Saturday, May 3, 2008

Better now.

I am finally on the mend. A week ago after another terrible bout of traveler's tummy (okay, it never actually stopped) and feeling weak, I dragged myself to Bumrungrad Hospital (I'll keep the puns re: the first two syllables of the hospital to myself...or not) in Bangkok. Gorgeous hospital -- Starbucks in the lobby and McDonald's on the second floor, oddly enough-- and sought a doctor. I was seen by a very kindly, elfin, giggly doctor with huge eyeglasses and a tragic comb-over. They ran some tests on me; I had definitely lost more than ten pounds since leaving the States. Lab results came back -- parasite infection. Hurray! Due to dubious hygienic practices in India (their quaint ideas of no toilet paper and sporadic hand-washing) that no amount of Purell could keep me safe from, I picked up some critters who cozied up in my innards for the last month or so. They got to enjoy more of my food than I did, I guess. I was prescribed a heavy dose of antibiotics to take over the next 3 days and to avoid alcohol for six days. I left the hospital in heavy rain and found my way to the train station for a night bus bound for Krabi.

I am now in Koh Phi Phi which is nice but a little too Ultimate Spring Break for me plus it's strange to sun oneself on a beach where who knows how many died 3 years ago. There's a great swath of land that is clearly just being rebuilt -- foundations of swept away buildings lie covered in weeds and there are a number of topless palm-trees.

Woke up to a gang of monkeys surrounding the bungalow this a.m. One let a paw dangle over the porch roof near my face. I high-fived him, marveling at the soft, yielding baby-hand feeling. He didn't appreciate it.

Internet is expensive -- I'm hiding from the sun at the moment and have left Christian to fend for himself, surrounded by topless women under the topless palm trees. He said he didn't mind, he didn't feel too harassed.

Pictures soon, more entries soon. Falling behind, I know. Two of my five memory cards have decided to stop working when I try to upload them. Not good. I'm blaming elephant snot.

1 comment:

Unknown said...

One night in Bangkok and the world's your oyster

The bars are temples but the pearls ain't free

You'll find a god in every golden cloister

And if you're lucky then the god's a she

I can feel an angel sliding up to me