Damsel in distress.

Ultra modern. ultra clean Bangkok Airport

When we were getting our visas for Thailand in the Thai Consulate, we were asked if we could aid a Thai girl in getting home.  It turned out that for personal reasons a Thai citizen was in Lapaz and needed to get home but was scared to make the long journey by herself. Would we be willing to assist this young damsel in distress?
We all have our go to mode, or our first reactions when confronted with a request.  Mine is always one of generosity bordering on pulling down my pants, bending over and asking how else may I please you.  So naturally my first response was a whole hearted and happy yes to this humble request.  It was only afterwards when I had a moment to think and be Bolivian did some possible consequences of my acceptance play out.  The first and most natural scenario that played in my mind was that what better cover for a drug smuggler than to plant their mule with an unsuspecting family of 4 to take their several kilos of cocaine to south east Asia were a large profit could be had.  Scenes from Midnight Express played repeatedly through my mind.  My other thought was that some mail order bride was being returned to sender, some poor girl tricked into making the journey to Bolivia only to be abused by some pot bellied greasy old perv.  But I had no choice.  It was the right thing to do.




Our new companion instantly become a good friend.  The trip for her went without too many glitches, although she freaked out when we were separated in Santa Cruz, Bolivia due to our immigration nightmare.  Then in Brazil through some immigration confusion she was not allowed out of the international section and had to do the 13 hour layover trapped in the international section.  But we made it and finally arrived to Thailand.
We did have one final hurdle.  Being a Bolivian requires a medical exam and yellow fever card upon entering Thailand.  This is to make sure that we aren't bringing in any exotic diseases.  Although sometimes like on this trip, we forewent the medical exam,  presented documents, and were stamped certified disease free.  I guess we could cry and scream racial profiling, but I understand.  If you are looking for tropical diseases, chances are its me and not the citizen of Iceland racing past me as I prepare to pull my pants down and cough.  So to the line I go, realizing how low down the third world totem pole we are and glad everyone is not required to do this as the lines would be brutal.

A wonderful lunch with wonderful friends

The point of that apparent political tangent was to marvel to the fact that as we were herded and delayed for almost an hour, our new Thai friend, long since through immigration hung around to see if we were okay instead of rushing out to see her family whom she hadn't seen in who knows how long.  We were then picked up by her cousin in a brand spanking new Mercedes to be taken to a delicious seafood lunch and a ride to our hotel, some 2 hours away.
To make a long story short, my Walter Mittyesque fantasies couldn't have been farther from the truth.  Where we thought that we were being nice, we were to receive a lesson from our new friend in what nice really is.  We were humbled and blessed by a wonderful person, something that happens more often than not when dealing with Thai people.

This is one of the things that makes Thailand special, its people.  They are so fricking nice.  There is no place that I have ever been where I have felt safer or more welcome.  Everyone is always smiling and even the beggars are so nice.  The only place I found this not to be true was at Kao San rd. here beggers were a little more assertive. And at our hotel at Chaweng.

Preparing to say goodbyes to 2 wonderful people.

We volunteered to do a no sweat off our back favor, one that any decent human being should do.  We were suspicious but honored.  Instead of being put out and showing our goodness, we were shown through amazing generosity what true kindness really is.  We also made a life long friend to boot  It is said that in Quechua, the Incan native language, there is no word for thank you as favors or acts of kindness are expected and the norm, not the exception that needs to be noted and praised.  Still a very heartfelt and eternal thank you must be given to our Thai friend.  Thank you K. I hope you return to Bolivia soon so that we may have the honor to return the favor.