It's the end of the line, and I'm feeling like it's time to go home. I don't have any new pics to post. My flight leaves about 6:00 AM tomorrow morning, so I need to leave the hotel about 2:00 AM to get there the recommended three hours ahead. If I get some pics later, I'll post them here when I get home.
Since it's my last day I have this nagging feeling like I should bungy jump off the River Kwai bridge or something for good measure. Instead, stumbled around the resort like a zombie this morning. Thought about paying the 300 baht/hour ($10) to use the hotel's "business center" to check email....but just couldn't do it. So I caught the shuttle in to Central Plaza Mall and found a place that is 50 baht/hour. It's different than CentralWorld Mall, but seems just as big. It's the only place the shuttle goes to, this and two other malls. I know, I know, I could take a taxi somewhere. Well, I'll be happy if I never step foot in another one of these mega-malls. I've been wandering around this place for a couple hours, and will catch the shuttle back to the resort in about half hour, then not sure what I'm going to do. Feeling kind of low, maybe will try to take a nap. After the espresso I had that's probably not going to happen. Maybe go for a swim in the 30" deep pool. I just had an interesting experience in the mall restroom...I wasn't paying attention or couldn't quite tell which one I was supposed to be in for some reason and the cleanup ladies started laughing and pushed me out towards the men's room to great laughter--I guess I made their day.
Was watching the weather last night and I saw the number "6" over the Seattle area. I think that's about 40 degrees or so. Cold but not too bad. I'll just wear all my long sleeve shirts.
P.S.
I ended up getting up at 3:00 AM, checking out and catching a cab to the airport to get there about 4:30 AM, no problem. FYI, always tell the taxi to turn the meter on. A typical thing will be for him to suggest you give him 500 baht and he pays the tolls. The tolls are only 75 baht total and the entire bill, including tolls, was about 380 baht. We're only talking about a difference of around $4, they really don't make that much money. If you're feeling generous I suppose it would be OK for a one time deal, like buying some birds and setting them loose, make you feel like you're doing a good deed or something. Others will yell at me for ruining the market and encouraging unscrupulous cabbies. Whatever you're feeling at the moment I suppose. That early and before my coffee I guess I'm a grumpy scrooge.
I was fined 2,500 baht ($80) at the airport for overstaying my visa 5 days. I didn't get "in trouble" at the airport, they just sent me to the police desk and fined me 500 baht per day, took an extra 20 minutes. However, I understand that you can get in big trouble in the (highly unlikely) event you get asked to show your visa while out and about on your vacation. If the police find you to be overstaying your visa, your problems can include detainment and deportation. Several of the people who were waiting in line with me at the airport to pay fines to the police said their problem was they were in Thailand before and came back, ignorant of the fact that they needed to get a new visa. One lady was very vocal in her outrage. In my case the airline sold me a ticket for the amount of time I asked for with no mention of an overstay, so I thought everything was OK. It just didn't occur to me to think about it until I left. Visa is for 30 days, it was my responsibility to know that, so it's nobody's fault but mine. Do be careful about this and know where you stand.
I took money out of an ATM the day before my last day. The machine did not return my card. It's the first time that ever happened to me anywhere. Fortunately, the ATM was at a bank that was open. They were able to retrieve my card in about half an hour. I don't know how long it would have taken to get my card back from a stand-alone machine. I have noticed that some machines simply need you to insert your card and then pull it back out again (or maybe it was just swipe it, can't remember). I cannot tell you where I saw them, or how many, only that I noticed there was at least one like that. That's the kind I'll be looking for from now on. If not that, then only where the bank is open.
Yes, it felt cold in Seattle. Warmer a little in Portland. I'm home now, it's about noon and it feels 2:00 AM to me. I'll try to stay up to a normal bedtime, then take a pill to make sure I sleep hard a long time tonight to get a good start towards getting back on track. I told them at work I would probably take a sick day because of jet lag...but I'm actually feeling like I'd like to get back to work. Depending on how well I sleep tonight, I may go in tomorrow. It feels good to be home. My bed is just right...not too hard, not too soft.
This trip was so much better than the last one. I feel I almost did it right this time. The only nagging thing is that I meant to go less places and spend more time at the beach. I didn't do that, and I'm not sure why. Perhaps I don't like the beach all that much after all. And there's some dissatisfaction about staying in any one place for too long, always having the feeling of wanting to go some place else.
Vaguely speaking, driving in Thailand seems a lot like walking in a crowded airport. People generally move with traffic rules, but great variance is allowed and there are no markings. The drivers I rode with all considered roadway markings completely optional. You just point your nose in the direction you want to go and ease your way into traffic without being belligerent. On the ride home I was struck by how obsessed with order, safety and cleanliness we are in comparison. Learning to drive over there would be a real learning experience for me, not sure if I would ever be up for it.
