Continuing the bad start to the trip, Sim visits his GP early the next morning and the diagnosis is not good. Unable to provide a concrete diagnosis, the doctor suggests it is either mild appendicitis or a stomach infection, and encourages Sim to refrain from travelling for a few days until further tests can be completed. This diagnosis differs from that offered by Dr Ev Mo, who diagnosed the stomach pains as a ruptured spleen.
Dismayed at the apparent loss of a comrade, Ev Mo, Blai, Sao and myself make our way to the airport for the 2nd time in 2 days for our "scheduled" departure at 3:45 PM. Continuing the customer service skills shown previously, there was much queueing involved to check-in and this raised the tensions of all.
Finally we manage to check-in, and are overjoyed (!) at being presented with $12 lunch vouchers from the good people at Thai Airways as compensation for our flight being delayed. Blai, ever the shifty character, quickly turns his $12 lunch voucher into a $42 lunch voucher. And so, we treat ourselves to $72 worth of fast food courtesy of the good folks at Thai Airways. It's amazing how far $72 can go, as we stretch it to 36 nuggets, a quarter pounder meal, 3 big bondi meals and a cheeseburger.
At the boarding gate we have a few beers and play the trips first games of Big-2. Just as we are placing bets as to when the plane will actually leave, we are called to board at 5:30 PM, to raptuous applause from all passengers, and only 2 hours behind the "scheduled" departure of 3:45 PM.
Upon boarding I find a rather ironic picture in the Thai Airways in-flight magazine. These 2 Thai Airways engineers looking seemingly bewildered at the engine are probably the same ones who "looked at all the manuals and couldn't find the problem".
After a few hours in the air, the cramped conditions combined with damaged ankle ligaments become too much for the burly Ev Mo, and he resorts to using the refresher towel to provide some pain relief.
