Teagle's Travels

Monday

Laos: The First Part

Thursday July 7, 2011

It was just a few days ago this evening I began making my out of Bangkok in search of a new adventure within the country of Laos. When booking my ticket I was informed that the only seat available was an upper bunk sleeper with air conditioning. With Thai trains you pay more for a/c instead of a fan and to have a lower bunk instead of an upper. I may have already mentioned how the upper bunks are not built for Westerners but instead designed on the notion that 5 feet of sleeping length would not only be adequate but comfortable too; both notions of course being completely wrong. But holy hell did the a/c make up for the lack of space. Remembering I had sweat my body weight on my last train ride I was pleasantly surprised to find myself reaching for a long sleeve shirt shortly after boarding. To my chagrin the lower bunks were yet again reserved for an elderly couple of whom the husband I would at times catch stealing glances my way. Given his heritage and age I really wasn’t sure if he was staring with curiosity, disdain or was merely dozing in my direction while his wife chattered on across from him.

Our arrival was ultimately delayed a few hours giving me ample time to awake from my frigid slumber and attempt to make conversation with those around me. Anyone speaking Thai or those in large groups conversing in their native tongue I ruled out; I need not force conversation upon those that can’t, nor enter with those that have already formed a group conversation. Besides, conversation is not a thing to be forced early in the morning especially when just awaking with a bit of morning breath. I instead struck up words with a man sitting across the aisle who (and I told him later) reminded me of the Iranian leader Ahmadinejad. Realizing it is never a compliment to be told you resemble malevolent world leader I initially said he just looked Iranian. He was in fact an Austrian with blood lines coming from both Austrian and Bosnia. A man in his early 30’s he had recently finished a 3 month stint traveling India and was finishing his adventure by entering Laos. We received each other’s company well enough to cross the border together and split a room at whichever guesthouse suited us.

Lonely Planet is a company that has carved out a strong niche in the traveling world by writing travel guide books on nearly every country that sees the rising sun. Not necessarily the best choice but always the easiest to access LP has a melting pot of writers. Although at times it may be incorrect it generally offers enough information en masse that ultimately most travelers use it as their basis for picking hostels and knowing train routes. Rudolph wielding the paper edition and myself a downloaded copy, we went against our better judgment and set out to find LP’s “Recommended Pick” for a guest house in Vientiane. Many times the writers pick upon heralding that title will raise its rates knowing the weary traveler will succumb to the cost if only to stay at LP’s favorite (and get out of the burning heat). Mixay Guesthouse turned out to be a reasonably priced winner and we settled into a clean and spacious windowless oven on the second floor. It has served its purpose but it has only been thanks to the local spirits that we have been able to sleep through the heat. Having no window and only a fan to share the nights require no blanket or sheet as you continuously move about the bed trying to find that cool spot on the sheets.

Vientiane, the city of our arrival, is not only the capital but also the largest city of Laos boasting nearly 300K inhabitants. Yet this city feels much smaller, quieter and sleepier than cities half its size. It is a welcoming transition from the enormity of Bangkok and Rudolph and I have both embraced it happily. It is my understanding that the rest of Laos will likely resemble the feeling of Vientiane if only on a smaller scale. The taxi drivers seem less annoying and the people even nicer than its southern Thai neighbors. The food is good but does not match Thailand as it lacks the ubiquity of street side delights that can be had in Thailand. Regardless, it proffers with much bravado another product, Beerlao, the pride of Laos. A seemingly simple brew that may or may not have won an award at one point in its history, Beerlao may honestly be the product that this country is most proud. Personally I find it no more delicious than the other local beers I’ve had but at nearly $1 a bottle it’s hard to argue with the economics. And I should point out that a bottle in SE Asia is the size of two bottles found back in America!

