What a close call

So we left Phi Phi 4 days ago with sad faces but many new friends. It's amazing how helpful and giving people are when you just stop to talk for even a brief moment. Equipped with our Lonely Planet guide to Souteast Asia (compliments of our new English friend Margie) we decided to head north to Chiang Mai, Thailand. This was not in our original plan but everyone spoke so highly of it we figured we couldn't pass up the opportunity. Our transportation route went something like this. From Phi Phi we boarded a ferry that dropped us off an hour and a half later in Krabi. Here we were to take an overnight bus twelve hours to Bangkok.

In Krabi we were waiting on the curb for the FREE bus to take us back to the bus depot when we spotted three Muslim brothers on a motor bike. We made eye contact as they puttered by and about 60 seconds later they had circled back and pulled up right in front of us. From our brief conversation we gathered only one of them spoke English and he was doing very well with the language. They were only in Krabi for 10 days and they live in a small town close to the Malaysian border. After about 5 minutes of aquaintence they were prepared to offer us food and a ride to the bus depot. We had to decline the food, no time, but the ride sounded good. I didn't think all 5 of us on the moped would be a good idea but no problem because they had a car. After 20 minutes two of the brothers returned and we all piled into a black pickup with a bubble campershell on the back. Please keep in mind our bus leaves at 4pm and it is 3:32, this isn't an issue though because we are really close to the bus depot. So now we're off in the truck headed the oppopsite direction of the bus depot. Why? Well, we don't know. I gave it a good 45 seconds before I said "This is a different way from what we know" and the brother's reply "Yes, this is the short cut, I think..." So I sat there observing the scenary and checking my watch. I spoke again "Does he know where he's going?" and the brother's reply "Yes (followed by something in Thai to the driver). You see, I'm sitting in the back and Mateo is sitting in the front at the driver's request. By this time I'm getting nervous and the brother next to me says "do you already have a ticket" well of course we do, and it's confirmed and our backpacks are at the depot. "May I see your ticket" says the brother. I didn't really like that idea since now I recognize that we are really far away from what could possibly even have been a short cut. Moments later the brother is on his cell phone with the bus company. Now from this point the conversation is a bit hazy. I can see that Mateo is starting to look a bit worried, by the tone of the brothers voice he's trying to handle some business on the phone and now I'm really freaking out. But I had to keep my cool because I was devising a plan and I didn't want to give it away by acting too nervous. I said to the brother "This really feels like the wrong way" so he asks the driver in Thai if he was going the right way and in very clear English he says "YES". Right around this time I spot the highway and I just knew he was going for it. I was on the edge of my seat as we rounded a corner to what appeared to me could be a back way to the bus depot and it was. However, it wasn't our bus depot. "That's not our's" "That's not our's". I have never felt my mouth and cheeks drop so low. We pleaded with the driver to drive fast back to the ferry dock where they picked us up. He wasn't listening to us and the brother next to me was back on the phone. He was speaking in Thai and I was translating him to say "They will not be leaving today." I just wanted to jump out but again I'm in the back, in the middle and Mateo is sitting calmly in the passenger seat in the front. I was wishing I had paper to pass him a note. It's 3:45, we're about 15 minutes from our true bus station, the driver is stopping on the side of the road. The brother on my right is quiet and the brother on my left is still having this conversation with the bus company, in Thai. This torture went on for another 2 minutes before the little truck started heading back towards the ferry dock. We did make our bus but I was exhausted when I leaped from the back of the truck and ran up the bus stairs with the English speaking brother repeating "I'll be waiting for your e-mail" as he waved from the streets seeing us off safely. I kind of felt bad that I let my horror film ridden mind get the best of me. Sori was his name and he apologized profusely. We should have been tipped off from the beginning when they said they weren't from there. These brothers were visiting Krabi just like us. We are certain to ask more questions when people offer to help us out.

Joronda