My weekend started off pretty slow and dry. I had gotten so bored sitting in my room this weekend that I started to count the stains on the walls. I figured that was probably the step right before being “bored to tears” so on Sunday I broke down and rented a scooter. Part of my hesitance to rent one previously was because I wanted to focus on training for the first few weeks and also because the place where I’m staying wanted you to hand over your passport when you rented a bike. (Uh…you said what now?) To prevent me from having my passport lost or stolen and being deported back to some random country because I can’t be identified…I found a place down the street that would take a copy instead. Ok so I lied a little and told the lady that my hostel was holding my passport…but whatever..that’s a minor detail. She took the copy and now I have a nice set of wheels.
I don’t think I’ve driven a motor bike of any sort since I lived in Italy 11 years ago. I went to a refresher course there and trained on an old 125cc Honda motorcycle and eventually drove a GSX-R 600. But no type of training prepares you to operate any kind of vehicle in Thailand…period.
I got my shiny new bright yellow Honda scooter and I was ready to paint the town red. Well, right after I figured out where the heck to go and how the heck to get there. I asked the cat that lived two doors down where I could find the weekend market. He didn’t know but told me I was welcome to join him and another guy as they were driving to one of the malls nearby. Ok bet. Sounds harmless enough right? So we cruise down the quiet side street that is lined with Muay Thai camps, guesthouses, and mom and pop restaurants. Then we reach the main road where people are driving like bats out of hell in every direction and I think my throat dropped in my stomach. I had to quickly pull myself together because I know that if I die in a foreign country…my momma will come out here and kill me again. Two minutes driving down the road and clenching on to the handle bars for dear life we stopped at a gas station so the two guys could fill up. And that’s when the fun began 😐 It started to pour down raining so hard that you could barely see in front of you. Luckily, I picked up some Boy Scout tips from my good friend “Last Minute Larry” before I left the states and I decided to pack an emergency poncho in my bag. We hung out for a few minutes under the gas station roof until the rain eased up a bit (by eased up I mean falling a little less heavy so that when you breath the water doesn’t go right up your nostrils). Then what did we do next? We took our crazy a**es out in the monsoon and proceeded on to the mall which was another 15 minutes down the road. I’m no complete fool so I drove slowly and carefully. So slow that there was an old woman on a scooter with 2 newborns, a gradeschooler and a fruit cart in tow that was going faster than I was. Whateva. I made it to the store safe and sound and completely drenched from the waist down. I got what I needed and made it back to my room in one piece.
This was pretty much the highlight of my weekend. I had to crash early and get ready for the “test run” at the “Plan B” gym down the street today. I’ll tell you guys how that went a little later. Right now a nap is calling my name.
thank God you had swimming lessons. this adds a new meaning to shop til you drop.