Dazed and Amazed

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  Chiang Mai, Thailand
Friday, February 29, 2008

I woke up only slightly hungover and early, as usual, and anxious to get the whole glasses shopping thing out of the way.  It was an annoyance I really didn't need.  But it's a leap year day so it's bound to be a good one.  I got my shit together and set off on what on the map looked like would be a long walk to the Airport Central Plaza Mall.  I was there within a half an hour.  But the mall didn't open until 11 and it was only just past 10.  It had just what I needed.  Four levels and a gazillion stores and loads of optical shops, three of them with a decent selection of frames.  Making sure they could be delivered within a week and that they understood my prescription and negotiating the price was another matter.  Frames were priced about the same across the stores but the lenses were another matter.  They varied all the way from 3500 baht to 7000 baht and the language barrier made it pretty much impossible for me to determine why.  Getting any kind of assurance that they'd be ready so I could make my 12th of March deadline to be out of the country was dicey too.  I went with the best deal and I'm told my new glasses will be ready for pick-up when I arrive back in Chiang Mai next Saturday.  Rayban frames and plastic coated lenses all for the unbelievable low, low price of $280!  I was out of there before my self imposed deadline of 1 p.m.   

I then headed to the nearest bus depot to find out about bus times for my Sunday departure to Pai.  The only (and I mean only) real annoying thing I've found in Thailand so far is that it's near impossible to find bus terminals.  Signage is usually non-existant, they seem to be strangely situated and maps are vague.  Anyway, I found it only to learn that buses to Pai go from the other terminal.  Screw it, I'll just show up Sunday morning and buy a ticket. 

It's a hot, hot and I've had a busy day.  Time for a quick beer before I spend an hour or two updating this thing.  I go back to Chiang Mai Saloon where I know the beer is ice cold and get chatting with an Auzie, Tony from Byron Bay.  Tony's up to the same shit as me.  Soon an American fellow, a Vietnam vet, joins us in a conversation about why generally there aren't a lot of Americans traveling out here (I won't go into it here but I think it's pretty easy to figure out).  A couple of big Singhas later and I haven't gotten to my blog or booked my Thai cooking class or checked back at the Eagle Guesthouse & Trekking outfit to find out if they found my glasses, and it's after 6 and a few of us are meeting any minute at said saloon so we can head over to catch a night of Thai boxing a little later on. 

I dash off and book my cooking course.  No probs.  The blog'll have to wait until later.  I run down to the Eagle House and nearly freakin' die of shock.  They found my glasses!  She had them there.  I nearly lept over the counter and gave her a big kiss.  Completely inappropriate here in Thailand of course.  The Thai people are a great lot.  They really bend over backwards to accomodate you but it never comes across as insincere or moreso as sucky like 'I'll do anything to get a buck from you'.  Lek would have had to call somebody by cell where signals are sketchy at best and have them drive over to that camp and look around, and they made it happen.  Really something.  So now I have my glasses back and a back up pair that cost me a week's worth of traveling expenses here in Thailand.  I practically skipped back to my guesthouse.  Leap year day. 

Around about 8ish, Maya and Thomas from the trek and my new friend Tony and I headed over to the 'stadium' for a night of Thai boxing and Singha beer.  400 baht gets the farang ring-side seats in plastic white patio chairs.  50 baht gets you a cold Singha.  The locals are on their feet on one side of the ring.  I imagine they pay something less than 400 baht, like maybe 20.  There's live music, a three piece outfit which I can only describe as Indian influenced with a piper and bongos and bells.  The music plays during the fights.  There are eight bouts. The atmosphere is a raucous.  The farang get into it as much as the locals.  You can bet with a couple of booky types too.  Tony and some guy from Vancouver who is sitting in front of us get into the action.  Minimum 200 baht per bet.  That's when it starts to look like the fix is in.  They lost every bet they made.  On a couple of occasions a fighter who appeared to be in control inexplicably would quit, withdrawing to the corner.  In other instances where the bout was completed the fighter who appeared not to have won was declared the victor.  What the hell do we know about Thai boxing?   Anyway, we started imagining that the bookies were signaling the corner at the appropriate time and that the fix was in.  It was hilarious.  What a day!  Amazing.  Home to bed.  Cooking class starts at 9:30. I want to be well rested.    

   

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