Not content with having trashed my camera on the first day of our Thailand trip (hence trusty iPhone to the rescue) there was also an unfortunate incident involving my glasses, red ants and a motorcycle taxi. We were waiting to go to the ferry back to the mainland after our night on Koh Jum, when we noticed red ants marching up Jak's legs. In the ensuing flurry to extract small children from the advancing ant army (which Mem said were nasty little buggers with painful bites) my glasses - tucked down the front of my top, as I was wearing my sun-glasses at the time- must have slipped to the ground - I didn't notice until we were almost at the ferry, and then it was too late to go back for them as we'd have missed the last crossing. Later phone calls revealed that my glasses had been found; sadly they were comprehensively crushed - presumably not by the million tiny feet of red ants, but by the wheels of the motorbike taxi. At first I was not unduly perturbed - I had my prescription sun-glasses and a few pairs of disposable contact lenses, so would be able to get by for the few days until we'd be going home, where I have another very nice pair of glasses.
If I'd known our holiday was going to be extended by another week due to the volcano-incident, I'd have been considerably more perturbed about the whole thing. After using up the lenses I was reduced to mypopic squinting or the perpetual twilight of my very dark sunglasses (not to mention looking as if I had serious look-at-me-I'm-a-minor-celebrity-complex). I really am very short-sighted! Finally, I decided I would just have to pay the money and get a new pair. Amazingly, a little card with my prescription on was lurking with the leaking pens at the bottom of my handbag and I found an express optician in Kuala Lumpur who ran me up a very presentable pair of glasses for £50 in just under an hour. Okay, so they are the thickest, cheapest lenses known to man and weigh a tonne, but I can see again!
I am so blind without my glasses, if that happened to me I'd be in a fix too cause I do NOT carry my prescription around in my purse like you did. During my freshman year of college I went to the beach for a holiday with my room mates and on the 1st day of a week trip I wore my glasses into the ocean, got knocked down flat and the glasses floated off. I spent the rest of the vacation not able to see a thing. It was 1976 so there were not one hour eyeglass stores in existence yet. It was a long time before I could see again. Every since then I always travel with a spare set. Some lessons you only learn the hard way.
Hung on to your every word as I read your account, knowing I'd be way out of luck if something like that happened to me! In the end, you've got darling glasses and you look fabulous! Surprisingly, too, you don't look exhausted from your long travels and travails! Welcome home (again)