5 September
After spending a few days wandering around Chiang Rai, it was time to head back to Chiang Mai. I hopped on the 10.30am bus which arrived at 2.30pm. Unfortunately, I had to go back to my hostel to pick up my train ticket. The owner, Kai, had just told me to "get a taxi". What I don't think he realises is that it is almost impossible to get a taxi for one person. Instead, I hopped into one which was vaguely going in my direction and walked the rest. With a huge bag, it was extremely unpleasant.
After a rest at the hostel, I took another cab to the train station, picked up some Pad Thai for dinner and got on the train. As this was my second journey, I considered myself a pro. I knew the routine and where things were. For the most part of the journey, I chatted to the Thai guy who would be sleeping in the bunk above me, until it was time for bed. Unlike last time, I didn't fancy the 'boogie carriage', just simply my bed and my book.
6/7 September
The train was due to arrive into Bangkok at 6.50am. I woke up about 6am expecting to be hurried along so that they could put the beds away. Something was up. From speaking to the other passengers around me, it was clear that there had been an incident in the middle of the night meaning that we were now severely delayed. What had meant to be a 12 hour journey, turned into 19.5 hours! The train pulled into Bangkok at 12.30pm. I wandered over to the MRT and took the metro to the airport. The only saving grace for this trip was the fact that I didn't have to sit in the airport for hours on end. After picking up a sandwich (ok a subway!) and dropping off my bag (all 23kgs of it, which I'm still convinced is wrong), I headed for the departure lounge.
The flight itself was good. The food was horrid but I met a French guy sitting next to me, so that kept me entertained for most of the way. He had been living in Perth for the last few months and couldn't speak more highly of it. Once we'd landed and collected bags, I went in search of a cab. As I approached the main doors, two well-dressed ladies approached me asking where I was going. They then directed me to a bus stand and pointed to 3 mini buses which were taking travellers into Ao Nang - perfect! The journey was short and the next thing I knew, the bus abruptly stopped and the driver shouted at me to get off. Then I saw the sign for my hostel. It was only 500m or so but with a heavy bag, this felt like miles. Luckily, a lady from one of the nearby tour companies, took me to my hostel on the back of her bike.
The hostel itself was really nice. Very clean and very comfortable. It could do with lockers but everyone seemed a friendly bunch. I was sharing with 2 brothers from Perth and a guy from Singapore. I popped my head into the communal area but everyone was engrossed in a drinking game, that I didn't want to disturb them. Eventually, one of the Perth brothers, Luke, invited me to join in. We hung out in the common area for hours, dancing to Bhangra. It was a great night. Tomorrow, it's time to head for the island of Railay. I have high expectations for this place, so I hope it comes up to scratch...
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