Bangkok to KL
"FUCK!"
My knee hits the concrete side of the path at the same time as the ground. The bag holding my food for the trip also hits the ground and I know without even looking that at least one of the glass bottles inside has broken.
I lie on my side, covering the rain-slicked, yellow, textured tiles for the blind that I'd slipt on while heading for the boat that would take me to the train station.
I pull myself up, it's harder with my backpack and messenger bag filled with everything I have. A girl passes me the bag I had full of food. My knee hurts. I make my way onto the dock, walking carefully down the ramp. As I limp onto the floating platform I look up and see that the boat has just pulled away.
"YOU MOTHER FUCKERS! YOU FUCKING SUCK! I HATE YOU, YOU FUCKING FUCKERS!"
I look in my food bag and see a shattered glass bottle top lying on top of the other food. I find a garbage can and transfer the blue liquid covered contents I can save into another bag, and throw out the rest. My sandwiches are ruined. The sandwiches that I made for myself because I knew I would spend more than 24 hours travelling. The bag they were in has been punctured, they're blue.
I stand by the dock waiting for the next boat to come, I have time, I always give myself lots of time for travel, but I still need to get to the train station.
The next boat comes, but it's not one of the usual river boats, instead it's a tourist boat. I know these don't go to every stop along the river, so I approach the ticket seller (who had come down from her booth) and the ticket taker (who has come off the boat), and I ask them if this boat will go to the Harbour Department. "Yes," I am told. "It does."
I board the boat and sit down and wait, watching the stops go by. At the stop before the Harbour Department I ask the guy who ropes the boat to the dock if it stops at the Harbour Department. He also tells me "Yes."
So I am confused/angered when the boat passes the Harbour Department dock without even slowing.
"Why did you tell me we stopped at the Harbour Department?"
"No, uh..." His English isn't that good, and you know, I don't expect it to be. He points in the direction of the ticket seller.
"Why did you tell me this boat stopped at the Harbour Department?"
Her English also isn't the best (and why should it be?), but she makes it known that she never said that. Even if she hadn't the ticket seller (who did speak English as I boarded the boat in an area filled with foreigners and saw her talking to some) did.
I get off the boat. Frustrated that I now have to walk even further. My knee hurts. Fuck.
I go to a convienence store and buy an alcoholic beverage and a bottle opener. I have soon drank that alcopop thing and the two remaining ones in my bag. Sadly as alcopops always seem to come in puny little bottles (275ml?) I feel very little effect.
I get to the train station, and yeah, there's not really anything for me to eat. I can't really even bring myself to buy more food beyond a yogurt and some fruit.
I board the train (and wonder why they have a giant 2 on the side of the train when it's not train carriage number 2). Eventually I find my seat.
My knee hurts. I wish I'd kept that alcohol. Or bought more. Or something. They bring around menus to order dinner. I cannot bring myself to spent far too much on fried vegetables. I hate fried vegetables. I never want to eat them again. I will survive on the junk food I still have (thankfully I didn't lose all my food).
Hours pass. I read. My bed gets flipped down (benefits of sleeper carriage). I wish I had pain killers. How often do I wish I had pain killers? Never. Wait. I do have pain killers. From Canada. I hope they haven't expired or anything. Yes! One now, one tomorrow.
The next day my knee isn't as bad. The train is only half an hour late. I buy a bus ticket. Half an hour til the bus leaves. Ok. I get on the bus in half an hour. I wait. A long time. We change buses. I wait longer. Like two hours after we're supposed to we actually leave (why did I have to buy a ticket on this bus?).
It takes seven hours to get KL. Last time when I was in Malaysia I took buses to/from Georgetown (where the train dropped me off this time) and it took 4-5 hours each time. That's how long it's supposed to take. Not seven. fucking. hours.
I get to KL. I get to my friends house. Eventually they go to bed and I fall asleep.
Still, at least my knee isn't hurting today.
My knee hits the concrete side of the path at the same time as the ground. The bag holding my food for the trip also hits the ground and I know without even looking that at least one of the glass bottles inside has broken.
I lie on my side, covering the rain-slicked, yellow, textured tiles for the blind that I'd slipt on while heading for the boat that would take me to the train station.
I pull myself up, it's harder with my backpack and messenger bag filled with everything I have. A girl passes me the bag I had full of food. My knee hurts. I make my way onto the dock, walking carefully down the ramp. As I limp onto the floating platform I look up and see that the boat has just pulled away.
"YOU MOTHER FUCKERS! YOU FUCKING SUCK! I HATE YOU, YOU FUCKING FUCKERS!"
I look in my food bag and see a shattered glass bottle top lying on top of the other food. I find a garbage can and transfer the blue liquid covered contents I can save into another bag, and throw out the rest. My sandwiches are ruined. The sandwiches that I made for myself because I knew I would spend more than 24 hours travelling. The bag they were in has been punctured, they're blue.
I stand by the dock waiting for the next boat to come, I have time, I always give myself lots of time for travel, but I still need to get to the train station.
The next boat comes, but it's not one of the usual river boats, instead it's a tourist boat. I know these don't go to every stop along the river, so I approach the ticket seller (who had come down from her booth) and the ticket taker (who has come off the boat), and I ask them if this boat will go to the Harbour Department. "Yes," I am told. "It does."
I board the boat and sit down and wait, watching the stops go by. At the stop before the Harbour Department I ask the guy who ropes the boat to the dock if it stops at the Harbour Department. He also tells me "Yes."
So I am confused/angered when the boat passes the Harbour Department dock without even slowing.
"Why did you tell me we stopped at the Harbour Department?"
"No, uh..." His English isn't that good, and you know, I don't expect it to be. He points in the direction of the ticket seller.
"Why did you tell me this boat stopped at the Harbour Department?"
Her English also isn't the best (and why should it be?), but she makes it known that she never said that. Even if she hadn't the ticket seller (who did speak English as I boarded the boat in an area filled with foreigners and saw her talking to some) did.
I get off the boat. Frustrated that I now have to walk even further. My knee hurts. Fuck.
I go to a convienence store and buy an alcoholic beverage and a bottle opener. I have soon drank that alcopop thing and the two remaining ones in my bag. Sadly as alcopops always seem to come in puny little bottles (275ml?) I feel very little effect.
I get to the train station, and yeah, there's not really anything for me to eat. I can't really even bring myself to buy more food beyond a yogurt and some fruit.
I board the train (and wonder why they have a giant 2 on the side of the train when it's not train carriage number 2). Eventually I find my seat.
My knee hurts. I wish I'd kept that alcohol. Or bought more. Or something. They bring around menus to order dinner. I cannot bring myself to spent far too much on fried vegetables. I hate fried vegetables. I never want to eat them again. I will survive on the junk food I still have (thankfully I didn't lose all my food).
Hours pass. I read. My bed gets flipped down (benefits of sleeper carriage). I wish I had pain killers. How often do I wish I had pain killers? Never. Wait. I do have pain killers. From Canada. I hope they haven't expired or anything. Yes! One now, one tomorrow.
The next day my knee isn't as bad. The train is only half an hour late. I buy a bus ticket. Half an hour til the bus leaves. Ok. I get on the bus in half an hour. I wait. A long time. We change buses. I wait longer. Like two hours after we're supposed to we actually leave (why did I have to buy a ticket on this bus?).
It takes seven hours to get KL. Last time when I was in Malaysia I took buses to/from Georgetown (where the train dropped me off this time) and it took 4-5 hours each time. That's how long it's supposed to take. Not seven. fucking. hours.
I get to KL. I get to my friends house. Eventually they go to bed and I fall asleep.
Still, at least my knee isn't hurting today.