On the flip side...

The cold of Ban Phar Kham

Driving a motorbike in the dark is not fun. Driving in the cold also. Not fun. Put them together and there is a whole lot of not-fun-ness going on.

It's was not a cold night in it of itself but the moment you add a 70kmh wind-chill your hands become unhappy.

How did I find myself in this pickle? Waiting on the side of the road for my friend to show up because I sped ahead. When you are waiting for someone there is a gamut of emotions that you get to run through. Stage one: You wait. "He'll be here any minuet now." Stage two: You start to get annoyed. "Nu! What's taking him so long? Did he stop again?!" Three, you start to worry.

Stages two & three often go together. You can entertain yourself by switching back and forth between them. Other fun things to do while waiting: Curse yourself for speeding ahead. Plan what you will say when you finally meet up. Count the California licence plates. (none.)

Not that any of this helps when it's dark and cold and you have very little choice but to keep waiting. Then there is always the question of: "Did he fly past when I sat inside drinking that cup of coffee?"

"This is Thailand!" - teenage boy who kept me company while waiting in Ban Phar Kham.

posted by YS @ 6:20 PM