Wednesday 30 July 2008

Sick in Bangkok and on the plane

Up at 4.30am to get ready for 8am flight from Bangkok to Brisbane. Had bad pains in my stomach and diarrhoea. Started to panic about flying for 9 hours in the plane. Wished I hadn't eaten that Moroccan food. Or maybe it was the Thai mango salad or the beer. I don't know. I got a taxi to the airport with a very nice, English speaking driver for 400 baht. The airport was crowded and there was a long queue for my flight to Brisbane. I wondered whether I would make check in before having to run to the toilet. I made it, thank God. It took forever to get through Passport Control (about 40 minutes) and then there was the security check. They were opening and checking everyone's hand luggage. By this stage I was starting to get spasms of pain and didn't want anyone to know because I thought they might not let me on the plane. It all took so long there was no time left for duty free shopping but I was too sick to shop anyway.

On the plane I became much worse with spasms of intense pain. I was sitting next to two Thai ladies who didn't speak English. I saw an Australian man sitting by himself with two spare seats and I got out of my seat and walked over to him doubled up in pain. Fortunately he was sympathetic and organised a male crew member to give me some charcoal medication and he let me have his seat so I could lie down across three seats. They gave me three pills and the pain eased and I slept for the entire flight. Unfortunately the plane landed in Sydney first and we had to get off and go through another security check and wait in transit for half an hour. When I got back on the plane the crew found another three seats for me to lie down for the 60 minute flight to Brisbane.

I was so pleased I made it to Brisbane. I got a nice taxi driver about my age and went straight to the Hilton. Got there at 11.30pm. Slept till 10am the next day and felt a bit better. Went to a pharmacist who told me to only eat boiled rice. I ordered boiled rice from room service and they didn't charge me for it. Started to feel better. What a horrible end to a wonderful holiday in Thailand.