Speaking of money my new destination seems to be priced quite well, although it is again a struggle to adapt to the new currency. They transact with the Kip, and at approximately 8000 Kip to 1 dollar at first glance it become confusing whether or not the midnight snack run you just made was insanely overpriced. Luckily most everything can be had cheap and so my new comrade and I decided to tour the small city via bicycle, paying just over one dollar to pedal for 24 hours.

In fact most everything we did was facilitated by our bikes. Riding bikes in Vientiane is quite easy as traffic never seems rushed and the roads have ample space for us to wind along the flat terrain. We spent much of our days touring the myriad of temples that scattered the city, at times losing our way and nagging the closest passerby hoping that they might understand us. Most lacked English but could perhaps discern the native words of our desired destination and would wave in a direction that was no clearer than if we had asked the sleeping dogs on the side of the street. Ultimately we would find our way and I would find myself looking at each temple with declining amounts of interest. The buildings have the same Buddhist architecture that is found in Thailand so it can be quick that one loses interest in the scenery. There were two locations however that caught our attention and we again visited them later at night to view them illuminated in the darkness. Unlike the other temples these two had large open plazas that resembled those of Europe, giving it a more communal social atmosphere that one does not find in the crowded streets of most American cities.

Sunday

Thailand Part 2

Summary recap of June 16^th – July 1^st

My apologies for having to post with such a delay but the time seems to have slipped past me with little regard for my readers. I’ll do my best to recount the past couple of weeks…

After having spent more than adequate time within Bangkok and having walked or toured nearly every temple and market I was more than anxious for Sarah’s arrival. With the help of a friend she had received a buddy pass to fly at a discounted rate and visit for two weeks. The unfortunate part however is that the flight is booked as standby and she was twice delayed in different cities leaving us anxiously waiting another 48 hours, only delaying our reuniting.

Her arrival was just as great as expected having now been apart for almost two months. Large smiles could not be hidden on either face as we made our way back into the city. We stayed only one day in Bangkok and I did my best to guide her around with an abbreviated venture of all I had seen in the past week. We had already booked a night train down south to visit the islands on the Andaman Sea in the Gulf of Thailand and were in a rush to be on our way.

The train ride was an experience unto itself. Our journey from Bangkok to our destination of Koh Phagnan, the middle of the 3 islands that most visit, was set to to take an entire day as we would constantly be changing vehicles; a cab to the train station to take a bus to the pier to catch a ferry to the get a taxi to our hotel. But it was the train that was of most interest. Thailand like other countries offers different classes that one can book, with 3^rd being the worst and 1^st the clear champion. The train is by no means awful but it is old and not something you would likely see in the USA. While Amtrak is a poor display on how to run a business, the equipment it uses is definitely better. To picture our train think of something that Russia might have used during WWII.

Anyway we had chosen 2^nd class sleeper with fan. In a desire to save money we elected to go without air conditioning but hoped we could at least catch some shuteye on the 14 hour train ride south. The sleepers are set up as just normal seats facing each other that will then pull out to form a bed (like in a camper) with another bed in a folded up position above our heads. We both got stuck with upper bunks and will forever regret it. A mere 2 hours into the journey at 7 o’clock the attendant came by to make the beds, forcing us into our upper bunks as an elderly couple had booked both lower beds. These bunks were hot, tiny and hot. We had no windows and both found ourselves focusing on the fan above our heads. This is not a ceiling fan, rather the head of one you might have in your office that rotates from side to side within its little metal case. Six seconds away, four seconds on. That was the time breakdown we each got for our little gusts of breezy salvation. Stuffed into a human breadbox on a dilapidated creaky train we each sweat ourselves to sleep, careful not to raise our head more than 6 inches lest we have a sweaty headache too.

Arriving at our stop only an hour late we were relieved to stretch our legs and see if we couldn’t find a ride to the pier. Traveling is constantly a battle of determining how to get to where you want to go without getting ripped off doing it. The only problem is you usually won’t know if either is correct until it’s too late. There simply isn’t enough information available to a traveler to have complete confidence he is making the right decision. Your best solution is to ask other travelers how they did it. When we got to the train station we were the only Westerners so we took a chance and boarded some bus to somewhere promising us it was our best option. We bit and climbed aboard realizing that it also appeared to be our only option.

