Making memories
We had a nasty experience a few days ago…I was driving our rental car and was preparing to make a U turn (in a legal spot), and just as I began to make the turn, a 20 year old woman on a scooter slammed into the car just by the front right tire. She flew off the scooter and slid along the road into the on coming lane, and her scooter continued sliding several feet farther. I ran over to her as she lay on her side, and I felt for obvious broken bones, and found her to be ok. I could see several people speaking in Thai on their cell phones around me, so I knew EMS had been called. Her mom showed up in tears and I put my arms around her and tried to comfort her as we waited and I kept her daughter still until the ambulance arrived. She was quickly whisked away to the ER. Several hours later, we left the police station with the plan that they’d call me once they’d reached the car rental insurance agency.
I felt so terrible. I also felt incredibly grateful, because the mom told me that this was the first time her daughter had ridden the scooter without her two year old child, and of course they never wear helmets.
The following morning the creatures were so sweet and made me breakfast in bed.
That afternoon Danny arrived and it was wonderful to see him. We had beautiful places to show him and adventures to embark on. I had already told him about the accident and he swooped in and took charge of the situation. We finally met with the insurance and police again, (the rental car insurance will pay for all medical bills and bike/car repair) and we voluntarily paid her 3 months wages so she could heal up then get back to work. We were told that if a foreigner gets into an accident here, no matter what, the Thai is never at fault. We found that to be true and figured rather than making a fuss, we’d just show compassion and sympathy and move on. I’m grateful we’ve been kept safe on our scooters back in Bali.
We took a long boat out to a little island, just 10 minutes away. The long boats have especially long prop shafts so they can be maneuvered in shallow waters. Our Captain was a cool little man and performed well.
I love how the Thai people are so quick to smile. The Island was beautiful, with white beaches, large granite boulders and thick, green foliage.
The color of the water took me away to places we’d been with Tanda Malaika.
We found a good place to set up camp, and waded out for some snorkeling.
While exploring, we came across this beautiful cuttlefish, who didn’t seem too bothered that we wanted to admire it.
We also saw this beautiful spiny sea urchin that displayed bright fluorescent colors.
After surfacing for a while, we relaxed, picnicked and played cards In our tranquil setting.
The following few days were spent exploring with Danny.
We’ve eaten lots of good food, explored just about every beach in the book,
ridden jet skis,
sipped cold coconut water,
and had so many laughs.
I’m so grateful for this time we have had here, and especially for the time we’ve had with Danny. These past 5 days have been the longest we’ve been together in the last 3 months!
Tomorrow we will head back to Bali, and can’t wait to see the dogs and our sweet friends. We have less than 2 weeks there, then will be off to the US for a month.
Adventures of a Tribe 