Chapter 21
Nina followed the signs to the driver pick-up and taxi area as she walked along in a throng of passengers at the same time as rereading the email instructions from the hotel. She was looking for someone traditionally dressed in a red outfit who would be holding up an iPhone with her name on it. Nina hoped the hotel was going to be nice. After much deliberation between the Shangri-La, sitting on the river, and a hotel near the shopping district, in the end, Nina and Robby had opted for a privately owned five-star boutique hotel not far from the old town that also sat on the river and was serviced by the traditional Bangkok ferries.
The boutique hotel was excruciatingly expensive, more than any hotel they’d looked at and Nina had baulked at the cost. She’d never really travelled much before and felt quite out of sorts with the amount of money the hotel had cost. Robby, however, had been adamant that they were going to stay wherever she wanted. Princess vibes right here right now. So after lusting at the traditional rooms and facilities of the hotel, with its old-fashioned traditional decor, king-size four-poster beds, antique Thai furniture, and colonial wing, they’d booked a top room. Now, she was questioning everything.
After hustling along in an extremely busy exit area, Nina couldn’t see the wood for the trees and tried not to let herself panic. As she looked around she was faced with a line of mostly men in black suits, holding up their iPhones horizontally or little white cards with names on them. Scanning down the line of suits, she spied a woman in a red silk outfit with gold epaulettes and flicked her eyes to the woman’s iPhone. Nina’s name wasn’t on the phone. She continued skimming along the barrier until she suddenly saw a similarly dressed woman with Nina’s name in front of her. Nina felt herself do a little sigh of relief. As she approached the woman, the Thai smile she’d heard so much about was more than evident. The woman held out her hand to take one of Nina’s bags and spoke to her in English. A few minutes later, they were standing by the exit doorway and making their way outside. As the doors slid back and Nina followed the woman, the humidity nearly knocked her for six; she blinked as the heat seemed to slam down onto her body like a heat blanket from above.
The woman appeared to read Nina’s thoughts in a flash. ‘Hot, yes? Don’t worry. You”ll be fine in a second once we’re in the car,’ the woman said, looking over to a manically busy area where taxis, cars, and small minivans were in a jumbled mess as far as the eye could see. Nina couldn’t quite fathom how any of the cars were going to move. Again, the woman appeared to read her thoughts.
‘The car will be here shortly. It’s just around the corner.’
A few minutes later, as taxis darted in and out and stressed-out people slammed cases into boots, a car wedged itself diagonally towards the pavement. The woman smiled and, in one swift movement, opened the door and gently guided Nina in. Nina hopped into the back as the driver jumped out and deposited her suitcase from the pavement into the boot. Nina inhaled and then let out a long, slow whoosh of air through her mouth. The air conditioning was so cold compared to the humidity outside the window it felt as if it might burn the inside of her nostrils. She sat back and looked out the window, wondering how the driver was proposing to untangle them from the mess of the arrivals area.
Whatever the driver did, it worked, and before she knew it, they sped away from the airport and edged onto the motorway. Nina peered out at zooming traffic as they went under a gigantic ornate gold bridge welcoming them to the Kingdom of Thailand. She stared out the window with the air conditioning blasting on her face and watched as all around her, crazy traffic flew by, and the towering skyscrapers of Bangkok lined up as far as the eye could see.
So many tall, high, mirrored buildings. Thick, warm, heat waves. Crazy, zooming traffic. Seeing the high-rise city, Nina realised why Robby and his company were in demand. She’d never seen as many tall buildings in her life. Skyscrapers stood side by side like soldiers high up into the sky for what looked like miles and miles on end.
About forty-five minutes later, they pulled off the motorway, inched forward in manic traffic, and Nina looked around at Bangkok life as it unfolded around her. Women sat side-saddle on mopeds, zipping here and there. Every which way she looked, streets teemed with activity. As they got nearer to the hotel and the old town, the gigantic skyscrapers of new Bangkok were replaced with beautiful, old, traditional Thai architecture.
As the car navigated tight Bangkok streets where every corner hosted bustling street food, Nina wasn’t quite sure where she was going to end up. The vibrant chatter of Bangkok surrounded her; a blast of honking horns, a buzzing of motorbikes, street vendors, stalls adding a clattering of pots and pans, bustling streets with dense traffic, and the sizzle of street food being cooked on open grills.
Slowly, the streets got narrower and a tad less busy. After the car pulled into a circular in/out driveway surrounded by tropical plants and lush vegetation, Nina looked around with wide eyes. There was a flurry of activity as the car pulled to a stop. Stepping out of the car, thick, sticky, balmy air, heavy with the scent of rain-soaked earth and blooming flowers, immediately enveloped her. Nina blinked at the change in temperature so in contrast to the chill of the cab.
For a minute, she gazed agape at a large orchid-shaped fountain in the centre of a tiled courtyard. It was surrounded by a teak pergola where massive fern hanging baskets cascaded to the floor and huge fuschia orchids nestled in large white pots beside lily pads floating in shallow water surrounding the fountain. She inhaled and could almost taste the humidity on her tongue and breathed in the smell of what she thought was lemongrass and frangipani in the air. As she took her bag, the tropical leaves rustled softly, and the sound of the fountain trickled around her. Nina Lavendar felt as if she’d just been plopped into a whole other world. Lovely Bay seemed a long, long, long way away indeed.
Nina stepped into the hotel reception area to be again hit by cool, blossom-scented air. Her footsteps made too much noise as she was surrounded by teak wood, beautiful old architecture, and traditional Thai furniture. Polished wooden floors reflected the light from traditional pendants overhead, and ceiling fans hummed above. Nina felt as if she’d been instantly washed in a hush of tranquillity.
As she waited to check in, she inhaled what was around her: freshly cut flowers on the desk, what smelt like beeswax furniture polish, rich textured fabrics in vibrant colours, the rustle of silk curtains, quiet footsteps, and soft music. Each detail of the foyer felt as if it had been hand-picked; intricate carvings decorated the walls, low coffee tables between silk-covered chairs, large pots brimming with water and plants, and really just a medley of lovely tropical things.
After checking in with ease, Nina pushed open a heavy timber hotel room door. Immediately, she was hit by lavender, lemongrass, and ginger from a diffuser, a polished teak floor, a carved four-poster bed draped in white linens, a vibrantly coloured silk runner, and matching dress cushions. The faint rustle of the fabric in the breeze from the colonial fans was more than welcome.
Nina left her case by the door, ran her fingertips along the polished wood of an antique writing desk, patted the bed and stood by the shutters at the window looking down at a pool. The unfamiliar hum of cicadas, lush greenery, and warm afternoon sun streamed through the windows. She stepped into the bathroom and found herself inhaling a deep, long breath as she took in the ornately carved mirrors, walk-in shower, and, to her delight, a deep sunken bath. Turquoise-green and pink mosaic tiling, along with a stash of toiletries and fresh piles of brilliantly white towels, surrounded the sunken tub. Nina couldn’t quite wait to dive in.
Pulling back the huge old teak shutters fully, she wrenched up a bolt from the old-fashioned full-length balcony doors, yanked one of them open, and stepped out onto the balcony. She was hit by a blast of humidity and a swirl of lush greenery, deep greens, and blooming frangipani. For a minute, she stood looking out over the water lapping against the pool”s edge, watched palm leaves rustling to her left and jasmine climbing over an arch.
Nina closed her eyes for a second, inhaled everything she could, let her breath out in a long slow release, and smiled. This was going to be good. So, so good.