Although the ferry ride was less than 3 hours I was growing impatient and wanted nothing but to arrive instantly. As is always the case when ending your vacation though, on our return I desired the exact opposite and was certain the captain was intent on ending our vacations as quickly as he could. At the landing pier we hopped into a taxi truck and made our way to our reserved basic room at the Haadyao Bayview Resort. Having scoured what seemed like every resort, bungalow, hotel, and straw hut available online I had selected the Bayview earlier that week. Our room was a major upgrade from anything I had been staying in before, including a TV, shower with hot water, air conditioning (a first!) and sizable living space. It was perfect. We were on the northern tip of our beach Haad Yao and could see all around its small loop from our hotel pool. Koh Phag Nan and the other two islands consists of multiple small beaches that are all accessible by boat or by road only (you can’t walk the whole island), making them their own secluded paradises. And since it was still low season our room, although expensive for traveling, was a mere $30. I’d say given what we had you’d expect to pay about $200 back in the US given the location.

In all honesty there is not too much to do on the islands outside of eating, drinking and repeating. Food costs are about triple Bangkok and even then a dinner for two can easily be had for $10. The food is good but lacked the variety that I had been indulging in back North as we were forced to consume many coconut curries, grilled seafood, fresh salads and assorted beverages served out of coconut shells. As the beaches are only accessible from the road you quickly find yourself sampling every restaurant in a matter of days and discovering a growing similarity with dishes. I finally broke down and gave into a craving for Western food and was pleasantly surprised to be treated to the best bacon mushroom sandwich I had eaten. Thick pieces of peppered bacon were piled with giant sautéed mushrooms on gourmet bread. There are a few foods I miss while traveling Asia but few are as important as delicious bacon.

Our first day on the island we decided to visit the beaches further north via the road to see if there would be a better place to stay in the coming nights. It is well understood that you should maybe book 1 or 2 nights at your first location and then go search for a new place in person, ultimately yielding you a better deal. Well the day began to wear on as we walked farther than anticipated and when returning discovered our path no longer looked familiar. I was certain we had missed a turn and yet neither of us remembered there ever having been another road to turn on and after another sweaty hour we stumbled out a couple miles in the opposite direction from everywhere. After that we stayed on the beaches.

When we weren’t eating or sitting on the beach we tried snorkeling off the beach by our resort. It was not the best attempt as getting to the reef required a fair distance of walking through shallow water careful to avoid giant sea cucumbers that littered the ocean floor. But we gave it a go anyway and I got to try out my waterproof camera which was great at proving I am not destined to be an underwater photographer. The few fish we did see swam away faster than I could click, leaving me with a handful of blurry pictures of the reef. The water was pleasant though, reminiscent of a bath of sorts and we would sometimes just sit in the shallows or swim out to a sandbar and wade around, slowly turning into salty prunes.

The beaches are all lined with hotels, restaurants and little thatch huts with Thai women yelling out for you to come get a massage. Since Thai is a very tonal language this apparently carries over to their English, for despite them speaking our native tongue we were certain they were yelling random Thai words as we walked by. Luckily the mats were a sign enough of what is being offered and on a couple of occasions we laid down for a one hour massage costing us only $10. They definitely aren’t trained masseurs but there is no way you can beat it for what you pay. If you get a Thai style massage you’ll end up having you body contorted in seemingly unnatural positions by a woman half your size. Even when getting a normal oil massage you’d think she had something to prove when she buries her elbows into your back. I recommend it to anyone.

