Haanism

On the Road (Day 1) | Day 2 | Day 3 | Day 4 | Day 5 | Day 6 | Day7 | Back From Chiang Mai

It's again pretty early today. Just now I was thinking to pay for the room (300B for 2 nights) then go to the night bazaar, after having some small change. But it's drizzling now. I better don't go any further than this Internet cafe.

Today, I've done something, which I'm not sure if I'm right. ~sigh~

Start from the morning.

As planned, I left Phayao by the 7:30am bus. On the bus, I slept and had lotsa thinking going on in my mind. I didn't know why at that moment, I thought of those things. Someone used to asked me, why travel alone? I answered, then I can have more time to think. He then replied, you might think too much :O

It seems like has happened today!!!

I arrived at Chiang Mai after 3 hours. At the station, the taxi drivers approached me. Since I've got the experience of paying 120B last time, I was more aware.

Songthaew driver: 80B
Me: 60B
Songthaew driver: 60B is for motorcycle.
Me: Ok, 50B for motorcycle. How?

~ Deal ~

I don't care what transport to take, as long as I can get to the place. I think I've improved in bargaining, but I'm definitely nothing comparing to Feng's sister.

I came back to the Kanyala Guest House again, for another 2 nights. The boss said he gave me a special room with the same price. I took a look, the bed looks better and there is air-cond :) (however, having just a fan is already cold for me)

In the afternoon, I went to Doi Suthep. I caught a songtheaw to go. I checked the price from the Lonely Planet Travel Guide before departing. It says it should cost around 40B to go up, and 30B to come down. Assuming the information was few years ago, I budgeted it to be around 100B nowadays.

When reading Adam's blog, he mentioned that we should not agree with a price when hopping onto a songtheaw, because that will be a bloody price and on the way, the driver will not pick up any others. So, I hopped on without much asking. There was only another lady sitting beside the driver. On the way, there were people stopping the driver, but I think their places to go did not match, so their didn't went onto it.

After the lady left, I moved myself to the front seat, so that I could take photos. I had some chats with the driver.

He offered me 100B to go up and down. I asked if he's staying at Doi Suthep, and was going home to have lunch. He nodded his head. He's an old man and knew a little bit of English. Since 100B is exactly my budget and he's an old man, I didn't bargain at all.

Actually I didn't plan to do so. Was thinking to just catch another songtheaw down when I'm done. Since I think he may want to secure another "sure business" (sure I'd come down today), then I just said ok.

At the end, when I was about to disembark, I paid as agreed. 100B. Who knows, he said to me, not 100B. It's 500B. Wow.. that's really out of my expectation!! I said, you told me 100B just now, how come now you say is 500B? He insisted me to pay 500B. I showed him my small purse with only some coins left. I said I've no more money. He said wanna send me back to hotel to get. I insisted saying that I don't have anymore.

Eventually, I paid him the 100B and gave another 10B coin, leaving myself with only less than 20B coins. I hopped off the car and quickly went into the crowded market. I was nervously praying in heart, please do not get off the car and chase me!!! Luckily he didn't.

To be honest, I felt a bit bad after that, and even now. I'm not sure if he really told me 500B, or he really wanted to con me? Sometimes we really can't overlook the old people, they could be even more cunning. And for your information, I was not pretending to have no more money that time. It was true. I was thinking to pay for the room before going to Doi Suthep, but the boss was not around. Therefore I didn't have small change. All my 1000B notes are put separately.

I really hate this kind of people. Few years ago, I brought my mobile phone to Prangin Mall (or Komtar? can't remember well) for repair. The person originally told me RM50, then later charged me RM200. I also didn't pay. I took away my repaired phone and just went away. He asked me to be careful. I was not worried, coz I was leaving Penang soon. Feng was accompanying me during the so-called dispute.

I'm not unwilling to pay. But if you want to be dishonest, I won't pay you even 1 cent.

Just now when I was around the market area, I was really scared, whenever I saw the red-coloured songthaew. However, I can remember the number of the songthaew I took.

So I've made a decision for not taking anymore public transport since now, except the day going to the airport. The guest house boss has told me, he can help arrange, for only 20B, even without me telling him the above story.

Tomorrow will be together with Joan. She'll pick me from guest house at 8am. At night, I will just hang around on foot, as what I usually do.

Have I done anything wrongly today? Or it's just a miscommunication?

If it's just a miscommunication, does it mean no one has been wrong?

I'm confused!!!

P/S: When walking back to guest house just now, I took photos along the way. A man suddenly appeared behind me, saying "good photo. where you from? what your name?" Crazy!! I didn't say anything but showed him a very angry look. Then he yelled again "i don't care." After a few steps, I turned back to see if he still followed, then I saw he was like peeing near the road!! I think I'm really having a bad luck today, on the last day of Jan 2008!