As Druk Air taxied into the Bangkok International Airport, my heart pounded against my chest and an overwhelming sense of excitement took over my body. I was already drenched in my sweat with the experience of flying for the first time ever in my life. I looked around for my lady friend who was accompanying me on our journey to the Turks and Caicos Islands. She was seated two isles down from me. She looked calm like a be-longer still listening to her iPod. As I embarked from the plane, a blast of evaporating asphalt hit my face and the world spun around me into a massive maze of people hurrying through every direction. I lost my friend in the crowd. My stomach revolted in me and a strange fear gripped me from behind. I turned in every direction only to realize I was lost even before I had started. I said a silent prayer and followed a queue of familiar faces that I remembered from the plane. I hoped onto a shuttle bus. I had no clue where the bus was taking me but I had a feeling it went round and round in circles around the runway. When the bus came to a halt, my eyes rolled three sixty degrees in my head looking out for direction and wishing for a miraculous rescue. I followed another long line of weary people through a gate. My brain started working rigorously in me with some extra effort to regain my senses. I passed endless gates and corridors. I jumped onto the escalator in an effort not to trip and almost landed on my face.I followed suit with the people around me and held my passport and a ticket that I filled out in the plane. The line moved ever slowly and there was no sign of my friend anywhere. Finally I came to the desk of a beautiful lady. I handed in my papers. The lady took a look at my paper and handed it back. In all the excitement, I forgot to fill out the back page. I stepped aside and filled the rest of the paper. I had to start all over again from the line. By the time I reached the desk again, I gave up all hope that my friend would wait for me or find the people from my hotel.
I moved along with the line and came to the baggage claim area. At the far corner, I saw my Druk Air sign. I made my way through the hall and waited on my bag. I spent almost ten minutes with no sign of my red bag. Suddenly, my friend appeared from the crowd and asked what I was doing there pointing at the sign above my head. I looked up at the sign and I was waiting under the Singapore Airlines. I could see she was irritated at my stupidity and directed me towards my bag. After I collected my bag and turned around to go, I realized again that I had lost my friend. I was mad inside and cursed her behind her back. I had no time to think of revenge. I made my way to another gate. As I exited the gate, I sighed a breath of relief. I had successfully made out of the Terminal.
I looked around for people from my hotel with some sign boards. I started shrinking in my shoes. There was no sign of people waiting for me. My worst fear dawned on me that my friend must have left with them without me. I looked about and around in vain. I felt like crying and recited my prayers. I begged to my lord that I would be a good boy if he would rescue me. I had no clue how far my hotel was or in which direction it was. I frantically went through my bag looking for a clue or any kind of information that I might chance upon. I found a business card that the HR Manager of the hotel gave me in Bhutan. It had the address of the hotel I was staying in. A group of taxi drivers had been trying to sell me a ride already. I chose the smallest and the most frail looking driver from the group. I was sure I could take him easily if he tried any mischief on me or took me in the wrong direction. I asked him if I could hop into the front seat. I have read too many books and know exactly how to make myself appear like a local to the ever lurking predators on unsuspecting tourists. He made me more than welcome and gave me the courage to ask if I could smoke in the car. He was a smoker too, and we made the car look like it was on fire. As he pulled out onto the freeway, I realized, I made another mistake. The car was literally flying! I regretted only to wish I should not have jumped into the front seat. I clung onto my seat belt and swallowed my panic.
It was another normal day for the the driver. He was friendly and spoke little English. He asked me where I was from. I said Singapore not wanting to appear inferior incase he knew about my poor country. I could tell he had been to Singapore. “Great country, great country,’ he beamed. ‘Yeah, so, so,” I replied. I had never been to Singapore and he did me a favor by not asking me where I lived in Singapore. I feigned tired and pushed back into my seat. He let me rest and played some music. The rest of the journey was mentally excruciating. I had no way of telling if he was taking me in the right direction. I tried to memorize the passing signs and buildings. I looked at the driver from the corner of my eye and a comfort set in me that he was clearly weaker than me.
He could not rob me. There seemed to be no dark corners and alleys in the city like the ones in my books. I prayed again.
We passed busy markets and endless streets. After what seemed like an eternity, he made a left and pulled up at a familiar looking place. There it was, the hotel in its grandeur. The hotel I knew like the back of my palm from the brochures, books and lectures I had from my manager. I knew how many rooms were there in the hotel, how many staffs worked there and every manager’s name. It was thirty five dollars for the taxi fare. I happily slapped fifty dollars in his hands and thanked him from my heart.
Everybody came all at once to meet me at the desk. My friend and the hotel crew were still at the Airport looking for me. I simply told them that I had waited thirty minutes outside and took the taxi when no one showed up. I had a roaring dragon in me saying; ‘Do you guys even know what I went through?”. I let it remain inside. I had had too much of an eventful day. A butler was in charge to take care our stay in Bangkok. He was also joining us from Bangkok to work in the Caribbean with us. He showed me to my room. Once in the privacy of my room, I thanked God aloud, and jumped into the shower. The amenities of a luxury five star hotel made me forget everything and I stayed the rest of the afternoon in my room. In the evening, the Manager took us around town. We went everywhere and saw everything. The Patpong experience was very funny. Shopping in MBK was crazy. Not everybody spoke English in Bangkok, and I even used Dzongkha to bargain for my camera. I posed against tall buildings and busy streets for pictures. The days event continued with my struggle to not through up at the sushi dinner at a famous Japanese Restaurant and the panic in the hotel elevator. Finally I retired into my bed only to toss and turn wondering what more surprises fate had in store for my day in Bangkok and the onward journey towards the Caribbean.
