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A Rambling Journey via Trains, Motorbikes, Kayaks and Bad Knees
14 March 2007
Bangkok, Thailand

It has been a peculiar few days. We're now back in Bangkok, staying once again at The Artists' Place with Charlee. It seems to be hotter here than it was two weeks ago. Andy is almost happy, then, with his newfound immobility. Three days ago or so, he was kayaking in Lot Cave, about 50 km northwest of Pai. The following day, his knee began acting up. At first, the knee became stiff and a little sore. By the next day, though, it was painful enough that Andy was wondering if amputation wasn't an option. It was swollen like a grapefruit and lost nearly all of its articulation. Walking even short distances became quite a chore. After Liza got out of the meditation retreat, we didn't have much time left in Thailand and she hadn't seen much of Chiang Mae yet, so Andy didn't give his knee the time he probably should have to properly heal. As a result, it hasn't gotten much better yet. So, today, he has decided to stay around the guest house, resting his leg and hoping for a quick improvement.

Monday night, we took the night train from Chiang Mae to Bangkok. When we bought the tickets, only air-conditioned sleepers were available. So, instead of being able to sleep with the windows down watching the Thai countryside roll by, we had to be behind a sealed window breathing stale air. However, the train turned out to be not bad at all! First of all, it was quite comfortable: not too hot, not too cold; spacious and comfortable beds; nice people to share the ride with. Secondly, we happened onto a situation that even the most creative writers would be hard-put to out-do: in the front of the train, in the bar and restaurant car, a group of Dutch tourists had joined forces with the staff and had a really outrageous party going. There were flashing lights and blaring Dutch polka, as staff and passengers danced, drank and smoked while we went past the brush fires – the Thai countryside on fire!

One of the revelers – upon being complimented on his singing voice – said he was a famous opera singer in Holland. Who knows whether it was true or not? It doesn't matter … what matters is that this train rolled through Thailand blasting Dutch polka – or whatever it was – through small towns and flaming forests, and it was one of the most surreal experiences of our lives so far. Who would expect such a scene?

When we woke up the morning after the party, Andy's knee was still throbbing, which got him to try to identify exactly what caused this very painful injury. Most likely, what set it off was when he was kayaking at Lot Cave, or at least something that happened while he was there (which, by the way, is a very cool place – if you go there, stay at the Cave Lodge!). There, Andy met two sisters traveling with their uncle. All three of them were German-Spaniards, meaning they are Germans who have spent most of their lives living in Spain. At night, we walked to the mouth of the cave, where literally millions of birds were returning to their resting spots in the cave. Simultaneously, millions of bats were on their way out, creating the most chaotic rush hour nature could offer! It was truly and incredible sight. The only problem was that these German-Spaniards walked like they were late for a marathon – much too fast for Andy's leisurely pace. On the way back from the cave, one of his flip-flops busted, forcing him to forge his way barefoot to keep up with the marathon people, who had the only flashlight.

The next morning, Andy went kayaking through the cave with Catarina – one of the German-Spanish girls. Andy had his own kayak, while Catarina went with the guide. The water was low, so he got stuck on rocks a few times, forcing him to get out and push against the current. While he didn't feel and pain that would indicate an injury, one of these pushing-offs must have aggravated something in the right knee. The following day, the real pain began, and since then he's been limping like an old lady with a broken hip. It is a very painful injury. Coincidentally, Andy's new friend from Pai – an Irishman named Paul, who lives in Pai with his wife Thom, also injured his knee a day before Andy. Paul had met up with a friend from Ireland and after a few drinks, he crashed his motorbike on the way home. Luckily, it seems like he escaped with a minor injury. He was even upset that, while in a significant amount of pain, he had no real marks – no bruises or scars – to show for the accident!

The following day, Andy rode back to Chiang Mae to meet Liza, who had finished her meditation retreat. During a tour of some of Chiang Mae's best sites, we took a ride to the waterfall near Doi Suthep (see Motorcycle Days). We bought a beer outside the park, climbed up the steep rocks to the waterfall, and were discussing what we'd each been up to when we were approached by a man carrying what looked like a cooler. The man told us he was selling snacks, specifically chicken and shrimp, under the name ‘KFG.’ It was really quite a scene, sitting in the natural splendor of the waterfall, and being presented with piping-hot Kentucky Fried Gai (Thai for chicken)!

So, now we're back in Bangkok, after motorbikes and meditation, Dutch-Polka train parties, KFG and accident-prone Irishmen, torn knee tissue and rush hour in a cave! And Bangkok is still amazing, though as the ‘hot season’ arrives – it's always pretty hot here! – the weather can be a bit uncomfortable. In eight days, if everything goes according to plan, we'll be in Australia. While we're looking forward to Australia, we're heavy-hearted about leaving this part of the world. For now, though, we're enjoying ourselves while sweating it out in the world's hottest city, waiting for the real heat to arrive!

• Northern Thailand Photos
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