Back to Bangkok

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1 January 2013

Sitting at Trat bus station, waiting for a minibus to Bangkok. It is New Year's Day and it seems like the whole of Thailand is on the move. We were under the impression that we were booked onto a 14h00 bus to Bangkok, but on arrival discovered that first to come is first to be served and we were only 1 hour early and so all the 14h00 seats had been sold out. A strange anomaly happens at Trat bus station. There is a minivan from here to Bangkok every hour on the hour from 06h00 until 14h00; then they stop until 16h30. So now we wait.... Trat is hot and dry and the bus station is quite basic and far from town. We can't walk into town to kill time because Andrew thinks I am a pussy and will moan about the weight of my backpack, but actually, I just want to save him from the inevitable armpit aroma if he makes me walk around in this heat with all my gadgets attached to me (not to mention those pretty shoes which have become a part of the luggage) so we opt for the Thai greasy spoon next to the bus station and try to eat through the boredom...

After ordering and taking the first three sips of a mango shake, I think - dysentery ... This is the last place we should be drinking anything with ice in it; but I forge ahead anyway. At least it is cold and wet. The pad Thai is not too bad although Andrew's has bits of unrecognisable parts of what is apparently chicken in it.

It seems like years ago that we were feasting on lobsters and barbecued langoustines and crab, papaya salad and pink macaroons at our gala New Year's Eve dinner at Cham's House. What a night they put on for us!! The food was awesome, the fireworks were fun, the Thai musicians, dancers and singers were entertaining, but the best best best was the floating lanterns which we sent off into the night sky to carry away all our troubles. No New Year's resolutions and wishes, just a gentle send off to the bad stuff in your life. What a wonderful way to start a new year!

The Thais believe that at new year you should throw out anything you own that you have not used in the previous year otherwise it will bring you bad luck. Fortunately Thai new year is only in April, so we'll wait until then before getting rid of the shoes....

On our way out to here from Bangkok we had caught a taxi from our hotel to get to the Ekamai bus station in Bangkok, from where we were intending to take a bus to Laem Ngop pier near Trat to get to the islands. We were up early as the ferry from Laem Ngop only leaves once a day at 13h30 and the bus can take up to 6.5 hours to do the 350km. So despite there being a bus every hour, we wanted to be sure to get the first one. Busses in Thailand run everywhere and are incredibly cheap. The trip would have cost us about THB 300 in total (£6). But, Andrew gets chatting to the taxi driver. "I take you to Laem Ngop", he says. Negotiations start. "How long will it take?". "Only 3 hours". "How much will it cost?". "Only THB 3500." Easy sell. Who feels like a 6.5 hour bus trip when it can be done in 3 without sharing your ac with anyone else so early in the morning?! This is where we unwittingly place our lives in Mr Ratchen's hands....

He is not the only bad driver on the road though - we pass at least one tour bus wreck and one mangled donkey on the way. He feels he must maintain eye contact with Andrew who is chatting with him from the back seat, so instead of looking at the road he is looking in the rear view mirror. Fortunately Andrew is watching the road and spots the concrete barrier speeding towards us. Thank goodness for the unusually small bag of amulets hanging from the rear view mirror. I hope there is not another narrow escape because that little bag of luck must have been used up just then.... We learnt lots of new Thai words on the way and watched the pineapple and rubber plantations, and prawn farms whoosh by. And we got to the pier with time to spare for the ferry.

This time we have decided to be budget sensible and take a minivan back, thinking that it would be a little more civilised than the bus, but after sitting here watching them cram people into those vans at two per seat, I am having some doubts. Apparently the minivans are quicker than the busses though, and they are actually cheaper too, if you can believe that!

Andrew is doing the Deetless dance next to me as we sit and wait. (I think Deet is actually a typo and should read DDT. It is the only thing that keeps the insects at bay here)The flies are really bothering him and the Deet is locked in my bag. I look around at the destination boards:

Chantaburi: gem capital of the world - almost 75% of all the world's jewellery quality gem stones pass through this market town.

Pattaya: sex trade capital of the world

Bangkok: shopping capital of the world

You just have to love Thailand!!

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