After a few days we decided to relocate and settled on a more remote beach on the upper NE corner of the same island. We hailed a taxi and after a 45 minute bumpy and dusty ride arrived at what appeared to be a superior beach. We found a bungalow near the sand and settled in for what would likely be a repeat performance of the previous few days. We no longer had a pool but the ocean access was very good and we found ourselves slowly swimming in the warm water with little disregard. It wasn’t until I realized my camera had fallen out of my pocket one day in chest deep water that there was cause for excitement. It didn’t help matters that I had tied our room key to the camera and slight panic quickly set in recalling the price of the key deposit and of my new camera. Luckily (and depending on who you ask) it was Sarah who finally found it after a frantic half hour of stomping feet and peering into the swirling seafloor. I decided to leave it on the beach for the rest of the trip.

Our next days followed as expected as we moved to a new hotel yet again that boasted an infinity pool. The pool is set in front of the beach and the wall facing the sea is shorter, allowing the pool to flow over into a lower piece of the pool and recycle the water back into the main part. This effect makes it look like the pool continues endlessly (hence the name) and at our location the ocean matched up with the pool to truly give it a genuine feel of infinity.

One night we stayed at a bar that had great entertainment of fire twirlers. Igniting ends of sticks and short ropes with a knot at the end, these young men would twirl them seemingly effortlessly into the sky and catch them again. Contrasted with the dark night sky and glistening sea behind them it was a vivid show and even more impressive when you would catch a glimpse of their faces and realize how young they must be. Although I saw some westerners practicing (without fire) in the daylight I think I’ll leave this spectacle up to those who do it best.

And so our days quickly came and went until we had exhausted them all and found ourselves wishing for just one more so that we might continue to tan, swim and make just one more run to the 711 for snacks and beer. Having been together for those days it was not just the beach we knew we were sorry to see go. We repeated our transport back to Bangkok, but in reverse, and found ourselves arriving Monday morning with less than a day to enjoy. A few more delicious meals and a small walk through the city was all we could manage in our final hours. Cabs were unfortunately plentiful at 2 am stealing any chance of extending our final embrace if only for a few minutes. Saying goodbye is never easy especially knowing we would be apart for many months to come as Sarah will be studying in South America leading up to Christmas while I continue my meandering adventure through the countryside of SE Asia.

Saturday July 2, 2011

I have been back in Bangkok for a few days after having a wonderful time down on the island of Koh Phagnan on the SE gulf of Thailand. Being back here is bittersweet for me as it was the last place that I was with Sarah. Fortunately I feel that I now have a decently firm grasp on this city and feel comfortable to the point where I am living here now more so than still traveling through. So at least I can find some solace in the ease of living for a few days.

I have returned to my same temporary residency, The Riverline Guest House, and have come to enjoy its simplicity and cleanliness (an underrated feature). It is about as cheap as one can stay, for $6 a night I get my own little room with a fan. It has a shared bathroom and lacks character, space and a/c but I am willing to sacrifice. WiFi is streamed here for free and that is by far more important than any of those other options. Having brought my Netbook with me the internet is a cheap way to pass time if I am not interested in walking around a city or spending money at a bar or restaurant. There is much down time while traveling and when you don’t have you TV or usual means of entertainment the ability to plop down and read the news or update Facebook is sure better than doing neither in an air conditioned room.

I have even spent enough time in one place to have formed a relationship of sorts with a local couple down the street. They have one of many open food stands that serve great traditional dishes on the streets of Thailand. But since my guesthouse is located down a little alley their location is quiet and cheap and I can’t but frequent it at least once a day. They have only two small plastic tables and over my time here I believe I have tried nearly everything on the menu. They are middle aged and I gather they have children but I don’t believe I have seen them. It’s hard to be certain as the youth that pass through share as much resemblance to the owners as to everyone else. Her English is better than his and we exchange a few words each time although he attempts a longer conversation with me that only leads us both to smiling as we fail to understand each other. As I was returning home today I saw them cleaning and closing up for the day so I stopped and asked if they will be open tomorrow as I will be leaving for Laos in the evening. She says they are closed and asks why I am interested and upon hearing the news she is actually a little sad. She says she is very sorry to have to close as she would love to cook for me again before I leave. It was a genuine response and although we shared few words there has been much more communication among us during my stay in Bangkok and I am happy to have met them.

