After six nights on Ko Lipe with 3 days of snorkeling and a
couple of afternoons on the beach I was ready to move on. With a little time
left I figured I could make a short visit to one more Island or simply head
back to Bangkok. I basically had 3 days to play with. Ultimately, I felt like
I’d pretty much had my fill for now and for whatever reason going
back to Bangkok sounded good. Once in Bangkok I could check into a comfortable
place I like, save some money, and kick around a bit.
The should part of me wanted to make another quick Island
stop. The what I felt like doing part of me just wanted to go back to Bangkok
and hang out without having to hassle with anything else aside of getting to
the airport for my flight home.
Thailand is a super easy place to travel. Once I decided to
return to Bangkok I just went to one of the many travel agents on Ko Lipe and said
I wanted to go to Bangkok by train. I wasn’t sure exactly how to go about it
but half a brain is not necessary when traveling touristy areas in Thailand.
The woman who helped me said I needed to take the 9 am speedboat ferry to some
pier where a van would be waiting for me and some others. The van would drop me
at the train station in Trang and all I had to do was walk across the street to
some tour operator who would have my train ticket. Total cost for all
transportation along with 2nd class air conditioned sleeper was
around $47 USD including a small service charge.
So, the two hour speedboat ferry was pretty cool as I rode
outside up front. Finding the van at the pier was made very easy by tagging
along with a German looking for the same van. My train ticket was initially a
little disappointing since I had booked last minute. The berth I was originally
assigned was a top bed by the toilet with no window. Luckily, they must have
added a car or something because when I met the tour operator who had my ticket
she said she had checked before I arrived and I could change if I wanted to. She
walked over to the train station with me and I was able to get the exact berth
I wanted. I like the middle of the car with a bottom berth. The bottom bed has
a window. Being in the middle is quieter and a better ride.
Not many tourists take the train back up to Bangkok from
Trang since you can buy an airline ticket for as low as $50 USD depending. I only
saw a couple of western foreigners in Trang and had lunch at a local
restaurant. It was nice to be off the tourist track which is full of Germans,
French, and Swedes all over the Southern Islands. On the fifteen hour train ride up
to Bangkok I didn’t see a single tourist. For a moment, I felt like a traveler
again. Back in Bangkok it was easy to find the way to my accommodation via
metro and skytrain.
At this point I feel like I’m half way home. I’ve passed through
Bangkok a number of times over the years and am quite familiar with the city. I
checked into a single room with shared bathroom for around $22 USD a night at a
hostel I’ve stayed out several times. It’s more like a budget hotel. Very
comfortable, clean, and in a quiet location. Last night an Austrain guy
traveling alone joined me for a trip up to the top of the Marriot which is
about a seven or eight minute walk from the hostel. The open air bar, forty
eight stories up, offers an amazing view. Drink prices are closer to the moon
than the streets below but tolerable if you catch a beverage during sunset
half price happy hour.
This morning I hopped the skytrain for a short ride and then
a fifiteen minute walk to Lumphini park. The park is a good size with trees,
pond, and so forth. It’s also the best, if not only place, inside the city
which is really good for running and exercising. This morning there were lots
of people. With cool temps in the low 70’s and a nice little breeze it
was a great morning to be in the park. The roads are all closed for pedestrian
traffic in the morning and bicycles in the afternoon. The outer road makes
a nice loop of about a mile and a half upon black asphalt. The atmosphere is
quite pleasant with lots of runners and various other groups doing Tai Chi and
the like.
As I was running along I heard the sound of a voice on an
intercom then a few chimes of some kind of bell. Everyone stopped and froze. It
took a moment before I realized I was the only person moving so I figured I
better stop and did. At that moment, what sounded like the national anthem,
began to play. I took my hat off. As soon as it was over everyone got right
back into what they were doing.
Right now is kind of an interesting time In Thailand. Obviously
the country is doing pretty well but it hasn’t been without a few problems
during recent years with attempted coups and such. Just recently the King died
and the country is in a period of mourning. You see the King’s image
everywhere. The king was in power for 70 years and the heir to thrown has yet to be officially appointed. It’s all being put
off until sometime next year but it’s a little uncertain how it’s all going to
play out.
Now I basically have 3 days in the city. I’ll likely go to
the park every morning to run and plan to visit a few sites I haven’t been to
like Ko Kreet, an Island in the middle of a river. It’s an easy day trip from
Bangkok. Hey! I do have time to visit one more Island. How about that?
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