Grandma P's Ramblings Through Life: Days not quite as wanted at home and in Krabi

Wednesday, July 08, 2009

Days not quite as wanted at home and in Krabi

Days don't always turn out as we would want.

For me, today, I have had to tolerate feeling less than well.

I have dozed for a while on the sofa this afternoon.

I have not really noticed the outside world at all.

There was a day in Thailand that didn't turn out as we expected.

We planned a weekend away - to Krabi.

Krabi is a sea side resort on the mainland, about two hours drive from Phuket, set amongst some spectacular scenery.

Jamie had been in contact with somebody who had a house to let and negotiated a price for just one night. The house would have 4 bedrooms, TV and a swimming pool and all mod cons.

We took the familiar road to the north of Phuket and across the Sarasin Bridge to the mainland.

Jamie and Mam were in the pick up truck and we followed in the car.

Near the bridge are some fishing villages.

We all took photos from the car to try and capture the scenery we were driving through.

We arrived at a beach and Jamie rang Simon. There will be pictures of the lovely beach tomorrow.

Simon arrived - a British prat!

He was just so full of himself.

We followed him to the house - rather out in the middle of nowhere.

It looked nice enough.

What nobody had realised was that Simon had the house up for sale and Jamie had read the sales blurb, which could be made accurate if a buyer came forward. This was the house that Simon lived in and it was not really set up for guests.

There could be 4 bedrooms - if Simon cleared his junk out of 2 of them.

One bedroom was lovely, with air conditioning.

The other had mattresses on the floor for Jamie, Mam and the children - and no air conditioning.

The TV was not connected up - he would need to go and pay some money if we wanted it.

There was no swimming pool - Simon would get one built if a buyer came forward.

Mam and I instantly felt very uncomfortable. The situation really was not suitable. We both resented that Simon was smarmy and had not revealed the truth.

Jamie was reluctant to go back on his agreement.

Hey! What really bugged me - was that Simon had left his breakfast dishes in the sink! Were we supposed to wash them up?

Simon talked and talked - all about himself really.

We tried to knock him down on price - but he was full of how much it had cost him to get the place ready for us - paying a cleaner etc and how much the TV would cost etc etc.

Eventually he left us alone.

We were hungry and set off to find some food.

We were tired and anxious and all roads, it seemed, led to Krabi town centre. Despite it being low season there were quite a lot of sunburned red tourists about and prices for food were astronomical.

We tried to find the fossil beach we had seen signs to - but each time ended back in the town centre.

It was very hot and tempers were perhaps fraying.

Just out of town we did find a restaurant with lovely views and very good food, reasonably priced. They did the best restaurant green curry I had tasted - or was I just hungry?

It was there that Jamie decided he would prefer not to be in Krabi. He felt bad - he felt he had let his own family and his parents down.

It happens that things don't always work out as we hope. Not to worry.

We drove back to the house, packed our things back in the car, left a little money (too much money actually) and slipped away like naughty children bunking off school - laughing with some relief.

So, there was a lot of driving that day.