But now it is time I pack up my stuff and move to a new adventure; for that I have selected the Northern region of Laos. I will go by rail tomorrow on an overnight train up to Nong Kaih where I may stay for a night and then cross the border via the Friendship Bridge the following day. I am excited to be on the move again as I will have to repeat the process I began in Thailand nearly a month before.

I hope everyone has a wonderful 4^th of July weekend. I will miss the BBQ’d meats and the fireworks and the beers with friends as my day will blend in like any other.

I will be posting pictures from Thailand soon!

Wednesday

Thailand Part 1

Wednesday June 8, 2011

I have left Kathmandu, Nepal for the muggier tropics of Thailand and am anxious to see what lies in store. The departure from the Himalayan region was an interesting affair that contained multiple pat-downs, frustrating bag searches and inefficient bus transfers. The first I have come to understand is a direct expression of the lack of trust or abilities of those conducting the pat-down. These occurred first at the front door, twice at different security checks and once more outside the airplane before boarding. Nowhere has there been an opportunity to smuggle weapons but perhaps it is not my actions between the entry door of the airport and that of the plane that is worrisome, but rather that of the first two men performing the patting. No one really trusts that it has been done right. As for my carry-on bag, I was in a state of surprise when my drumsticks and bouncy ball were given a thorough examination and required the consultation of a supervisor to determine if they proved a malicious threat. And lastly, the need to board a bus, drive 50 feet and then disembark is of utter fascination to me. While humorous in nature it proved only irritating and has done little except to provide me a transition to my thoughts on Nepal.

While there is no direct connection between the bus and the country itself It does seem a suitable example to opine about this country. I draw no direct references except to point out the lack of thought given to the event. Here is a country (Nepal) that has one of the absolute best natural tourist attractions. Really, if you have the time and energy to trek any part of the world come to Nepal. Unparalleled in many aspects what Nepal has to offer is simply a goldmine. But they take such limited action to foster the growth that is sitting under their noses. As if conceived in retrospect Nepal’s tourism industry hangs loosely on the mountains themselves with little infrastructure supporting it. Kathmandu is a veritable dump and outside of the adventurous backpacker their holds little interest throughout the city. The only thoughts on my mind and those that I trekked with were that we were in a wilderness like no other and that if we had to spend any time in the rest of Nepal we would rather jump into boiling tar pits. In Thamel, the backpacker district of Kathmandu, an egregious tax of 10% and another of 13% are slapped onto bills without a second thought. These don’t legally exist and yet they are implemented regardless, while the justification for them continues to escape me. Nothing turns off a visitor more than be taxed twice when neither exists for the greater populous but are only haphazardly thrust upon visitors. Nepal will continue to swim in its iniquities until it settles its government and focuses on fostering the tourism that could bring buckets of money to support it. Alas, I speak in haste and no doubt vain. I’m not the first to express disgust but I hope I am not the last.

Thursday June 9, 2011

My first couple of days in Bangkok have been as expected as I am again plucked for what I have come to understand as normal and dropped into a new world. It is hot and crowded but full of smiling people; well, more or less. Despite the warnings on my first day I was convinced to get into a Tuk Tuk, an oversized motorized tricycle of sorts, and tour part of the city. Promised a good deal and told I would see the temples I decided to board. It turned out to be rather good except for the time lost at merchants I had to stop at so that the driver would get rewarded. The temples though were quite impressive, especially since I had no idea where I was having arrived in the city less than 24 hours before. My driver’s English was impressive and his attitude always seemed upbeat. For the record though, I cannot name the places I went nor could I show you where they were should you arrive.

