Saturday 26th August '06
(Diary) '...Up and out - feels good to get moving again, why am I wasting time and money in another resort, next to another beach on another island? Toast, jam, butter and an ice-coffee for breakfast. Had bought my ticket to Bangkok a few days previously - it's all packages here, the hassle of trying to do anything independent just doesn't seem worth it - and besides after some quick research, very little commmission is charged. Got picked up soon after midday by mini-van and taken to some port where we all got transferred to a coach, met a nice Scottish couple from the Shetlands as we waited for the coach - they'd been all over - coming to Thailand from Australia. Coach took us to another port where we all got out and waited for the ferry. Rustbucket arrived shortly - twenty or maybe thirty gas lorries lumbered from it's hold, I guess the island's supplies? Short ride across to the mainland - maybe an hour, arrived at Donska in torrential rain, hopped across a few puddles on the gravel/mud carpark to the coach when it finally reappeared, waiting to climb on I was rather thankful of my umbrella - everyone else was soaked.
Coach to Surat Thani train station, an hour and a half, stopped off at some travel agency to drop off folk who were taking the coach to either Krabi or Bangkok - fairly impressed with the organisation. Dumped at the train station, bought some food from a stall nearby and boarded the waiting train, or carriage - the train hadn't arrived yet. Left at 18.28 - due to arrive in the city the following morning at 06.00. 2nd class sleeper accommodation, two tier, length ways with the carriage. Two insular Danish girls sat on the other side to me - they told me after the strain of travelling around SE Asia for all of one month they had needed a holiday and had just spent two weeks on Koh Samui - I looked on incredulously at the pair - they were so sincere!
Read for part of the evening. Before turning in I wandered down the train in search of the canteen car which I knew was part of the set up - but had been previously assured from some waitress who walked the train charging higher prices, that it didn't exist! Found the carriage of course - had a late night snack and wondered why folk continually lied to me day in day out with such cold intent over here - please can I go back to India where at least the good people there accompanied any tall story or hike in price with a smile, a waggle of the head and a good nature that extended throughout the subsequent negotiation.
The canteen carriage/food car was spot-on, fairly cramped, much activity, metal tables and chairs. I sat at one empty seat enjoying the draft from the windows that had all been pulled down. Steam and the smells of cooking erupted from the far end of the carriage, staff from the train sat at the other end drinking Singha, drunk of course. One member of staff was slurring loudly into his walkie-talkie much to the amusement of the other sat at this table, I admit I chuckled at the sight. Empty(ish) dishes were being cleared away, everything and everyone was swaying - eratically. A western geezer was trying to have a serious conversation with some asian guy on the table in front of me - the finished bottles of Chiang explained the forced topic and resulting nonsense. Finished and up and swayed back to my bunk. Night.
Sunday 27th Aug '06
(Diary) '...Terrible night's sleep, one of the Danish girls seemed to be coughing her guts out all night and there was something metalic not quite attached beneath the carriage, it clanked and banged with no rhythm all night, a nightmare scenerio. Must have entered Bangkok's suburbs around 5ish. We stopped at some station, the stillness was broken by the chilling sound of a Thai voice over the tannoy system - the monotone and pitch made me wonder whether we'd entered some futuristic prison on another planet.
Finally pulled into the main station shortly before 6am, I jumped out, tabbed it all the way down the platform saw an exit, spotted a tuk-tuk (autorickshaw), welcomed the chance to negotiate and was soon speeding through fairly quiet streets to the Banglumpoo district and a hotel not to far from the infamous Khao San road. Standard room, nothing in it except a bed and a wall fan, shared bathroom. Dumped my gear and immediately went out for breakfast nearby - folk still drank in restaurants from the night previous. Back to the room for a few hours rest.
