Sunday, July 24, 2005

Pig-headedness (with no relation to previous pig)

It may have been my frustration with taxi drivers.

It may have been my independent streak.

It may have been wanting to move after 3 hours in the bus.

But really, it wasn't. Some of you may know my pig-headed side. Stubbornness, along with clumsiness, runs in the family. And while being clumsy gives you great reflexes, I'm yet to see the benefit of stubbornness.

So when I got to Kanchanaburi and was faced with "Hello, Miss!", "Taxi, Miss?", "Where you go?"... I cracked. I had been told it was a ten-minute walk. So instead of paying one australian dollar for a tuk-tuk, I shouldered my 17ish kilo backpack, chockablock with peanut butter, tonic water and tinned apricots, hoisted my 4 shopping bags and wooden elephant puppet, and, ignoring the 35 degree heat and blisters on my feet, started to walk.

The ridiculousness of this became apparent after about 7 metres.

However, I had started to walk, and so walk I bloody well did.

At least it wasn't raining.

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

Im curious, was it only a 10 minute walk? and did the elephant survive the journey?

Anonymous said...

Did the taxi driver pursue you, thinking you may change your mind, or did your stubbornness preclude that possibility?? Shall try to come up with some positive aspects of stubbornness when I have more time to think - determination to achieve what you put your mind to?

melt said...

There are many, many taxi drivers. If you say no to one, there is another one metre further on. So I had many, many chances to change my mind!

Any positive aspects gratefully claimed!