Thailand

I am in China so I cannot read my blog so I am not sure where this left off. My mantra from Dik my scuba instructor which was "Breath deeply, just relax" paid off in the coming days. Thailand was a little fraught with risk partly to due to me and partly due to what I was doing. I was driving a moped around the island. I was very cautious but more so because I saw how many people were walking around with bandages on their knees or ugly scrapes on their hands and elbows due to falling off their bikes. When I was preparing for scuba diving I was warned it can lead to an embolism etc but very unlikely and I expressed some concern and Dik said "you drove here on a moped here didn't you, that is a lot more dangerous than scuba diving". So I survived riding around although I did run out of about 20 meters passed a gas station so I was able to roll my bike into the station. The gas gauge was not working properly. Then of course I attempted to walk to the top of the highest peak in Ko Phangnan and got lost in the process (in the jungle!) but I did find my way out with a trusty dog I picked up on the way and who stayed with me till I got to a village outside of the national park. I had to walk quite a ways because I was a far ways from where my moped was parked. I ended up hitchiking and got a ride on the back of a motorcycle to the nearest big town where I caught a cab back to my moped. So I thought on my last day I had survived some possible difficulties as I leave my hotel. I ask for my passport back from the owner because I had been cautious enough to ask him to put it in their safe. Aun, the owner, gives it to me and I go on to catch my boat and then the airport where I have a few hours to kill before my flight. I go to check my stuff in and present my passport and the airline person says this is not you and I look at it and its E.J. who is an ex-paratrooper from Saratoga Springs N.Y. who was staying at the hotel. So then it becomes a mad scramble to reach the hotel on the other island and hopefully recover my passport in time for the flight. At first I was unable to reach anyone at the hotel and I begin to think this will screw up my next days flight to Hong Kong etc. Then I remember "Breathe deeply and relax " and eventually it did work out. I contact the hotel and Aun agrees to bring it as he is very apologetic. Of course I have another customer's passport which I am sure they would not appreciate knowing it was on another island. Aun has to take a speedboat over stormy waters to bring it to me and he makes it in about an hour before my flight. So my time on the islands ends with a jarring event and I am able to leave unscathed.
It is not to say I did not commit any faux pas. One being one day I look up in the hotel and I see a picture of a man and woman, he has on a pair of dark, small, round sunglasses and she has a 1920's ironed looking haircut. It looks like it was taken at least 60 years ago but I just say spontaneously to Auna the co-owner "Oh is that a picture of you" meaning to be flattering although I know the picture is dated. She gives me a strange look and responds "No its the King and Queen!?!". Auna is offended I would compare the Queen to her a mere commoner. The King is very popular and there are pictures of him everywhere except they are usually more formal and at a later age. He's in his eighties. You can never ever say anything negative about the royalty. I have to be careful when I am trying to be nice.