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Dave 's BIG adventure!
I was ready to go to Puket and had to get a night boat there! i didn't know it at the time but most of my group would also be on the boat but they were going to Phi Phi! i'd booked my ticket differently to them which was a great thing as they didn't have beds and i did! anything that involves "night" i think should also involve a "bed" some where! every boat i had been on so far was fine ! and a nice way to travel! but that couldn't last for ever! and tonight it didn't! it all started when Alan text me to say, Aee (my Phuket travel rep) would not be there to pick me up! and gave me the address of the hotel and told me to meet her they! not a major problem i thought! then we set sail!
The bed where basically one long mat the length of the boat on either side and your space was defined by the width of your pillow! each pillow had a number on it as did your ticket! mine was 15! it wasn't ideal but the girls (Dom and Matt were staying to do diving) from the group were outside, on the floor of the roof! and it was ok! but then the waves came!! i have never seen such waves! the boat rock all over the place it was terrible! i spent 2 hours leaning of the side i wasn't sick but i was wishing i was, because i felt real bad! but i wasn't the only one, most were feeling the same way! and it was worse up stairs! i decided to try and sleep it out! and when i woke it had died down!
i had text Alan at some point about what stop i should get off at on the bus! after the night boat it was then a 6 hour bus ride to Puket! the O.Z. greyhound had made me a pro! and after that boat any thing was going to be better! but Alan had not relayed, so i got on the bus thinking it would all sort it's self out plus i had 6 hrs to go anyway!
6hrs went by and no message! and this bus was nothing like the greyhound! people standing for hrs 3 to a 2 seater! it wasn't great, but heaven compered to the boat! as 6hrs was up i knew i was close! so started looking for clues as to where to get off no Aee to greet me! then we stopped at a road side and there was a mini bus waiting and a load of people got off as i looked around i saw a road sign say PATONG BEACH and it just screamed at me! i'd heard that some where before but where i though! so i sorted going through all my stuff! (most of the people getting off were off now i didn't have long! then i checked my phone! there it was Patong, Banana Leaf hotel, Patong! (i knewi'd seen it some where before!) so i jumped off, the bus driver told me to stay on! but i thought, "you don't know where i'm staying or going so how do you know i need to stay on!" so i got my bag and the bus went! that left me two bags and a road side and a road sign saying Patong Beach! only problem was i now needed to get to Patong! so i wait for a taxi! every time i'd got off a bus, boat or plane so far in any country i'd had to beat the taxi and tuktuk drivers off with a stick! this time (now i needed one! i could 't see one! about half an hour later a taxi went by and i was able to flag it now! great so in my broken Thai i said "I NEED TO GO THERE!" and showed him the text with the address! and of course he'd never heard of it! but a passing Thai lady did! so she told him were to go! and we went! thoughts went through my mind of " i hope she knows where it was!" so i wasn't surprised when we terned up at The Banana Restaurant! the driver gets out this is it! "NO, I WANT THE BANANA LEAF!" this is the Banana restaurant! he reminded me it said banana a few times each time i reminded him it was banana LEAF i was looking for! he then pointed to a ally way and said it was down there i told him "rats wouldn't live down there!" so we carried on until a waitress from the restaurant came out and told me it was owned by the same person and it across the road just out of site so i paid the taxi man and follow the girl! and there it was no more than 30 yards away al this time! i guess this must happen a lot! she came in with me and i explained i was looking for Aee! (i had been told to say it like the letter A) so i asked for A! there was no " A" there! so i got the text message out! and the waitress who was still there! and had read the massage, before i had evan looked at it, smiled and said your looking for Air! and told me Aee in Thai is said Air! (so remember that kids!) and then it was fine! my room had been booked and it was one of the best rooms i've ever stayed in! they rang Aee and i spoke to here on the phone and she said just relax and i'll come and see you in a bit! so i did, met here an hour or so later! the Phuket/Phi Phi add on!
I did try to find out from lots of people if i'd got off at the right stop! including Aee! i never really understood there answers! so i guess i 'll never know! but i got there!! and that's wait the hole trips been about, finding obstacles and removing them!
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