Up around midday and went out for a stroll. First impression's fairly favourable, the city wasn't at all what I imagined it to be like, cleaner, not as cramped and certainly judging from what I had seen so far - western. Walked along the impressive river, picked up a map from an efficient tourist office, walked through a nearby university, had a late lunch of god knows what in some busy food street, had a squint at the Grand Palace, a look around Wat Po and the reclining Buddha (a big gold buddha, 45m, reclined on its side), went to one of the many piers that line the river and took a ride on the public ferry to somewhere or other, walked around more streets for ages, then exhausted made my way all the way back to my hotel - I guess it was fairly busy afternoon.
After a bite to eat, took a stroll down Khao San road to see what is was all about. I had some vision of some crazy packed street with all sort's going on, but if the truth be known it was all rather disappointing. I sat at some bar and watched proceedings. The 400-500 metre stretch of road is closed to traffic at night. Bars, travel agencies, shops, resturants and guest houses line the street. Junk/food stalls situate themselves on the edge of the pavement making it easier for folk to walk down the road, rather than get caught up on the sidewalks. People from all over spend time on the 'road', some with a purpose, some with none, some eating take-away - some browsing the shops, some with backpacks on. A local chap appeared in the street in front of me and started to kick a football up and down, a crowd soon stood and stared. The road had a fairly distinctive smell - egg and red-bull. I thought back to Colaba in Mumbai - now that was mental!...'
Monday 28th Aug '06
(Diary) '...Alright(ish) sleep, up and out by 09.30 - need to change rooms, this place has about as much character as a malaysian palm grove. On a mission I enquired at several places all littered around the immediate area. First place - I was met with such an abrupt, dismisive 'no' from some Thai lady - that I felt the hairs on the back of my neck go up - I staggered off lost for words. I regained my composure with the aid of an ice-coffee and set off again. The next few places had fairly dismal rooms, I guess if I was travelling with someone - we could have convinced ourselves that they were OK and roughed it, and maybe if I was ten years younger I wouldn't have felt so put off by the state of the mattresses, the lack of security, the constant noise from the nearby roads, the gaps that invited mozzies, the state of the shared bathrooms etc. ect. Anyways - I eventually I found 'Four Sons House' - only ten minutes from my original hotel, it was spot-on - OK - a little bit more than the flea-pits I'd just expected, but incredibly the same amount of my previous night's stay. Cable TV, A/C, en-suite, daily cleaned, good restaurant adjoining it, friendly staff (miracles do happen), cheap internet and free water - perfect! Reserved a room, back to my other place, packed, tabbed it over to my new room and then after a hot shower - celebrated by scoffing a club sandwich, fried and a coke at the restaurant - nice!
Took a stroll in the afternoon, wrote some postcards - even bought some stamps and attached them - but typically didn't get round to actually posting them - what is wrong with me? Later watched some movie back in my room, some Irish film about a music contest starring one of the Corr sister's - quite awful really. Quiet night, a spot of reading, watched Pleasantville - not bad, sleep....'
Tuesday 29th Aug '06
(Diary) '...Posted the postcards I wrote out yesterday first thing - pheeew - that's my work done for the day. Walked back to the hotel subsequently exhausted, slurped and ice-coffee and thought about my Thai visa expiring on the 9th Sept. Decided to stay in Bangkok for a few days - I like the place, the thought of venturing further north didn't hold much appeal - I know folk will find it hard to fathom that I've come all this way and not go and see more of the country - but that's just the way it is, I'm not out to appease anybody but myself and considering I'm not exactly bowled over by the country why should I?...'
(Summary)
So for the rest of week I stayed in Bangkok and got to know the place better. As mentioned I liked the city and made an effort to go out and see different places, different aspects to the place. Maybe it was good to be back in a bit more mayhem, something lacking since India!? I also began to appreciate the atmosphere in the area I was staying, Banglumpoo. It was fairly laid back, I met some interesting backpackers and listened to what they had to say. I walked the streets, hunting out at different food establishements and stumbled across other places of interest. Probably spent too long in the city though - decided I needed to get back into travel mode, and spend only a few days here and there in future.
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