Attempt to explore the island
The goal of this day was to visit the east coast of the island that I don't know at all and more particularly the village of Ban Thong Nai Pan and its two beaches Thong Nai Pan Noi and Thong Nai Pan Yai (Noi and Yai meaning respectively small and large in reference obviously to the size of the beaches) If the route remained similar to that of the day before until after Thong Sala, we turned left at Ban Tai to pass through the center of the island by a different road from that of the day before. It was a bad move for me... While we were going uphill, with these series of bends, my father, not yet having sufficient control of the machine (you have to lean out to turn...), found himself too far to the right while a car was coming the other way (which had not happened until then apparently, the roads being in fact rather empty of cars and even quite calm in general) which made him lose control and fall to the side of the road.
Fortunately, more fear than harm, the fall having happened uphill and not downhill the speed was lower, moreover the side in question was not a ravine and covered with a bit of grass. Only downside, the scooter will obviously be a bit scratched (the rental company after examining the beast, will claim 5000 baht for the repairs, which, while the amount is a bit excessive, is in no way reprehensible because it is part of the signed contract...)
And above all, my father took the only stone that was lying around and so he opened his knee… The rest of the program seemed like a nightmare. On principle, we wanted to avoid my father getting back on the handlebars, so it was impossible to bring the other scooter back… Moreover, not having the dexterity and practice of the Thais, getting 4 on the scooter seemed unreasonable…
In short, I first had to take my father to the hospital, which was already no easy task, because although I knew roughly where it was, I couldn't find the exact location, the Thais I asked either didn't know or gave me a direction but no distance, so I didn't really know where I was... The worst was when the rain started to come, and then it felt like we were hitting rock bottom...
Once my father was taken care of by the hospital, I went to pick up the husband of the friend in Jitima in town (Thong Sala), who was a great help to us. The guy didn't seem very reassured by my driving because he offered to drive for me twice... I preferred to drive myself to get to the scene of the incident as quickly as possible without having to direct him. Once there, torrential rain greeted us, the scooter was alone, Jitima and my mother having had to take shelter... but having no more credit or battery (the whole lot) I couldn't contact them... starting to go down a little lower having seen a shelter I immediately went back up higher, still no one...
So be careful if you rent scooters on the island!
A bit under the weather, the rain still pouring down I start to take shelter in a restaurant, while I was getting ready to leave (I don't know where by the way...) Jitima and my mother arrive... phew, from there I go down to look for the husband of the friend who had come down with the scooter to take shelter (at the time I said to myself "and shit where has he gone!!??")... so we go back up together and leave with Jitima and my mother. Once in town I picked up my father from the hospital (who ultimately will not have stitches) who took care of making the return trip to our beach, the journey being easier, flat and without too many turns, on the other hand no more scooter for any other stay... which is a bit annoying... not during this stay where the next destination is Ko Tao which is small enough to cover on foot, but for other possible stays in the islands...
The rest of the day, Jitima and I went to Haad Yao beach, just south of ours, to rest after a good shower, the good weather having returned.
