So..... our transfer from from Koh Ngai...
Tigerline seemed to be the only option to transfer between
the two islands. As it was still low season, many operators were not running. Now
I know how close the two islands were, we could have easily hired a longtail
ourselves, and wish we did. So we were told that pick up was around 10:30-11am.
We got to the check in point, and told to wait. We grabbed a drink at the
Fantasy resort next door, and relaxed in the lovely morning sunshine. By 12, we
getting a bit impatient and asked the local guys if they knew how long the
ferry would be, who told us ‘soon, maybe 1 hour’. At 1, we continued to try to
get more information, and told it was running late, maybe 1 hour more.
Another couple turned up also waiting for the ferry for a
transfer to Phuket, also on Tigerline They were also told wait 1 hour. Two
hours later, we started to make calls the Tigerline offices, and to the agent
that had booked our tickets. The other couple was told that the ferry wasn't
running at all, and then we were also told the ferry wasn't running. A few
phone calls later, we were then told it was just running late and would be
another hour. By now it was 3:30pm - over 5 hours late. We were frustrated with
the lack of information, plus all the confusion. Then, all of a sudden, the
local boat guy came up and told us to get in the longtail boat. From around the
end of the island, the old, unseaworthy vessel appeared, and the longtail
transferred us out where it was in deep water from the beach to it. The boat
guys didn't even help with our bags. No one held the ladder or boat as you were
getting on/off, and I slipped when a wave moved the boat from under my foot, causing
me to twist and fall into the water. However, I was in such an annoyed state of
mind, it really didn’t register.
Then on the longtail, half way out to the ferry, the boat
guy turns off the engine and demands 100 baht from everyone. By now we were all
angry and refused. So the boat guy turned the boat around and started heading
back to shore. Blackmail! So we were really peeved by now. We got on (and off)
the ferry and the crew couldn't speak English and just threw our stuff on a
seat, It took all of 20 minutes for our transfer, but the state of the ship was
disgusting. I would say it wasn't even sea worthy, and not a life jacket in
sight.
Finally, we made it to Koh Kradan. We had another transfer
booked with Tigerline between Koh Kradan and the mainland, but we simply didn't
bother with it at all. All I can say is that if you need to get around the
islands in southern Thailand, find any other option but Tigerline - no matter
what the price, it will be worth it. BTW the following day, we discovered
Tigerline decided not to run at all, so I wonder how all those people who had
booked would have felt. Avoid them at all costs!
On Kradan, the Reef resort hotel staff were waiting for us,
quickly loading our bags into a little trolley for the one minute walk up the
beach to the resort. Genta, the hotel manager, chatted to us as we checked in,
telling us horror stories about Tigerline. She had been waiting for us to
arrive around midday, the scheduled time, and was wondering if we would turn up
at all. Knowing how unreliable Tigerline was, she was not surprised by our late
arrival.
After our long day of waiting, we dropped our bags and
returned to the reception area, which is actually the bar, and grabbed a beer.
The late afternoon passed by, with beers and talk, and yummy meal without
leaving the bar. Night fell, and a few other people joined us at the bar, so a
few more beers were enjoyed.
By now, the frustration of the day was wearing off. Relaxed,
I began to feel a weird sensation in my right foot, like a bad cramp. J tried
to give it a rub to loosen the cramp, but it hurt – a lot! We had been sitting
for a few hours so had not noticed how bad it was until I went to stand up. No
way. I could not put any weight on my foot, and it had swollen up like a
balloon. And it was sore! That’s when I recalled my slip on the longtail. At
the time, I had been too angry to pay attention to how bad my foot had been
twisted on the ladder. Now it all came rushing back. Ah well, I thought, ice
it, rest it, and it’ll be OK. Genta found me a bandage, and some of what I call
‘magic spray’ (alcohol based spray to relieve pain), and some pain killer
tablets. Foot elevated and wrapped in a cloth being chilled, we hung around the
bar for a while. Still not being able to walk, J piggy-backed me to the room.
Sleep came easily, with my foot resting on its own pillow.
Waking up, it took all of 0.024678 of a second to realise my
foot wasn’t better. It was really swollen and pain shot up my calf when I moved
it. Bugger! No walking for me, well at least not for the day. I was still
optimistic it wasn’t too bad and would feel better after a bit of breakfast. Umm,
no. So that was my day done. Sitting, foot elevated, and pain killers. I did
manage to get J to carry over to the pool for a bit of a dip, which actually
really seemed to help my foot. As much as it felt better after a swim, it
wasn’t. I did try to put some weight on it without success. So poor J carried
me back over to the bar/restaurant area for dinner and drinks, and then back to
the room for sleep.
The next day was almost the same as the previous, with my
foot more swollen and me now feeling more concerned. What I thought was a
simple twist was potentially worse. So after breakfast (J once again carrying
me), I got on the phone to Medibank, our travel insurance provider. They
advised to get to an x-ray to rule out a fracture. Our plan was to leave the
next day, and I couldn’t see the advantage of rushing over to the mainland,
seeing a doctor, and then coming back to the island again. Seeing a doc could
wait a day. Genta assured me that the hospital in Trang was very good. She
arranged for a boat to take us too shore, and then a driver to take me to the
hospital, wait for me treatment, then continue on to Ao Nang. There was no way
I was going to be able to get on and off the ferry transfer that we had booked
– on top of just how bad Tigerline were – a private transfer was the only
realistic option.