The architecture was new and enjoyable to view. Many temples pepper the city as the citizens are almost all Buddhist and his image or homages to him appear everywhere. The buildings themselves have many large A-shaped roofs outlined with gold colored trim and intricate carvings. I’ll admit though that it all starts to blend together and at some points I questioned if I hadn’t already been taken here. Afterall, you’re not supposed to trust any of the tuk tuk drivers.

Friday June 10, 2011

Although Bangkok is a large and expansive city there remains one section of it which is home to backpackers all over the world. To some it is the quintessential locale where the weary traveler returns or the first timer selects to see if the stories are true. This place is called Koh San Road. To its credit Koh San does not contain the seediest and dirties parts that are known to inhabit Bangkok, but there the credit ends. It is loud western tourist mayhem every night of every day as traveler, street vendor and open air bars combine to form a noxious whirlwind of drunken culture. On the plus side it is a recognizable location for any taxi driver and there are plenty of places to stay. For this reason alone many choose to stay in the neighborhood knowing that they will be catered to in most aspects and will know where to run to replenish their toilet paper or desire for all night parties. Upon arrival I selected a small and cheap guest house off a side alley from this hotbed of activity and have even moved further away to a nice spot overlooking the river. A brisk ten minute walk will have me back in Koh San’s throngs should I choose to venture there but there are plenty of food stalls and bars between us to limit my need for it.

Speaking of food it has been absolute heaven for me, making Nepal look like a grade school cafeteria in comparison to these culinary delights. Most meals are had from street vendors where meats, fruits and bubbling pots of who-knows-what are waiting to be poured over rice. I relish the fresh fruits that have been made available to me as I sample recognizable pineapple, mango and papaya. Eventually I brave lichi, durian, dragonfruit and others; all of them leave me smiling and wanting more. There is no limit to what can be skewered and then grilled: chicken, beef, pork, and a hundred different types of sausages. I have yet to eat dinner tonight and just thinking of each food oasis has my mouth watering. Many times I know not what I order but am willing to assume the risk knowing for another 50 cents I can try something else. Here the Thai cook with spice and love using pork. To me the spice only compounds the heat my body scorns as the sun beats down every day. Sweat from food mixes with the muggy weather and soon my water bottle is empty and I find myself searching for coconut ice cream.

Saturday June 11, 2011

Today was a bit of a mixed bag of emotions. Having read in our guidebook that Bangkok has some of the world’s most luxurious and enthralling movie theaters we decided to prove it right. Our meeting point was of course a very distant walk so I opted for a ferry ride down south through the canal followed by a stint on Bangkok’s Skytrain, an elevated commuter line that connects much of the city. My commute went swimmingly and having arrived early I decided to snack (yet again) on more delectables being sold around the area. New foods were found and in my glee photos were snapped to capture whatever I was consuming. Unfortunately others must have been paying more attention to me than I to my food, for in the moments from finishing one snack and walking up the stairs a man of opportunity saw fit to relieve me of my camera. Upon realizing my loss a pit formed in my stomach for I knew that it would not be simply lying about on the sidewalk, as if purposefully placed there. It hadn’t fallen out of my bag with any hope that it would be reported to lost and found. No, a thief had taken advantage of my carelessness. Likely in vain I filed a police report and made my way back to the theater. We opted (partly for irony) to view Hangover 2: Lost in Bangkok. The movie was quite bad but fun to watch the misadventures of others in the exact city we were occupying. I couldn’t help but smile at the fact that someone else was having a worse time than I here in Thailand. The event has jaded me to my locale but I am determined to keep high spirits. Despite what you’ve been told, traveling is not always fun. It can suck, it can be depressing and lonesome, and it can be hard work. Today was mostly the former but it has proved as a sufficient and costly reminder that the lone traveler faces constant risk of exposure and must always be on guard.

