[nellikins post]on this particular morning, we awaken to sadly discover ourselves fully grown and ready to leave the Nest (but not so adult that we have abandoned terrible wordplay. cha-ching!).
my throat is just the teeniest smidge sore, so i beg a lozenge.
momma and i enjoy several cup's worth of french press while daddles opts for a tangy limey juice. i work on casa chula housemate biznezz on the wi-fi provided in the middle of the chiang dao forest. tis a most pleasant morn.
we all agree that, given the chance, we would opt for several more days' stay at this spot on the globe - there are many more possibilities for treks, and we never got around to sampling the thai foodstuffs at Nest 2 down the road. however, island life awaits, and we press dutifully on.
momma has chartered a private air-conditioned van specically for the three of us to move from Nest to Port (the Aero variety), and it is a zippy ride from hither to thither. i read my book, which has recently transformed from dully forgettable to scintillating. at the request of momma, we make an approximately 20-second stop at Sawasdee House Chiang Mai to pick up her forgotten phone charger, then carry onward and upward to Chiang Mai airport.
after a final lunched indulgence in khao soi (add-your-own-chile), we hop aboard our second AirAsia flight of the trip and scurry in a southerly direction. i read my book (oh samad! you knew poppy burt-jones was bad news from the beginning, and now you must eat your just desserts).
immediately upon arrival in thailand's largest island, mom expresses a wish to experience the advertised "Phuket FantaSea" - only she pronounces it in the most juvenile of manners, betraying her inner linguistic delinquent.
we leap into a taxi-meter and we're off! to karon, which turns out to be a good hour away from the airport (biggish island, remember?), specifically to baan suay guesthouse. i have a "luxury" room and the 'rents have a bungalow. while my aircon is just this side of "functional," the bungalows are apparently itty-bitty, so i revel in my spacious quarters. however, by this point the teeniest-bit-sore throat has blossomed into a fully fledged threatening head cold, and i am also feeling a tad stressed from house business back in bangkok, so said "reveling" consists of phone calls, makeshift spreadsheets, and kleenex. mom and dad pick up amoxicillan tablets for me from a pharmacy down the way, and we're all pleased that thailand cares little for prescriptions.
when i finally venture downways, i discover an interloper. it is marsha! she is a travel guide of sorts and has aided mother in organizing a few phuket activities. she has written 25 books on the delicate and exquisite art of TEFL. this is her third job, can you believe it? also, riding elephants is Sick and Wrong.
she asks what my plans are, and i tell her i have applied for an ETA Fulbright in Spain. she questions whether i might be sure of my qualifications for such a post. i respond that, forsooth, it would be folly to speculate on such a future uncertainty, as the Lord does not take kindly to those wishing a sneak-peek of His Plans.
a decision is reached that we ought to accompany Marsha and her niece to dine this evening, so we innocently board her automobile (the Cliche Monster within whispers, "like lambs to a slaughter"). we Zip, we Zoom! Marsha, never one to blush in the face of adversity, comments that she simply loved to drive speedily as a youngster and has just never quite outgrown it, ha ha! our appreciation of phuket's many hills and their hairpin turns grows with great rapidity.
we make a quick (naturally!) stop at Marsha's place of residence to gather her niece. Marsha takes this opportunity to share her extensive and varied collection of orchids with us, as well as the fact that her home is protected by lasers. zip, zap, zoom! we are off again!
the SUV scoots to a stop at rawai beach, decidedly low-key for an island famed for its party-hardy scene. no high rises here. a wide sidewalk borders the waves (no real sandy beachiness at our location) filled with rustic tapestry-covered tables and benches that merge into seating areas on the ground, complete with mats and pillows. across the street are a wide range of open-air kitchens, all displaying their collection of alive and recently-alive seafood in the front. it's adorable!
we cross the street and pick out a particularly promising batch of critters. squid, prawns, and a fatty red snapper have already passed on from this mortal coil; a fiesty crab is still kicking (but not for long!). we also select cooking methods along with a few accompanying salads, then settle into our pillows and salivate.
the food comes in droves. we declare the grilled snapper and the yellow curry crab to be the stars of the show. the perfect pairing with fresh seafood is nothing more complicated than sea breeze, and this we have in spades, and it is a perfectly lovely night.
Marsha thoughtfully elects to take the Scenic Route back to baan suay, which consists of black mountains, black beaches, and a black sea. it is 11 PM.
my illness has sprouted wings and is now ready to fly. i zippily, zoomily become nauseated, and manage to hold off until reaching the guesthouse for the night. hoorah!
afterwards, i call a carlos and we have a nice chat. i despair at the lack of likelihood that i will be interested in joining the bike tour we have planned for tomorrow, but know that i can sag in the van if necessary, and ensure that i bring my excellent book.
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