rayong.....rayong

the speed boats arrived early on the sunstretched beach. we loaded in, sped off, were back at rayong, collapsed into vans and sped off to another resort down the road which offered better accomodation and more calm. the place was something else, a private resort with 3 pools (debatable) and palm covered paths with huge logs cut into stepping stones, small clean bungalows with ac and televisions scattered amongst the trees and a huge wonderful cabana overlooking the sea and a partial view of sunset. two days passed here effortlessly, the first one with heidi and I staying up to watch liverpool dispose of Ac Milan in incredible fashion, meals spent eating seafood, running into "town" to do internet surrounded by tens of thai youth screaming at the football game on tv, heading back to the cabana to read. a pleasant affair.. up until the last night....

so were heading back from a meal, we turn the corner into our guest house, all of us (wayne, karyn, heidi, lori and I) hear a screech, a scream and then see a motorcycle flying into karyn's back and completely taking her out. the whole world froze for a split second. complete panic. and all she did was say "ouch, my arm" and get up with a bit of help from wayne. the driver was writhing in an alcohol blur and nursing a broken ankle, his passenger trying to offer wayne 5 bhat to not involve the police. he should have been slapped for that. police came, emergency staff, karyn and lori (who fell while karyn grabbed onto her) went off to a thai hospital for check ups, wayne, heidi and I sat shocked and numbed for almost an hour trying to make sense of what just happened. they came back. all clear except a few bruises. an incredible miracle. then sleep offered distraction and the morning brought life back to something resembling normality.

shaken and sleep hungry we piled into a van and after a slight break down found ourselves in traffic 44 kilometers outside of bangkok. oh brother.