check in. 111 is happy, I am happy and we
unpack and head out for dinner. #111 dresses in a black halter top with
a black sheer wrap-around skirt and heels, she looks exotic and radiant
and I am proud to be with her. We jump into a tuk-tuk and head to the
Night Bizarre. As we get out of the tuk-tuk, we start to notice that
every farrang and a lot of Thai men stare at #111. She really stands
out in Chiang Mai where in Pattaya she is just another Ying dressed to
kill.

We are overwhelmed by the variety of goods and bargain basement prices
that surround us and we start scouting for gifts. But first we must
eat. We wonder around but can’t make up our minds until we decide on
Fuji Sushi. We have a great meal and get to know more about one
another. I dig into her past, which she had been very protective about
until this point. I start to get truths about her life and why she
chose to be a soapie girl. She is complicated and I feel there are
certain things I can’t share with the group anymore, as I would be
breaking her confidence. I am falling for her.

What I like about her; She is independent, she is smart and tough in a
street sense, she is exotic and beautiful, funny at times and she has
skills unmatched by anyone I’ve met in my 42 years.

She is not an American woman. She does little things that a western
woman wouldn’t do. She always serves me first, she always insists I
shower first; she packed my suitcase perfectly when we had to leave.
Also, there are many other things she does but I just can’t think of
them right now.