“Are you looking at my bootie?”

This cutie chillin’ on the sidewalk in my neighborhood in Chiang Mai. What an amazing hip-opening pose. 

Appreciating sunlight streaming through these local trees.

Covid-19 effects: Chiang Mai looks pretty grim. Many businesses permanently closed down with loss of tourists.

Good news, bad news

I was offered a job to teach English in Taiwan. No school in Thailand would touch me because I am too old and not white. However, as part of the hiring process in Taiwan, I had to go to an approved government hospital in Bangkok to get a health check up (TB-negative chest x-ray and negative syphilis test). Pity the Taiwanese government does not approve of private hospitals. I would have to join the massive cattle call, joining hundreds of patients with scant social distancing. 

I have been spoiled in Chiang Mai, going to private hospitals with modern facilities and excellent English speaking staff. I hardly wait more than ten minutes to see a doctor. Dedicated staff escort me from department to department, so I never get lost.  The bathrooms are clean with toilet paper and paper towels provided. (SIGH) Those were golden days.

I waited at this government hospital for over three hours and still had not received a queue number to see a doctor!

So…. I traveled across the city via ferry boat to go to another giant cattle-call government hospital (yeah for me…not…). But the breeze was nice on the Chao Praya River.

Voilà—2nd government hospital. Patients in wheel chairs all lined up and ready to go… somewhere. Maybe they are waiting for queue numbers to see a doctor. (SIGH).

I spent all day here the 2nd day getting my health check. For my chest x-ray, I entered a communal changing room where I changed into a standard-issue top. Then, I joined a long line that started from the changing room and crossed into the lobby! A string of women waited to be called into the x-ray room. We were literally spooning one another chest-to-back! No space given at all in the queue. 

After the x-ray, I made my way over to the laboratory for a blood-draw. The receptionist asked me, “Do you take pregnancy?” and I said, “No, I take precautions.” (Not really, I said “No, I am not pregnant.”)

This man is doing the only sensible thing by taking a nap with his picnic lunch stashed near his head. People literally plan to be in these types of hospitals all day.

I didn’t bring a picnic lunch, but grabbed this caffeine jolt to power through. 85% dark chocolate and instant coffee.

Having successfully obtained my negative TB and syphilis reports, I rushed toward the hospital exits like a prisoner released from a claustrophobic cell. A plush hotel awaited on the other side of Bangkok. For the journey, I purchased another ticket along the Chao Praya River.

2nd ferry boat trip, this time heading toward the train station. Traveling by boat is such an antidote to the chaos of spending two days at government hospitals. Serene, peaceful, and open air.

3rd class train seats.

There are stickers on seats that prohibit passengers from sharing sections. The 3rd class train has more social distancing than government hospitals!

The train passes by local neighborhoods.

Mural in Chinatown, Bangkok. I discovered this down a little alley way as I made my way from the ferry landing to the train station.

After spending 48-hours in fan-only (no air conditioning) hospitals, packed elbow-to-elbow with hundreds of other patients, I finally made it to my hotel. Installed in an air conditioned room, with polished floors, fluffy towels, and a bath robe filled me with such joy I nearly made snow-angels on the floor. I took two showers in a span of four hours, just to enjoy the amenities.