Laren and I had one whole day to do something special together without anyone sick or any scheduled appointments. The first time since being here in Chiang Mai! First things first, we did want to go to the bus station to buy our tickets, although Maria told us we didn’t have to if we didn’t want to, in fact you could just buy the tickets on the bus if needed. But being Americans and who I am, I wanted to make sure we knew what we were doing since we had the time to do it.
We scheduled with Maria to go whenever she had a space of time in between her moving back to Chiang Mai and Jabez’s Dr.’s appointment to check his surgery site. While we waited Laren went to find an ATM to get the money we needed to buy our tickets and pay for our last few nights stay at Sripoom Guesthouse. After the kids left the cost was just under $17.00 dollars/night for just the 2 of us. It seems so inexpensive, but believe me it adds up quickly when you are there longer than you expected. There are much more expensive places and cheaper places, of course, but this place was a huge blessing, with 2 rolls of toilet paper a day and 5 waterbottles of safe drinking water, besides any utensils, kettles or machetes we needed, plus safe hot water for tea which we used often with the “Chiang Mai bug” we experienced, all this as we needed to use while we were there.
So Laren took off hunting for an ATM, I began packing up and getting ready for the bus trip. Maria called during this time and soon Laren was back and off we went to meet her at her guest house. We headed off to find a reasonable Song Tau and headed to the bus station. We found very long lines for the Green Busline, which is one option going where we were headed. The good thing about it is that it goes straight through to Mae Sot where Adams would meet us for the last 2 hour part of the trip. It took a good 45 minutes to get up to the window to find out what the bus times where for departure. We found out the first bus did not leave until 11:45 am, which was a good time to allow us to eat breakfast, gather our things and get to the station without rush, but the sooner we got going the sooner we could meet the Adams at the other end and get to Sunshine Children’s Home. When we found out how late the bus left, Maria lead us over to another busline in a different part of the station with no line, found out their first bus left at 7:00 am. Quite a bit earlier. We bought our tickets and found out we needed to be back there by 6:45 am the next morning. Yeah, that was done. We were very thankful for Maria's help and knowledge in how the system works and how to do it. Thank you, Maria!
But before I leave this, I want to share why I think we were in that line. While we were standing there just 10 minutes or so before it was our turn a young woman from Europe with her back pack on her back came over to ask us if we knew if this busline went to, and she named some village. Of course Laren and I didn’t know, but even Maria was unsure. She told us she had 10 minutes to buy her ticket and get on her bus (that is what I did not want to do, be in a rush). Maria suggested she go up to the window and ask someone behind the counter her question. She tried to do that, but got no response from anyone, so she headed to the back of our line, which as you remember, was a long wait. She would never make it in 10 minutes. Soon here she was in front of us again, asking if we would please buy her 2 tickets to, whatever the name of her desired destination was. Laren agreed to do it for her and then there we were at the window. Laren bought the tickets gave them to her and her change and she was off, I’m sure she just made her bus. We got our question asnwered and we were off to go to another bus where we could have bought the tickets on the bus if we had wanted to do it that way (if I understand it correctly, you cannot buy tickets on all bus lines). So apparently we were in that line for her and her friend, not us. I love it how that works that way. How God uses us in various situations, to answer other peoples prayers even if they aren’t praying people. God works that way so well!
It was nearing the time Maria needed to go but on the way back to the mote area we stopped at a large Thai market, where few Farangs or Galawa’s shop at. It was very big, very crowded (more with things being sold than people, at least this time of the day) and quite interesting. You could buy a fancy 10 oz or so container of dried larvae if you were hungry, besides, pigs feet, pork balls, and mirades of other things from clothing to snacks, blankets o purses, etc. We had gotten a phone call during this time from Steve Rawlings and we were planning on eating supper together and then going to the walking market later that evening, which starts at 4:00 pm. In the mean time Bucky Knecht called to ask if we wanted to come out to their place for a snack, he would pick us up as he had to go into town anyway. We had to pass as we already had plans, but we hope to get to do that again if we are back to do it. But while we were at this large market we received another phone call from Steve, letting us know that they weren’t going to make it after all. So it turned out to be a date with just the 2 of us, which was nice too.
While we were wondering around, (I was looking for a blanket), we found little tiny picnic style tables where we could sit and drink the coconut’s we had gotten for our lunch. The bad thing about where we found to sit was that it was right across a single, narrow, walkway where 2 ladies were selling sea food and toads. She had 2 larger tubs full, of 2 sizes of eels, a tub of baby turtles, several tubs of different fish, some kind of snail or something, and on the table were some live fish amazingly still alive after having laid their for who knows how long. Soon a man came bringing a net with quite a few large toads (Ponape sized toads) which he sold to her and she placed in one of her large net covered tubs to sell. It was amazing how many people came to buy from her. While we were there one of the more lively fish who really wanted to live, managed to fling himself off of the table and landed in the isle, splashing my arm as he went by. Just before we left that area a man came and ordered a lot of these items. A big bag of eels, all the toads, live fish, and 3 of the big fish on the table, including the want- to- be escapee. It all took my appetite away. I felt sorry for all the living things that were going to be eaten by mankind. Just wasn’t appealing to me at all.
Later after walking to the mote area where the Walking Market is located we enjoyed walking along the blocked off street to see what people were selling. It was very interesting. Besides things to sell (no fresh produce), there were several different groups of people singing or playing instruments to make money. Some were quite nice, others weren’t our style.
We returned to our room, finished getting ready as much as we could. Laren went and paid for our stay so we wouldn’t have to find them so early in the morning to pay. I had bought a couple of cards and wrote thank you's to Leah and Anong and gave each of them a set of 2 CD's that have the Great Controversy read in both English and Thai. Please pray they will listen to either one of them. It was a very nice relaxed day for our last day.
Note: Currently I am unable to add pictures. I will add as able.
No comments:
Post a Comment