Lo and behold, we have returned to the promised land! By circumstances well within our control we leave Myanmar through Bangkok with the intent of moving on to Cambodia the following day. I bump into some Peace Corps logistics that appeared to be time sensitive so we decide to stay for a few days and handle it. During the extended stay we figure we might as well hammer out the plan for the next part of our trip, namely obtaining visas for Vietnam. This process didn't take much effort on our part, but nonetheless involves waiting 5 days for the papers to be pushed around.
As for my logistical conundrum, I had to find a way to get my fingerprinting done for the Peace Corps. This didn't turn out to be as difficult as I imagined. My dad sent the blank fingerprint forms to me in Bangkok and the Thai police department was able to print me and make it official. I sent them back within a few days. Easy peasy, lemon squeezey. Nothing official to report in terms of acceptance, but I'm doing my best to stay on top of these things as they come. If accepted I'll be teaching English in another country for 2.25 years, but where I go is still up in the air. Given the list of options I have, I went with my sometimes questionable intuition and put down Malawi, Madagascar, and Moldova as my top three. I know very little about these places, so this might be the best time to alter my perspective.
I'd like to say that traveling has made me wise, but most of the time it just makes me aware of how ignorant I am. I'm learning slowly, but it doesn't feel fast enough to keep up!
Well, one thing I definitely learned in Bangkok is that I'm not immune to the local bacteria, and one morning found myself wrestling with the Tummy Tumults that have occasionally threatened to take over a few times during my travels. This time, I regret to say they were successful in taking down some of my defenses. By the afternoon I didn't think I could stomach any more so I leapt up to use the bathroom. Which orifice would fail first I did not know, but alas neither happened as all I can remember is waking up face-down on the hallway floor. That's funny, I thought, standing up to try again, only to wake up ten feet away from my previously designated nap-time floorspace. By the third time I caught on to what was happening and cleverly opted not to stand up immediately. I crawled back to the bedroom and opened the door, propping myself upright in the jamb. The corners of my peripheral vision drew inward as everything turned gold and fuzzy. Of course at this point Nicole and other roommates were making sure I was stable, but I couldn't quite figure out what was going on. I remember making some hilarious jokes but I couldn't really hear what other propped were saying. Eventually I caught on to the word hospital and soon I was on the hot Bangkok streets with Nicole, waiting with my face in my palms as she hailed down a cab.
Fortunately this happened in Bangkok, not Myanmar.
Based on a recommendation from our hostel staff, we endure the traffic and head a bit farther from the city center to a government operated hospital. I survive the car ride well enough, but almost faint again as the staff take my blood pressure on arrival. It was something like 70/37.
Soon enough I am admitted into the ER triage area and poked with needles and given fluids. The cooling sensation rushing into my arms was initially quite soothing, but moments later my body decides that it's freezing and this liquid is freezing and maybe I should shiver or convulse wildly to counter the effect. Commence jaw pounding for the next thirty minutes. The lack of control over my body makes me panicky, and I lose even more control. Nicole wraps me in blankets and holds my hand. It was so touching you would vomit at the sight of it, but fortunately I can only think to cry stupidly as I thank my friend for being at my side. I know that I'm not in any severe danger, but the whirlwind of events leading up to this moment never let up until now, the whole ordeal just leaving me to sob quietly and feel stupid.
Eventually my body stops fussing and the deathly pallor afflicting my face begins to relent. The staff move me to my overnight quarters and I just try to get some sleep despite the awful discomfort of my pounding, aching head.
Fortunately I turned around rather quickly. I boot up the following morning and initiate a quick self diagnostic. Head stability is around 80% and climbing. Stomach is noticeably contorted but under control. Bowels.... the away team hasn't returned but we'll send a rescue later. The rice soup goes down easy and I sit in bed as my body absorbs the remaining intravenous fluids. I've had enough needles poking me for a while, I decide, and ask to be discharged. It doesn't take me long to pay, pick up the meds, and find a cab back to VX. Total cost of visit was only $40 USD so while my body was still ravaged at least my mind was no longer fretting about the trip. Over the next few days I don't eat much, each small meal seemingly causing insurmountable pain. But almost imperceptibly the pains go away, and here I am in Cambodia a week later, scarfing down pizza and ice cream. I'm lucky I had access to affordable care so quickly, and I don't doubt that's the reason I was able to bounce back and feel healthy so soon. Phew.
Nicole and I spend our remaining Bangkok days indulging in the decadence of the multiplex shopping malls. We go to the movies and eat popcorn and some days sleep and read and write. I finally finish Infinite Jest and Nicole catches up entirely on her blog after a month of backlogging. It was a productive visit, but we're eager to get our visas for Vietnam and get back in motion!
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