So the day went by slowly. It was a great chance for me to
do what I don’t often do – nothing! I finished a book and made good progress on
another. Another dip in the pool, and some wonderful food curtesy of the Reef
resort’s wonderful kitchen staff, the day passed quietly. Amazingly, after
breakfast, Genta came to the room with a hand-made crutch. The staff had
knocked one up from a few pieces of thin timber. Honestly, it looked as good
and sturdy as any I’d seen – maybe just a little too long. Using the crutch, I
tried to hobble around, but my foot was still incredibly painful.
Though not being able to do much, and not see any of the
island nor snorkel, I really enjoyed the relaxation. The one highlight was
creating a sign. At the bar, people from all over the world had painted signs
with their country’s national flag, a message and their names. Genta had put
them up all over the cross beams of the roof. On the first night we arrived, we
asked her about them, and she explained, ‘You find the wood, I supply the paint’.
J had found a nice flat piece when he had gone for a walk to the store. So our
last night was spent painting the wood with an Australian flag. I added a small
sachet of vegemite I had brought with me, with the note ‘In case of
emergency…’. Along with beers, and a superb dinner of a Penang curry, the sign
painting occupied the evening. 
Up early again, we enjoyed
breakfast, with me hobbling down to see the beach before we had to leave.
Our
boat picked us up mid-morning. It was an easy and smooth trip over to the
mainland, going past Koh Mook which looks really nice. At the dock, a huge,
modern, mini-van was waiting for us, and we were in Trang and at the hospital
in less than half an hour. If hospitals were like this in Australia, people
would not dread visiting, and in fact would possibly check in for a holiday!
Waiting with a wheelchair, an
English speaking concierge met me at the van. He took my details, talked to me
about my injury, and organised everything for me to see a doctor. Within ten
minutes, I was speaking to a GP, who took one look at my foot and thought it
was broken. Off to x-ray (pushed and consulted with the whole time by my
friendly concierge), the radiographer took a number of shots, before I was back
to wait to see the GP again. Local Thai people seemed very bemused to see us
‘farangs’, but were all friendly and smiling. The x-ray confirmed that my foot
was not broken – hurrah – but the doctor suggested that it was a torn tendon
instead – not so good. Apparently soft tissue injuries can be trickier to deal
with. The nurse took me into the treatment room, where I was fitted with a half
cast and some serious bandaging. Before letting me go, they took me up to the
physio department to be fitted with crutches.
How much did all this treatment
cost, I hear you think? Well, for two doctor consultations, half a dozen
x-rays, cast, treatment, crutches, as well as pain killers and anti-inflamatory
pills, just on 18,000 Thai baht – less than $400 Australian. And I was in and
out of the hospital’s emergency department in an hour and a half! Plus a concierge…
good luck getting this type of service in an Australia hospital!
From Trang, it was an uneventful
trip to Ao Nang. Arriving in the middle of a downpour, the Peace Laguna staff
ran to get a wheelchair for me (sparing me the precarious crutcher trip on wet
tiles). Hungry, we had a late snack before retiring to the room. Intending to
try to go out for dinner, we headed off after dark. But I didn’t make it too
far up the road before we noticed one of the wing-nuts off the crutches had
fallen off, making the handle unstable. Not to mention how sore my foot was,
along with the pressure on my hands and arms, not used to carrying me. So I
sent J on a mission to find Maharaja Indian restaurant (where we had enjoyed a
great meal last time we were in Ao Nang) to fetch take-a-way. After a few weeks
of no TV, I was happy to be able to channel surf the evening away, unable to do
anything else. Luckily, the next morning, J found the missing wing-nut just outside
the room, so my crutches were operational again.
Our homeward trip wasn’t too
exciting. Though the doctor advised me to keep my foot elevated, I was unable
to get any help from Medibank to help with alternate transport options, and
Qantas didn’t have any seats free in business for me to try to stay
comfortable. So, I just stuck with my original plans, keen to just get home.
Being on crutches, I was offered a wheelchair to help get around the airports,
and boarding. So I got to be one of those annoying people who board before
everyone else. All the airline staff were wonderful, trying to accommodate me
as best they could.
So, another Thailand visit behind
me. The next one is already booked. After all, I missed out on Koh Kradan
snorkelling and walking, so a return trip is required. Truly, Thailand, and the
people, oh and the food, is probably my favourite place (not that I don’t fall
in love with most places I go). This trip, the biggest difference for me was
not doing as much as usual, and mostly relaxing, reading and unwinding, instead
of lots of sight-seeing, temple visits, and jungle trekking. Not that I minded,
but this trip was maybe a little quieter than I would have liked. I just hope
next trip I don’t have the misfortune of injury again.
-K
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