So I returned to my original guesthouse to take the tour I had booked. I couldn't get my money back. I spoke with some of the people staying there, and no one else had the negative experiences that I had. So I guess that it's my luck here in Thailand...
The tour consists of an hour's ride to a local dam, an hour's boat ride, then an hour's walk to the cave. You're in the cave for, you guessed it, an hour. There's a lot of running water, and a section you have to swim. Not something they would let you do in the US. Too many would sue for injuries.
True to form, I fell down three times, though none of them were in the cave. I have a cut I'm watching. The guides didn't carry the first aid kit. We weren't allowed to carry our bags to the cave, as they'd end up soaked, so it was several hours before I could get the cut cleaned.
I was talking with one of the people staying at the guesthouse. He was saying that it was really friendly, and they were very welcoming. In fairness, they did buy us dinner on the way home, when it was not included in the tour. This guy really appreciated that. And I can respect that.
But I find that I'm at the point where I care less about the warm fuzzy feeling from the people running the place, than I do about the exact standards of the place. For instance, they took us to the dam in a pick up truck, not the minivans used by other guesthouses. It's not safe to ride in the bed of a truck at highway speeds. (I was in the cab.) Everyone else liked the views of Thailand.
Maybe I'm more conservative. Maybe some of this is age. Having made it to 30, I'd like to see 40...
2 comments:
Sounds like your adventure has become a little hairy at this point. I am sure that sometime in the future that you will be amused by all of the past days happenings.
Sorry I haven't posted in awhile. Greg bought a house and closed on it last Monday. The house is right next to Heather Zech's on the corner of Forest Hill and Biltmore. It is a 2 story brick...a diamond in the rough. Our lives have been a comedy of errors since closing on the house. We are currently living in our apartment until we can get some of the upgrades finished. The carpet has been pulled up to reveal lovely hardwood floors. They need a little sanding and poly, but before that I have to remove the carpet tape, tack strip, and staples. All of the staples have been removed and most of the tack strip. Today I will hopefully remove all of the carpet tape, it is very sticky but I believe that I have found a solvent that removes it fairly effortlessly without too many fumes! The bathroom upstairs does'nt have a toilet, sink or tub...we removed them and are replacing them asap. Forget not having a toilet seat, we have no toilet! Okay, not true, there is a toilet on the main floor, but the water is shut off so only #1 may be done! Greg decided to go ahead and run new plumbing to the bathrooms and kitchen while we had things demolished instead of waiting until something broke down the line. We are so far doing all of the work ourselves and hope to be in the house by the first of the year. Potentially we will have everything done by the time you arrive back in the States...cross your fingers!!!
Take care of yourself...you can't afford to be ill. BTW, did you hook up with the Thailand Jaycees? Keep me posted!
Happy Belated Birthday! 30 isn't so bad, even I made it through. I am glad to hear that Pad thai was your meal of choice on the big day! It is one of my favorites!
Enough of my rambling, can't wait to hear more and stay safe!
Your friend,
Roxy
Alright, now we get down to some serious training---the backpacker's equivalent of off-roading. Fortunately your 4WD is turned on and you've got a good head of steam already. Now, take care of the cuts and scrapes (you did bring Neosporin right?) and dont bathe in water that looks dodgy. Remember, most of Europe doesn't bathe at all. YOU CAN DO IT.
Don't forget to take pictures of these places. :)
/pbz
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