Sunday June 12, 2011

Today some of us arranged to meet up at the Chatachuk market located in the northern region of Bangkok. An attempt to use the bus system proved successful but the mass of people at the market rendered our meeting point hopeless. Eventually through the burning sun we found each other, only to decide to head off on our own. A brilliant plan indeed, for if you have ever tried to wander through anything similar, a swap meet, garage sale or flea market, you know that no one has the same pace or interest. So my voyage was like many others; focused on food. I never really felt satisfied with my selections and found myself chasing my snacks until a bellyache forced me to submit. Chicken soup, BBQ’d pork, a seafood and egg dumpling, coconut ice cream and some bag of fruit; not bad for a breakfast. The market itself was quite large with winding alleys of trinkets and clothes and anything else you could imagine. I netted myself a local beer screened logo tank top and quickly found myself desiring lunch. We moved to a different market and walked more isles of intriguing foods. Most of them I had never seen before. But it is not the unknown of the food that worries me, but how to get what you want. Almost entirely written in Thai and with little English spoken, pantomimes prevail and crude sign language takes over. Rubbing the thumb and pointer finger together typically yields me broken English indicating a price. That’s usually my only barrier to try anything. I opted for a salad and a sausage on a stick, thinking they both would be safe choices. Spice is so prevalent in Thailand the first words I taught myself were “mae pet,” meaning “not spicy.” To my surprise my papaya salad turns out to be traditionally the hottest dish served in Thailand and my water bottle could not keep pace with the burning in my mouth or the sweat pouring my forehead. A sampling of durian, infamously not allowed on the subway due to its smell, put out the flames and netted me another great food experience in Thailand.

Tuesday June 14, 2011

Putting my Lonely Planet Thailand purchase to good use I read about certain day trips one can take out of Bangkok and so I decided to set sail for the Northern city of Lop Buri. My method of transportation was train and I made my way to the station and began the process of purchasing my ticket. As expected the English of the man at my window was of limited supply but I resolved to succeed. After he realized where I was heading he pecked at the keyboard until a ticket price appeared on the screen. Instantly I knew that was not the train for me, surely I wouldn’t be spending that on my 3 hour journey. I told him “lower class please” and with a few more taps on the keyboard a price about ten times lower appeared. Perfect, my ticket cost me about $1 to wind northward through the rice fields and extending sprawl of Bangkok.

Lop Buri was written to be a small town with old ruins, few roads and many monkeys. I couldn’t think of a better way to spend a Tuesday afternoon. The train itself was by no means luxurious, 3^rd class usually isn’t, but it was definitely tolerable. Open windows provided us with some natural air conditioning and happenchance landed me next to the only other westerner on the train and so my entertainment came free of charge.

My arrival granted me just 3 hours to explore the ancient crumbling structures of former religious sites before I would have to return to Bangkok. Surely that would be plenty of time to view a few fallen stones. I was proven right and quickly I made my way through the town to gawk at ruins while keeping an open eye for the ill reputed monkeys. As it turns out they have a favorite part of town and as if entering a new world when I crossed a street they were showing themselves in vast numbers. On the power lines, running through traffic and fighting over garbage these little creatures clearly outnumbered us humans 50 to 1. I quickly hid my food in my bag lest I be forced into a man vs. monkey battle knowing the locals would likely favor the monkeys and bid we farewell by sneaking a banana in my back pocket.

It wasn’t until I made my way back to the train platform for my departure that I understood the sly smirk I had received from the ticket vendor when I purchased my return. There at the station, much like the hordes of macaques I had just witnessed, were similar numbers of children. Everyone and his brother was obviously commuting home to some foreign village and I just happened to book the same train. Although speaking a language foreign to me, there was no mistaking what was being said as they laughed at each other’s expense and understandably behaved no different than the adolescence I had known as a child. As the train filled I found myself narrowly squeezed into a side compartment, an insignificant passenger in the throngs of students. But I have no complaints; today has been a day of simplicity and I now approach my destination happy to be in Thailand.