First hours in Bangkok and on the way to Chiang Mai via the train

---

First, since travelblog.org was down recently, we have posted all of our pictures from the first couple of days on picasa at this link: here Feel free to stop on by and take a gander if you haven't done so already.

Cassie's Part:

March 21st, 5:29PM: Touchdown in Bangkok at 12 noon! We made it! But before I go on about our first experience in Thailand, I must quickly rave about our experience with China Air. The food was amazing! I never thought I would feel so much love for airplane food till now. With bento style meal kits featuring ginger chicken with rice for dinner, the best jook ever for breakfast and awesome seafood pasta for lunch, how can you go wrong? They also aired Twilight and Slumdog Millionaire during movie time! Now back to Thailand. After the one hour wait in the immigration services line, Adam and I were free to roam around Bangkok. Where could we spend three hours before heading off to the train station to catch our overnight ride up to Chiang Mai? Chinatown of course! I was once told that Chinatown is all the same no matter what part of the world you are located in. I have to say the Chinatown in Bangkok is a different breed of the usual hustle and bustle you experience. Think of double parking in a single lane street dusted with pedestrians everywhere! The vendors had the sidewalks filled with their goods so visitors were forced to share the road with vehicles and zippy motorcycles. Yes, there were a few honks at us and some close calls, but we were able to make it out of that jungle unscathed. Seriously, when you are in the marketplace, you don’t see sunlight for miles. Chinatown was pretty much one gigantic marketplace. A maze filled with exhaust from the motorbikes making deliveries, street carts selling their delicious treats on a stick while blocking traffic, and shoppers lollygagging at vendors goods displayed on the sidewalk. It’s a madhouse, but definitely an experience I wouldn’t be able to get anywhere else. Today was a great introduction to the new place we will call home for the next two weeks. Now time to sleep on the train while I head up to Chiang Mai. It’ll definitely be a good night sleep tonight. With the three hours of walking in 90 degrees heat plus humidity and our 25 pound backpacks through the dizzying Chinatown streets, sleep becomes ridiculously easy . I can hear Adam’s soft snores below.


Adam's Part
On the Sleeper Train to Chiang Mai
So I’m on this midnight train going annnnywhere…well in this case Chiang Mai and I wake up at 1:10 in the morning. I feel the urge of nature calling me. I quickly survey my options, noting that we still have an additional 5-6 hours left on the train ride. Which is awesome I will add. When we first got on the train, 2 seats facing each other are set up for us to settle in and relax in the cool, air conditioned environment. You get to see a side of Bangkok and its surrounding area that you would not be privy too had you only used taxis and buses. We saw shanty towns and bustling marketplaces directly next to the train tracks and the dark silouettes of grassy fields and trees once we left the booming city. Anyway, once you feel sleepiness come on, a porter will quickly arrive to convert this sitting area into 2 bunk beds. Good times I tell you. So it’s obvious that I must find a bath room as the seats are vinyl and are not conducive to absorbing liquid, while the clothes I plan on wearing for the next two weeks are. So the choice was made, to seek a restroom without inadvertently finding a way to wake up everyone on the train uinthe process. So I look up and down the hallway. Not a promising sight as all I see are curtains, indicating a happy traveler sleeping inside. I would have to venture outside of this cabin shell. So I head to the nearest doorway and try as I might to pry apart the doors. No go. I keep trying. My fingers incur Roberto Duran as they say no mas. I look around the door and wouldn’t you know, there’s a hydraulic button to open the door. I press that and the door magically opens. Probably a good thing that I didn’t join the marines. I would have been the guy who took down his whole squad because he couldn’t figure out how to open a door to the troop carrier in a firefight. So now I’m in what appears to be the washroom car because I see a sink. I say appears because I also see a guy sleeping on a couple containers of towels. Interesting. I finally see two doorways, 1 on the left and one on the right indicating the holy grail, lavatories. I opt for the one on the right. And it’s pretty much a hole in the ground. My first question was, which way do I squat? Even with the bumpy ride, the saying, it was like shooting fish in a barrel aptly fits here. The last thing I needed to do was to wash out the bowl with a hose placed conveniently next to it. Why is the easiest step always the one step I mess up the most? I did not expect the water pressure to be as strong as it was and some of the spraying swished out of the bowl and onto my open air sandals and foot. I guess that is why purell is made.

To finish this up, it turns out that Cassie had to go too. I gave her all my life lessons from this experience and she was able to get to the lavoratory with no problems. She, however, chose the left door. Door number 1, as I like to put it, had a completely western style toilet. Cassie wins again. Ok. It is currently 2 o clock in the morning. I am going to get a couple hours more sleep and then we will be off to explore Chiang Mai once the train arrives. On the itinerary today is to see the city’s famous Sunday Market which apparently only occurs once a week and also its night bazaar. I also can’t wait to check into our guesthouse as I have not had a shower since we left for Bangkok Thursday night and its time.

---

Comments

[Heather]

Cassie ftw!
It's Monday morning in NYC, and I am sitting in my pathetic little cubicle, reading about your AWESOME adventures in Thailand. No words can describe the jealousy that's coursing through my veins. Love you guys, and I'm so loving the blog. The Bangkok-Chiang Mai train ride sounds so awesome! Good job navigating the bathroom, Cassan. Travel safe, you two! :hugs: Heather

[Rox]

Your Cats are Alive
...but throwing up... o.o' Just little messes here and there, like your bedsheet cover. I'm sure they miss you because even Abby's coming out to say hi.

[daddy n mommy]

what is your travelling plan
it sounds like you 2 are enjoying the trip so far. how clean is the drinking water over there? do you have the sequence of the destination cities? how about including it in your next blog. so we can follow your progress.