20th of November, 2024.
Hitchhiking in Thailand: Samut Sakhon to Hua Hin
When Oh stops for me, I thought she is going South, and that she understood mine / Yuni’s sign. But she actually thought I want a lift to the bus station. She is going to a government building, not far from the bus station, to do some paper work regarding her job; she works with insurance. She is actually a lovely lady, and she’s very surprised about my travels. Actually, she tells me that I must have come from the sky. I don’t know why I didn’t tell her that my name it actually means Heaven’s Flower.
She tells me I can come with her to do this paper work thing, which will only take some 20 minutes, and after she can drop me off by the highway number 9 again. I say OK.
But when I am waiting for her at the building, I check on the maps and I find a Lotus, right nearby this place. I need urgently to by soap and a toothbrush, and also to talk with someone from AIS about my SIM card not being working outside Thailand, so I ask her to drop me off there, and afterwards I will just walk to the highway. It’s a plan!
There’s no AIS at Lotus (surprisingly), so I have to go to a mall which is at the corner of the highway. What was supposed to be a simple shopping thing, turn into a few hours, and I only start hitchhiking again quite late afternoon. And I get stuck again.
I am rescued by two very simple man, but who can both speak English. Pum and Pop are two very humble engineers, in an old pickup, going back to Samut Sakhon. Finally!
After they drop me off, I have to walk a lot. It’s simply that there’s no suitable place for hitchhiking anywhere. And not that where I finally stop is it, it’s actually quite shitty, in a small PTT Station, which even with a McDonalds nearby, has very few costumers. Perhaps it’s because instead of a 7-Eleven, they have only a Jiffy, which completely sucks as a convenience shop! Ah! And I forgot to mention that, actually a lady gave me a ride in her motorbike, for some 15 minutes, all the way here.
As I am about to loose my hopes already, a miracle happens: Ilya. He is this super chill Russian dude, who walks to me out of nowhere and asks me where I am going. I show him my sign and he says I can come with him to Hua Hin. No way! Just one thing though: he is with his motorbike. Ha-ha. Thanks, universe! Whatever is that you are trying to pull on me, or to tell me, thanks! I accept, of course. Fuck it, let’s do this!
Ilya is so kind that, when I tell him about my story, he buys me a whole meal at McDonalds. How adorable! I eat it super quick, as he already ate and I don’t want to delay him any longer. I actually tried to buy something to eat, with the few THB I have remaining, but at that shitty Jiffy place there’s nothing suitable and cheap to eat, so I just by some protein shake, and two tiny puffy pies with potatoes inside. Ilya’s McDonalds treat saved me!
At first, it’s a bit tricky in the bike. As I am carrying The Hulk, holding on the back of the motorbike is very tricky, because I keep being pushed back. Plus, Ilya is going over 100 km/h, and as there is a space in between us, I feel a lot of air pressing me backwards, which sucks! My hand, wrists and knees start hurting because of all the strength I used to hold on tight to the motorbike.
Luckily, we ride for less than one hour until Ilya decides to stop and buy some cigarettes. After stretching and resting for a few minutes, I ask him if it’s OK for me to hold on him, and explain why. Also, as he was carrying my small backpack, Candy, in front of him, I tell him he can actually have it in his back, so there will be less space in between us. Plus, it’s more comfortable for him too. After this, the remaining ride is totally fine, and we arrive in Hua Hin around 20.00 hours.
Once there, Ilya tells me that as he has booked a hotel room, I can stay with him tonight if it’s fine by me. He even tries to get a room with two single beds, but there isn’t any available. Ilya also invites me to join him and his friends for a beer. OK! After we both have a shower, we go to this quite fancy bar, in a mall area. There are some people around, but it’s not super full.
As it’s Happy Hour, you order two drinks and get one free. Ilya orders IPA beers, and I get the free one. Laugh. Oh! I miss some good quality beer! And IPA is so delicious!
I meet Ilya’s friend (who I forgot the name), and two other couples. I have a nice chat with one of the girls, Helena, and she is very surprised about my travels. Well, they all are, actually, to a level that they cannot get it how do I do it. Still, one of the guys keeps telling the other: “Look how happy she is…”. Laugh. They are all Russians, by the way.
We go back to the hotel quite early, luckily, as the bar closes and Ilya and I are very tired.
We share the double bed without any issues. I know he is a really nice guy, and that’s why I have no problem with that, even though we just met today. There were men I met in the past, who I knew, or even couchsurfers, with whom I wouldn’t share a bed at all. It’s all about how do you feel about this or that person.
Next morning I leave around 8 a.m., as I want to get as far as possible into Malaysia, perhaps even to my host’s place already, as it is right after the border.
Ilya will sleep a little longer, until check-out time, before he take his way to Phuket, where he has been living for about one year now. During our goodbye hug, he lifts me up in the air and it’s so funny! I wish him all the best and say how incredibly grateful I am for all his help, kindness and generosity.
10 Years Around the World 