Operation "Blunderbuss" Part 10

Chapter 10 - The last straw

"Hotel hobbies padding dawns hollow corridors, a typewriter cackles out a stream of memories"

I got up around 11am and had my breakfast, there wasnt much to do today so i just chilled out around the hotel. Andy & Ho left around 6 pm & after our goodbyes i was on my own. I wasnt really planning on doing too much that night & didnt want to stray too far from the hotel as i only knew how to get to Soi 13 & back.

I had my tea & had a nice cheeseburger & chips in the hotel cafe before nipping out to a bar just next door for a few beers, i sat at the bar & started drinking. As the evening wore on i felt a tingling sensation just above my ankles which got stronger & stronger. By the time i left the bar at 1 am the tingling was getting quite uncomfortable. I put this down to my sunburn i got from the boat trip in Phuket & the fact that i had received a few insect bites down there as well. I went back to the hotel & went on the computer in the lobby, i got talking to an american guy called Lee who was on the computer next to me & we decided to go to Soi 13 for a couple of late drinks.

We got to Soi 13, took a table & started our first beer, it wasnt long before the street vendors came over & Lee couldnt wait to get his wallet out & was buying laser pens, nuts, snacks & all sorts. I noticed Lee had a fancy watch on which was also a telephone & he received a couple of calls from some women he had on the go in Bangkok. Lee offered to "hook me up" with some of his "women" he has in various parts of the world but i said no thanks mate, ill find my own, Lee certainly was a character. A little later a couple of thai ladies came over to us & we got talking to them. One of them insisted on giving me a hand massage & as she did she said that i had something wrong with me. I thought she was messing about but she noticed just above my ankles where i had the sunburn & insect bites & said that i had to go to the hospital. I said she was overcooking this but about an hour later i could barely walk & my feet & ankles were starting to swell up. It was time to get a taxi to the hospital, i was very worried indeed, luckily the thai lady (i forget her name) came with me, very nice of her.

We arrived at hospital & i was surprised that there were no patients in A & E at all, it was very quiet, even more surprising when you consider it was about 5 am on sunday morning. The doctor saw me & explained that i had been bitten & this had become infected on both ankles, luckily it was a slow infection & i would be ok to fly home that night. I was wheelchaired through to the pharmacy area & had to pay 1,000 baht/£20 for some antibiotics. What a relief, i'd got visions of having my feet chopped off, being unable to fly and/or shelling out hundreds on seeing a doctor. I was a very lucky boy & in the hospital less than 1 hour. The thai lady came back to my hotel & made sure i got inside & tucked up in bed ok, very kind of her & i was very grateful. Anyway a bit later she left & i managed a small amount of breakfast before sleeping in most of the day. I woke and was managing to hobble gingerly on my feet & my left foot in particular was painful & uncomfortable. I checked out of the Honey & had a last cheeseburger and chips before i got a taxi to the airport.

My flight was extremely restless & uncomfortable, i just couldnt sit still with my feet aching &tingling all the way home. Things got a bit easier when i caught my transferring flight from Istanbul & by the time i had got home i was so shattered I spent for most of the next 2 days in bed.

Epilogue

All in all i had the time of my life in Thailand, i met old and new friends, met loads of other fantastic people and had mind blowing exeperiences! There wasnt a day that passed that i didnt enjoy, saw something amazing or did or experienced something new. If i return there i wouldnt go to Bangkok for as long, a couple of days is all that is needed, id probably spend more time in Phuket or try somewhere else. I've really enjoyed writing my blogs and hope that i have given you something interesting and funny to read about. Thanks to Rich, Chris, Neil, Andy, Ho and everyone else i met there and who i spent time with.

Operation Blunderbuss was a resounding success.